Department vision
History lessons at Bower Park Academy aim to develop knowledge and skills that our students will use to guide them successfully through their exams and then through the rest of their lives. We hope to inspire a passion for studying the past that will continue for the rest of their lives, but also to give our students such an understanding of the past to help form opinions and an understanding of the world in which we live today. To this end, history at Bower Park is always taught with a focus on the social impact events and individuals throughout history have had.
The history department has four key skills upon which we focus to develop our students. Each key skill is one that is useful within and outside the classroom.
1). To gain an understanding of the key features of historical periods. This will help to ignite an interest in historical topics and will help with recall in later life.
2). Being able to explain and analyse key historical events. This will help with the understanding of cause and consequence, as well as being able to identify continuity and change, and the significance of this in later life.
3). Being able to analyse and evaluate contemporary sources to formulate judgements. This will help students critically evaluate information they receive in later life by applying their own knowledge.
4). Being able to analyse and evaluate the provenance of contemporary sources. This will help develop an understanding of the existence of alternative views in the modern world, as well as how and why individuals may have differing views of the same event.
The history department also supports other subjects within the academy by highlighting the necessity for high-level literacy, information technology and mathematical skills.
In order for students to study history, we appreciate that they must be equipped with both literacy and critical-thinking skills. We therefore aim to support the academy’s whole-school literacy plan, and help students become academic writers.
In the recent past, Bower Park students have enjoyed trips to the First World War battlefields and East London for a Jack the Ripper tour. We hope to continue to offer these trips, but are also hoping to offer a residential trip to Normandy, where the students will be able to see the Bayeux tapestry for themselves, as well as visit the Normandy beaches on which the Allies landed in 1944.
What will my son/daughter learn at Key Stage 3?
At key stage 3, years 7-9, pupils develop an understanding of causation, significance, interpretations and source-analysis skills by focusing on a range of historical topics.
Topics covered are:
What is history?
Roman, Viking, Saxon and Norman England
Early modern Britain
The Industrial Revolution and Victorian London
Women in history
The First World War
The Second World War
The Cold War
Migration in Britain over time
What will my son/daughter learn at Key Stage 4?
Topics covered are:
Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, 1060-1088
Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941-1991
Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918-1939
Migration in Britain, c.800-present day
Notting Hill, c.1948-c.1970
Which GCSE specification do we prepare students for?
The EDEXCEL GCSE History Course, which is set over two years. There are three units, which cover the following events:
Paper 1: 1 hour 15 minutes, worth 30%. Migrants in Britain, c.800–present and Notting Hill, c.1948–c.1970.
Paper 2: 1 hour 45 minutes, worth 40%. Period study and British depth study; The Cold War, 1941-1991; Anglo Saxon and Norman England 1060-1088
Paper 3: 1 hour 20 minutes, worth 30%. Modern depth study; Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918-1939
Are there any websites that will support my son’s/daughter’s learning?
Head of Department:
