Key Stage 3

Key Stage Three

Key Stage Three (KS3) covers students in years seven to nine. The KS3 course follows the 2008 National Curriculum Standards and encompasses a wide range of topics. Below is a broad outline of our studied topics. More detailed information on the structure of the course and lesson sequence can be found in our Schemes of Work. These can be viewed as word documents by clicking on the links below:

Key Stage Three National Standards for History

The Year 7 Scheme of Work

The Year 8 Scheme of Work

The Year 9 Scheme of Work

Resources

Almost all the resources used within the department are created by ourselves, however we would recommend the following books and websites to students and parents who are interested in finding out more about what we teach.

Recommended Reading

Recommended Websites

Course Content

Year 7

Medieval Britain between 1066AD and 1485AD. We start with the Norman Conquest and continue through some of the major events that have shaped our nation and the world, including the Crusades, the Black Death and the Peasants Revolt. It also includes our ever popular Castles Project where students get to make their own medieval castles Blue Peter style! After the summer half term, the pupils will study a short unit on Roman Britain.

Setting and Assessment In year 7, students are placed in six mixed ability sets and one Special Educational Needs set. Throughout the academic year, they will complete five pieces of assessed work and one exam. These assessments are used to gauge ability and determine setting for the next academic year.

Student Work.

The Castles Project

Other Work

The Battle of Hastings Roleplay

 

Year 8

The Making of the United Kingdom: Britain between 1485 and 1700. The year 8 course starts with the War of the Roses and the establishment of the Tudor Dynasty. The Tudor Monarchs are used as a way to study the religious turmoil and bitter power struggles that characterised this period. We also cover the English Civil War and Republic in some depth. After the exam we study The French Revolution between 1789 - 1794

Setting and Assessment In year 8, students are placed in six sets comprising two top sets (8a1, 8b1) two middle sets (8a2, 8b2) and two lower sets (8a3, 8b3) as well as one Special Educational Needs set (8a4). The setting of students is determined by their performance in the year 7 assessments and the year 7 exam for all three Humanities subjects. In other words – the average performance across History, Geography and Religious Studies is taken into account when determining sets. Assessment in year 8 is carried out in the same way as it was in year 7, with five pieces of coursework and one terminal exam. Once again, performance over the course of the year is used to determine setting for year 9.

Student Work

French Revolution Movies

Other Work 

 

Year 9

Industrialisation, Empire and Conflict: British and European History 1750-1918. The final year of compulsory historical study starts with the origins and direction of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. We then study how that industrial and technological superiority was harnessed to create an Empire on which the sun never set. Along the way, the darker and more inglorious aspects of Imperial and Industrial Britain are given equal weight to the more celebrated ones. Finally, we study the great tragedy of the First World War.

Setting and Assessment In year 9, students are placed in six sets comprising two top sets (9a1, 9b1) two middle sets (9a2, 9b2) and two lower sets (9a3, 9b3) as well as one Special Educational Needs set (9a4). The setting of students is determined by their performance in the year 8 assessments and the year 8 exam for all three humanities subjects. Assessment in year 9 is carried out in the same way as it was in both year 7 and in year 8, with five pieces of coursework and one terminal exam. These assessments are used to determine a student’s final performance across Key Stage 3 as they move into Key Stage 4. They are used to assess the extent to which they over or underperformed during this phase of compulsory education.

Student Work 

Other Work

Link to Ripper trip  photos

  1. History National Standards
  2. History National Standards
  3. Year 7 Reading List
  4. Year 7 Reading List
  5. Year 7 Scheme of Work
  6. Year 7 Scheme of Work
  7. Year 8 Reading List
  8. Year 8 Reading List
  9. Year 8 Scheme of Work
  10. Year 8 Scheme of Work
  11. Year 9 Reading List
  12. Year 9 Reading List
  13. Year 9 Scheme of Work
  14. Year 9 Scheme of Work