History

‘There is a two-way traffic between the past and the present, the present being moulded out of the past, yet constantly recreating the past. If the historian makes history, it is equally true that history has been made by the historian’. EH Carr from What is History?

History is not only the study of the recorded past through the comprehension and analysis of historical sources of evidence, but also a body of knowledge, a record which is our means of gathering and interpreting information. It is as much a study and consideration of our own values and priorities as it is those of people living in the past.

History at Shrewsbury International School encourages our students to develop the knowledge and skills with which to understand the world in which they live, as well as encouraging them to formulate, develop and challenge ideas with a view to making them more informed and active citizens in modern society. History also makes a commitment to provide a relevant and stimulating environment in which to develop and strengthen our student’s command of written and spoken English.

Key Stage 3

The Curriculum for students studying History in Years 7-9 is based upon the National Curriculum for England and Wales. Year 7 students study units focused on Key Skills, The Roman Empire and The Norman Conquest of England. Year 8 sees students study Change and continuity during the British Industrial Revolution, The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, and a research skills project on Heroes and Villains of History. Year 9 students study the First World War, Dictatorships and Democracies, and the Bombing of Hiroshima.

Key Stage 4

Year 10 and 11 students follow the Cambridge IGCSE syllabus which covers 20th Century International Relations and an in-depth study of Weimar and Nazi Germany. Students are encouraged to develop a keen understanding of the causes and consequences of key events from the drawing up of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, to the outbreak of the Second World War twenty years later. The Germany Depth Study focuses on the impact of her defeat in the First World War through to the collapse of the Nazi regime in 1945.

Sixth Form

Students follow the Edexcel A level syllabus with the study of four distinct units. Unit 1 at AS Level focuses on the rise and fall of Fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany. Unit 2 focuses on the fight for women’s suffrage in Britain. A2 Level units include individual coursework assignments and an extended study of themes and events addressed at AS Level.