History

Ethos & Values

We aim:

• To enhance children's quality of learning through the effective delivery of the History curriculum, ensuring quality provision to all students.
• To have consistently high expectations, matched with the dedication of professional, dedicated and knowledgeable staff and match these with high-quality resources and learning strategies.
• To make links with the wider curriculum, particularly assisting in the provision of improvement of English language skills and usage.
• To develop and consolidate the role of History in the English Baccalaureate qualification.

The History department consistently aims to reinforce the ethos and values of Louth Academy through high expectations, mutual support, passion for the curriculum area and the constant drive to improve both as Historians and as individuals.

Substantive Knowledge & Disciplinary Skills

History is uniquely placed to offer substantive knowledge and disciplinary skills that can be applied to the wider world and can be linked to almost all areas of study and personal development. History allows us to:

• Develop and improve upon a knowledge and understanding of key events, individuals and ideas of the past, evaluating broader themes and linking them to the present day.
• Explore, investigate and evaluate historical sources and interpretations, learning how to critically evaluate and analyse them.
• Develop the skills of self-reflection, teamwork, and organisation and further develop skills that utilise the usage of the English language.
• Develop the ability to understand the world in which we live, together with developing the skills which are essential in many subjects.
• Understand what motivates people and understand cause and consequence.
• Gather and read different kinds of information.
• Investigate information and can check it for bias or propaganda and comment on what the purpose and validity of it is.
• To communicate effectively disciplinary thinking such as continuity and change or cause and consequence.

As a faculty, we are proud to offer our students the chance to develop and prosper in a way that benefits them for the rest of their lives.

Research Informing The Sequencing Decisions

At Louth Academy we consider how students learn when sequencing our curriculum. Cognitive load theory informs our curriculum sequencing by revealing the role of memory in helping students build the cognitive architecture required to access the History curriculum effectively, this is alongside the use of Rosenshine’s principles and retrieval practice ensures students excel in their studies.

Broader Themes

Belief systems - Religious and ideological, how do these varying belief systems we cover underpin the history we study. Power and Conflict are significant drivers of change and linked to these are substantive concepts such as Democracy, Dictatorship. Ordinary lives –Social history a focus on the individual level of human lives will allow a better understanding of the overarching broader themes impacting human lives in history. The growth of Empire and its decline– linked to this would be the contribution of religion and ideas, economics and government to the expansion and decline of Empire overseas.

Resources & Facilities

The History Department is staffed at the Lower and Upper site by dedicated, professional and outstanding teachers who are passionate about History.

We offer dedicated, well equipped and comfortable classrooms, with interactive facilities and a range of quality resources, ranging from excellent detailed textbooks and artefacts to subject-specific software.

Courses & Qualifications

Key Stage 3

Students follow a carefully structured curriculum allowing the development of Historical skills and knowledge across significant eras and themes. Students study History from the Romans through to the 20th Century. Areas covered include Medieval realms, Tudors and Stuarts, Slavery, Diversity, the British Empire and WWI and WWII. At Key Stage 3, all students have two lessons of History per week.

Key Stage 4

Students will be studying the new GCSE obtaining grades from 1-9. These students will sit the GCSE from the AQA Examination Group focusing on international developments in the inter-war years with a depth study on Germany. Also, students will undertake a British Depth Study on Norman England with the historical site study Castle Acre Priory in 2021-2022 Norman Conquest of Wales 2023-2024 and Durham Cathedral 2024-2025 alongside a thematic study on Health and the People. The course is examined through two external examinations in the summer of Year 11. Students studying the AQA GCSE will also receive 3 lessons per week.

Learning Outside The Classroom

The History department understands the contributions that outside learning can make to students, therefore, History Department also provides a range of revision and support classes when required for Key Stage 4 students at the Upper site to help students achieve success in their exams. Wider personal development links are encouraged through participation in competitions run by the Historical Association and educational visits to the Holocaust Museum and historical environmental sites such as the White Tower and Castle Acre Priory.

Where Does This Take Me In The Future?

• The study of History provides students with an understanding of a wide range of societies and eras throughout History in addition to the development of written and oral skills.
• All topics covered within History provide a good progression route to more advanced qualifications, specifically A-Levels in History, Law, Government and Politics and Philosophy and Ethics.