The aim of the History Department is to promote effective teaching and learning in a dynamic, challenging and enjoyable environment.  It is our belief that History contributes to the moral and ethical development of students and to their awareness of citizenship, perhaps more than any other subject in the curriculum. A successful historian must be able to understand and respect different points of view, thus forging an essential “life skill” which helps to combat bigotry and intolerance.

We wish to build excellent teacher/pupil relationships and we have high expectations of every individual pupil.  We aim to develop skills and attitudes in the pupils that will be of practical use in life after school. We encourage pupil enthusiasm for the subject and to see History as a living subject, relevant and meaningful to the world they live in today.

The History Department has recently been privileged to be able to host a visit from Rudi Oppenheimer – a survivor of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. And several of our students have visited Auschwitz in conjunction with the Lessons from Auschwitz Project.

KEY STAGE 3

Core study at Key Stage 3 ensures pupils are given a sound sense of the past through study of important episodes in Irish and World History.

• Year 8 pupils investigate the importance of studying History and the Norman Impact on the medieval world.
• Year 9 classes focus on conflict and change in Europe, Britain and Ireland from 1570 to 1700.
• Year 10 classes cover Irish History from the Act of Union until 1921.
• Other studies at Key Stage 3 include a Local Study on the Armagh Railway Disaster, the Plains Indians and American West, and an overview of the Twentieth Century (including aspects of the First and Second World Wars).

GCSE HISTORY

This is a CCEA modular course examined at the end of Year 11 and Year 12
Unit 1: Study in Depth (50% of total marks)

• Germany c. 1918-c 1941 or USA in the 1920s
• Changing Relationships: Britain, Northern Ireland and Ireland c.1965-c1985

Unit 1 is examined at the end of Year 11

Unit 2: An Outline Study (25% of total marks)

• Superpower Relations c.1945-c1991

Unit 2 is examined at the end of Year 12

Unit 3: Investigative Study (25% of total marks)

• Controlled A ssessment on Vietnam War

Unit 3 is examined during Year 12 (second term)

A LEVEL HISTORY

Two modules are studied in Year 13 for AS and a further two are studied in Year 14 to complete the A level.

Year 13

• AS Module 1: Germany 1918 – 1945
• AS Module 2: Italy 1914 – 1943

Year 14

• A2 Module 1: Nationalism and Unionism 1800-1900
• A2 Module 2: Partition of Ireland 1900 – 1925

A LEVEL GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Year 13

• AS Module 1: UK Electoral Systems, Voting Behaviour, Parties and Pressure Groups
• AS Module 2: UK Representative Institutions, Executive, Constitution and Judiciary

Year 14

• A2 Module 3A: USA Political Parties, Pressure Groups, Elections, Voting Behaviour and Direct Democracy
• A2 Module 4A: US Presidency, Congress, Constitution and Supreme Court

These modules are available for examination in January and June