Teaching Staff

Aims

We aim to encourage pupils to have an interest and enthusism for the past, and to develop a range of skills which will be valuable in and outside the workplace.

Curriculum

Key Stage 3

Key Stage 3 content includes:

Year 8:

The Normans

  1. What is history.
    The aim of this unit is to ensure that pupils understand what history is about and the jobs/skills associated with it.  They research their own life and events that have happened in their lifetime.  Pupils also consider the different types of historical evidence that can be used to investigate the past.
  1. How the Normans got involved in England
    The focus of this unit is the origins of the Normans and the Battle of Hastings.  Pupils consider the validity of the claimants to the throne of England in 1065 and examine the events of 1066 with particular emphasis on the Battle of Hastings.
  1. Norman Control
    Pupils research and evaluate the methods the Normans used to keep control of England, with a focus on castles.
  1. The Normans in Ireland
    The focus of this unit is the Normans coming to Ireland. Pupils also consider the Norman legacy.
  1. Health in the Middle Ages
    This units examines health and medicine in the Middle Ages and considers the impact of the Black Death

Year 9:

Britain and Ireland 1400-1700s

  1. What was important in the period 1500-1700?
    This unit focuses on teaching the historical term significance and why some events in the past are considered more significant than others.
  1. The Reformation
    This unit aims that pupils understand the main causes and consequences of the Reformation and how Europe became divided along religious lines.
  1. Elizabeth’s problems.
    The focus for this unit is the effect religious conflict had on the reign of Elizabeth.  The pupils will investigate the rivalry between Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots and subsequently Phillip II.  It will culminate in studying the Spanish Armada.
  1. The Plantation and Religious Conflict in Ireland in the mid C17th
    This unit examines the reasons for the Ulster Plantation and the effects of it including life today in Northern Ireland. Pupils will also investigate how history has been used to present stereotypical images in Northern Ireland.
  1. Political and Religious Conflict- “King Billy” and its impact today.
    In this unit pupils will examine the legacy of the Williamite wars on Northern Ireland.
  1. The Native Americans
    This unit will get pupils to investigate the ways in which a past society tried to preserve its environment for future generations. They will examine how this compares with their own lifestyle and developed countries.

Year 10:

20th Century including post partition Ireland

  1. The 20th century
    This is a large topic.  The unit starts with an overview of the 20th century and then focuses on the following areas:
          - World War One
          - The Jazz Age
          - The Depression
          - Life in Nazi Germany
          - The Holocaust
          - The Atomic bomb
          - Role of women in the 1950s
          - Cold War
          - Vietnam War
          - Martin Luther King
          - How did the Cold War end?
          - What is the New Terrorism?
  1. Why was Ireland partitioned?
    This unit will give pupils the opportunity to investigate the long and short term  causes of the partition of Ireland and be able to identify key turning points.
  1. A century of what?
    This unit will focus on pupils reflecting on what they have learnt about the 20th century and consider progression and regression.  They will classify developments into social, political and cultural.

GCSE

GCSE content includes:

A Level

AS / A-Level content includes:

AS

A2

Extra Curricular

Trips

Year 8 pupils go on a History trip to Carrickfergus Castle.

Year 9 pupils have a workshop on the Ulster Plantation

Homework and Core Assessment

Key Stage 3 - 1 homework per week
Key Stage 4 - 2 homeworks per week

Tracking of pupil performance is currently in years 8 and 9 at Key Stage 3 and will be extended to year 10 in September 2019.
Tracking of pupil performance is in all Key Stage 4 and 5 classes.

Careers

History provides a wide range of career opportunities as employers recognise the valuable skills which history teaches.

Jobs directly related:

Archivist - plans and organises systems and procedures for the safe keeping of, and public access to, historically valuable collections. Archivists identify, evaluate and select important items, and negotiate the acquisition of material with the relevant providers.

Secondary school teacher - develops schemes of work and plan lessons, encourages, monitors and records the progress of individual pupils, and devises and adapts resources to suit their own students. Secondary school teachers must also keep up to date with developments in their subject area, and new teaching and learning methods.

Museum / gallery conservator - acquires, maintains, develops, displays and interprets a collection of artefacts or works of art in order to educate, entertain and inspire the public.

Jobs where your degree would be useful:

Barrister - responsible for understanding and interpreting the law, managing legal briefs (cases), researching and writing opinions, preparing cases for court, and preparing and presenting legal argument.

Academic librarian, Information officer, Information scientist, Records manager - responsible for the selection, acquisition, organisation and dissemination of information within an organisation, often with a user training and liaison role.

Broadcast journalist, Magazine journalist or Newspaper journalist - responsible for investigating, gathering and reporting on news and authoring journal-specific features.

Writer - produces writing in various styles including fiction and poetry, non-fiction and material for the theatre, screen, radio and the web. Most writers work freelance and are self-employed.

Education administrator - organises and manages educational institutes' administrative systems and processes. Areas of work can include central administration (such as admissions and recruitment) or an academic or support department, such as finance or careers, where the role is likely to involve more direct contact with students/pupils.

Civil service administrator - interprets and applies complex written information relating to policies and procedures, produces high-quality materials and reports, researches and conducts analysis, and delivers findings.

Primary school teacher - plans, prepares and presents lessons to pupils aged 5 to 11, motivating pupils, and assessing and recording pupils' progress.

Commercial or Non-commercial solicitor - advises individuals and organisations on legal aspects of personal and business matters.

Careers information officer - identifies resources and assesses the suitability of information, assists and trains users in locating appropriate resources. Careers information officers also develop collection management policies that meet current and anticipated needs, while considering budgetary constraints.

Other options

A history degree provides openings to a wide range of other careers but it is also important, in order to boost prospects, to gain as many of the relevant skills and as much relevant work experience as possible prior to embarking on a particular career.

Volunteering, internships, part-time jobs and student projects can help to increase confidence and improve skills in communication, organising workloads, using initiative, working collaboratively, conducting research, project management and working to timescales.

It is also possible to make speculative approaches especially to employers whose business is in the line of work that you are considering. Related work experience always helps to increase knowledge of the sector and can help you to establish important contacts.

Although some of the joys listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with a degree in History, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it's not just your degree discipline that determines you options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Further information:

Prospects

Links

CCEA History Microsite