Teaching Staff

• L Whitaker (Director of Learning)
• G Keeler
• A Paylor
• A. Broadbent

Curriculum Intent for History

At King James I Academy we have designed a history curriculum which allows students to make progress over time and acquire greater knowledge and mastery of the subject. Students will gain deepening knowledge of important changes over time and their sequence of learning will allow them to understand the range of factors which have had an impact upon how societies in Britain and the wider world have developed. Students will use primary and secondary sources to question the past and consider how it can be interpreted in different ways. They will learn to develop their own opinions about events but also respect the opinions of others.  As they learn topics in greater depth their explanations will become more detailed and they will make their own judgements about the past. They will interrogate sources to find out about past events and explain how their sources are useful to a historical enquiry. The students will be given enquiry questions about topics studied and through the sequence of learning become confident at giving answers to questions posed. This should encourage the students to be curious and become equipped at giving their own answers to historical questions that are still debated today. They will also develop transferable skills: source analysis, classification, research, essay – writing, and oracy. 

At Key Stage 3 they will learn about the development of British society and also its interrelation with the wider world. They will gain a chronological understanding of important turning points in British and world history. Students will also study a local history topic and learn about how important events have affected their own environment. In years 7 and 8 students will learn about the development of British society and its relationship with other countries. In Year 9 they will study important turning points in the modern world. The aim of all topics studied is to give students a sound knowledge of how past events have shaped modern society. The knowledge and skills gained at Key Stage Three will give students a secure knowledge of important events to help them to study GCSE History. From their studies, students will become well informed, able to make reasoned decisions, debate their point of view and be able to draw parallels between past events and the modern world. They will have engaged with key issues, such as conflict, and understand what drives change and how the past influences the present. Students who are successful at their GCSE studies will then be able to expand upon their knowledge by studying A Level history where pupils can secure an even deeper understanding about past events and explore debates and issues regarding this. Through the design of the curriculum, effective teaching and a supportive environment we aim to help students to become well -rounded, resilient and confident learners who can understand the past in relation to the current world in which they live.

Department Information

The King James I Academy istory department allows students to develop skills and knowledge which makes them more aware of the society in which they live. We encourage an investigative approach to the subject with students encouraged to ask questions and be inquisitive about the world around them. Students are challenged to analyse sources and also consider the causes and consequences of important events in British and World history from the Medieval period to the Modern era. Students study History from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 5 and cover a variety of different topics as outlined below.

Key Stage 3

Year 7

Students study the changes to British society starting with Medieval England and the Norman Conquest through to the Industrial Revolution. This gives students a chronological understanding of the development of British society. They learn about Norman influence on England and the development of systems of law and order and Government which have influenced British society. Thery learn how these have changed with successive monarchs and governments. Students develop skills of identifying key causes and consequences of events and use a range of sources to examine past events.

Year 8

During Year 8 students will learn about changing attitudes and societies in change from the abolition of the slave trade through to the Sufragette Movement. They will learn about important turning points in the first half of the twentieth century investigating the events of the First World War. They will study 1920s USA and consider the effect of the Wall Street Crash on the world and how this led to the rise of dictatorships. Students will develop their skills of source analysis and understanding of causes and consequences in more depth giving more detailed explanations when analysing important people and events.

Year 9

Students develop an understanding of the development of Modern World History and key turning points in the twentieth century world. Students learn about life under Nazi rule and how the aims of Hitler would take the world into WW2. Students will study the causes and events of WW2 and consider how these had an impact on the lives of ordinary people. Students will also study the causes and events of the Holocaust. Students will also learn about conflict and turning points post WW2 with the struggle for Civil Rights in the USA and race relations in Britain from 1945 to the present day. Finally, students will learn about the global conflict following WW2 studying the causes and events of the Cold War. At this stage students are challenged to interrogate sources and analyse and make developed judgements about past events in increasing detail.

Learning Journeys