History

Why study A Level History?

History is a hugely valuable subject which tells the vital story of how and why things change. Studying history enables you to understand the present and to think about the future. As well as its own significance, history contributes effectively to a range of literary subjects and is very highly regarded by universities. It is a well taught subject with committed expert staff and results have been excellent over a number of years. At A Level, students have the opportunity of producing an independent enquiry on the British Empire. Not only is this rewarding in its own right but it helps to prepare students for the requirements of a university course, and enables them to study in depth, an aspect that is interesting to them.

How will I be assessed?

• Two written exams - 2½ hours each
• A 4,500 word Historical Enquiry (mini dissertation/personal study)

entry requirements

• Grade 5 and above in History GCSE and Grade 5 in English GCSE

What skills will I gain from studying History?

Historians have always made a virtue of the importance of reaching objective judgements based upon a broad range of reading and an understanding of a wide range of sources. Historians will have the ability to write clear, literate, synoptic, analytical prose that represents balanced assessment of the evidence but which does not fight shy of drawing conclusions.

Where can History lead?

History is highly regarded by universities and compliments an application to any degree course including; Law, Journalism, Politics and even Maths or Medicine; and of course History. Any employer would view History as appealing due to its transferable skills that show the ability to evaluate information and present reasoned arguments. Many of Britain’s top company bosses have history degrees. People as diverse as Jonathan Ross, Gordon Brown, Anita Roddick, Chris Martin, Sacha Baron Cohen and Louis Theroux have history degrees.

Staff

The following members of staff form the History department at King Edwards: