What would I study in GCSE History?

One of the real advantages of studying GCSE History is that there are a number of topics which are really different from each other. There is no time to be bored because there is so much variety in the course!

Here is a taster of some of the topics you would study at GCSE Level:

What sort of person should do History?

It would be a lie to say that GCSE History is easy. You should only take it if you are prepared to work hard. You should enjoy studying History and will probably have been successful at the History assessments you completed in Year 9.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ 1. What's the coursework like?

Coursework is worth 25% of your final grade. It involves answering 3 questions on Vietnam, and 2 on the Suffragettes. The questions are very manageable - you should only need to spend your homework time on them. 2 - 3 sides would be a long answer. The emphasis is very much on quality rather than quantity. Most students try to do really well on coursework to give them extra marks if they don't do as well as they expect on the exam. Ask your teacher to see a recent example of History coursework if you are interested.

FAQ 2. Is it OK to take Geography and History?

It certainly is! Every year lots of students successfully take both. The courses have very different demands so you shouldn't find yourself overloaded.

FAQ 3. How will History help me in my career?

You might be thinking that History is irrelevant to your career because you don't want to be a museum attendant or a History teacher. In fact studying History is really useful because it gives you an understanding of the world around you, people and their motives, and helps you to analyse different sources of information. We are constantly bombarded with lots of different types of information - studying History helps to understand the hidden messages. You need to think about things carefully to be a historian - which is why History is often linked to careers in Medicine and Law.

FAQ 4. Will I do well at History?

This depends on lots of things: the teaching you receive, how good you are at History, and how hard you are prepared to work. We aim to give you the best possible teaching. The rest is up to you...

FAQ 5. Why don't we study Ancient History at GCSE?

There are lots of easily accessible resources for modern History; films, websites, photographs, posters and so on. We feel that we can give you the most enjoyable course by focusing on Twentieth Century History. If you particularly enjoy Ancient History don't worry, the skills are the same for studying different historical periods and you may wish to pick up a different time period at AS Level.

FAQ 6. Which teacher will I get if I take GCSE History?

It depends on the option blocks and the timetable so it's impossible to say. The good news is that if you are prepared to work hard you will enjoy your History lessons whoever takes you. You might feel a little nervous at first about having a new teacher but you will soon get used to it.

What previous students have said...

"History is a good subject to take for any career... I think I might study History in college because I like it and it'll be a good thing to put on my CV" (Tania, 2007)

"History is my strongest subject" (Adam, 2007)

"I feel I will do well in History, as I feel I learn most here because of the different learning techniques used" (Jenny, 2007)

"I have found all of the course interesting. I haven't disliked anything and I haven't found anything too difficult. I think that this might be one of my best grades as I feel as though I took everything in" (Louise, 2007)

I found it helpful "...to create posters and spiderdiagrams as I am a visual learner" (Joe, 2007)

"Extra History went over things I was not sure about. Wingo was fun and helped me learn the meanings of the new words" (Daniel, 2007)

"Everythings been fun, especially lessons because our class gave a really good atmosphere and everyone's fun. As long as I put the work in I think I will get a better grade in History than other subjects because its one of the most interesting" (Morag, 2007)

Using the Interactive Whiteboard "...is fun and you can remember easier" (Sam, 2006)

"I am good at it (History) and it is interesting" (David, 2006)

"Extra history has really helped me" (Adam, 2006)

"I've enjoyed History... I'm going to study it at Prior, because I enjoy most of it" (Emma, 2006)

"They (the History Department) are very helpful and try to get the best out of the student" (Joe, 2006)

"I enjoyed class discussions as well as playing word bingo and using the whiteboards" (Ellie, 2005)

"History is one of my better subjects... I am taking Modern History at Prior" (Sam, 2005)

"I have enjoyed doing about World War II in particular. Vietnam as well... I think the revision website is helpful, the revision homeworks and the revision sessions... I hope to continue to study History in the future. I still find it interesting and want to find out more!" (Jonathan, 2005)

"I will probably do better in History (than in other subjects) because I have been motivated to revise more." (Luke, 2005)

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