History and Politics

Aims

  • To encourage pupils to develop their Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities.
  • To develop in pupils, the ability to participate in discussions and interpret, analyse and present information in a variety of forms.
  • To use statistics and data to interpret and analyse information and make judgements.
  • To enable pupils to use ICT to access, manage, select and present information.
  • To help pupils develop their ability to plan work, set goals and targets and review their progress throughout the year.
  • To encourage pupils’ ability to work and co-operate with others through team and group work
  • To equip pupils to explore and evaluate different perspectives without prejudice, justify their opinions and come to conclusions.

Staffing

Mrs McMillan (Head of Department)
Mrs J Barr
Mrs L Boyd
Mrs Drennan
Mrs McKee

Subject Overview

Studying History and/or Government and Politics develops many important skills that extend beyond the classroom.  Pupils learn about key individuals and the impact of their actions and decisions.  They have the opportunity to study local, national and global History and Politics and hopefully answer some burning questions they may have about both past and current issues such as why did so few people try to stop Hitler or what impact Donald Trump is having on global Politics.  It develops students as inquiring, curious and critical thinkers and hopefully sparks a lifelong interest in making sense of the past and producing leaders for the future.

At Glenlola Collegiate School all pupils study History throughout Key Stage 3.  Pupils can then choose to study History at GCSE level. History and Government and Politics is also taught at AS and A2 level.

Key Stage 3

All pupils in years 8 study History for 2 hours each week. Pupils in Years 9 and 10 study History for 3 hours each fortnight. Pupils will be given opportunities to gain confidence and develop essential cross curricular and Literacy skills which can lend themselves to other aspects of a pupil’s development.

Key Stage 4

The pupils who have selected GCSE History will have the opportunity to consider the relevance of the past to gain a deeper understanding of the world in which we live. Pupils will develop the ability analyse, interpret, and evaluate information.

We follow the CCEA GCSE History specification, studying:

  • Unit 1 Section A: Option 1: Modern World Studies in Depth Option 1 Life in Nazi Germany 1933-45.
  • Unit 1 Section B: Option 2: Local Study Changing Relations: Northern Ireland and its Neighbours, 1965-98.
  • Unit 2: Outline Study re International Relations 1945-2003.

Key Stage 5

History

Studying History give pupils the opportunity to explore key political, economic and social events which have shaped our present. It encourages pupils to understand the past and develop their ability to make links and draw comparisons between historical periods and to identify significant turning points. Pupils develop critical thinking skills to evaluate a range of evidence and appreciate different interpretations of the past.  Pupils also develop the ability to better understand the reasons for significant historical actions and be better informed about current affairs, and encourage their ability to place what is reported in the news about local, national and international events in its historical context.

We follow the CCEA GCE History specification, studying:

AS LEVEL

  • AS 1: Option 5: Historical Investigations and Interpretations:  Germany 1919-45
  • AS 2: Option 5: Russia 1914-41

A2 LEVEL

  • A2 1: Option 5: Clash of Ideologies in Europe 1900-2000
  • A2 2: Option 3: Ireland 1778–1803

http://www.rewardinglearning.org.uk/microsites/history/

Key Stage 5

Government and Politics

The aim is to enable pupils to gain a better understanding of political systems and ideas and the changes that these have brought about in society.  It encourages pupils to develop their knowledge of political systems and ideas and be able to relate this knowledge to local, national and international news events reported in the media.  It provides pupils with the opportunity to develop skills of analysis, research and evaluation.

We follow the CCEA GCE Government and Politics specification, studying:

AS LEVEL

  • AS 1: The Government and Politics of Northern Ireland
  • AS 2: The British Political Process

A2 LEVEL

  • A2 1: Option A: A Comparative Study of the Government and Politics of the United States of America and the United
  • Kingdom
  • A2 2: Option A: Political Power

http://www.rewardinglearning.org.uk/microsites/government/

Career Opportunities for History

Studying History equips pupils with the ability to work towards challenging careers, for example in the media, politics,

teaching, business, finance or civil service.  There is the potential for more specialist careers such as an archaeologist, archivist historical researcher, solicitor, barrister, museum curator or genealogist.

Career Opportunities for Government and Politics

Studying Government and Politics is an excellent preparation for many careers and can open up opportunities for employment in areas such as politics, political research, business, finance, government services, education, journalism and public services.