Our A-Level course follows the theme of society and outsiders. Students will study history across
a period of 500 years with at least 20% being made up of specifically British History and 20% of
the course focusing on the history of a country outside of Great Britain. The year 12 course will
be modern in focus with Unit 1 offering a breath study of Britain from 1918-1997, including a
study of the controversy surrounding the governments of Margaret Thatcher. Students will
explore welfare, the economy and immigration. Unit 2 will focus in depth on the USA from 1955
1997 and will include social, economic and political themes including protest, race relations and
the creation of the Democrat/Republican divide. The Year 13 examined course will focus on the
early modern period and examine Witch hunting in the 16th and 17th centuries. This will provide
an opportunity to examine how ideas changed over time and the impact they had on society. The
coursework element has a focus on historical controversy. Students explore different historian’s
interpretations for the reasons for the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. Courses will
contain a mix of political, economic, social and an increasing quantity of cultural history to give a
rounded view of the periods under consideration and to tap into the style of history that is
currently being studied in universities.

Throughout the course we use a variety of teaching methods including the study of documents
and sources, group investigations and individual study. Learning also takes place through
discussion, presentations, note taking, debate and research – in short, all sorts of methods that
help you actively engage with History.

History is a very popular A level at South Wilts and many use it as a stepping stone to further
studies at University. The department values its excellent staff and the hard work which takes
place. Universities regard History as a rigorous, academic subject to study at A Level, and so a
good History grade is very well received. Because of the high level of reading and writing skills
demanded and cultivated, the course could lead to a whole host of career path choices, such as:
the Civil Service, management and accountancy, the Law, teaching and research, to name but a
few.

• Year 7 take part in a medieval mosaics day in school and a cross-curricular trip to Old Sarum.
• In year 8 visit Hampton Court palace to explore the home of Henry VII and discover more about the reformation and its impact.
• During the GCSE course we visit the battlefields in France and Belgium.
• In Year 12 students are given the chance to watch lectures given by historians, either in London or at the Chalke Valley History Festival.
• A year 13 trip is run to Washington DC to support the American aspects of the course.