Throughout Higher History, students will study three discrete topics including

Migration and Empire, 1830 – 1939
A study of population movement and social and economic change in Scotland and abroad between 1830 and 1939. Pupils will study the reasons behind Scottish migration and the impact that Scots had on Empire lands. They will also study the experiences of immigrants in Scotland, and the effect of the empire on the country. This topic allows us to study where many of our families came from or went to! This unit emphasizes the use of primary and secondary sources and students will build on previous knowledge to analyse and compare sources to a high level.

Appeasement and the Road to War, to 1939
Throughout this unit of study, pupils will learn about the rise of Fascist powers in Europe (namely Italy and Germany) and the reasons for their aggressive foreign policy. We will look at Britain’s reaction to Fascist aggression and reasons why Britain adopted a policy of appeasement. Finally, we will look specifically at the Munich Agreement of 1938 and the reasons for the outbreak of the Second World War. Students will sharpen their extended writing skills and will write a series of essays throughout this unit.

Britain, 1851-1951
This unit looks at the development of Britain as a democracy. We will study the extension of the franchise to men and women and reasons for it, as well as the creation of the first welfare reforms. Finally, we will look at the creation of Labour’s welfare state after the Second World War and the ways in which it cared for its citizens. Students will plan and write a series of essays.

The May Exam

Revising for the question paper. This may be done individually, in small groups or within the class or group as a whole, at the discretion of the teacher

The History Assignment

Candidates will have the opportunity to developing skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work. Learners will develop reading and writing as they research the assignment topic and write up the outcomes of the activity. They will develop information handling skills as they evaluate and analyse a range of historical sources such as newspapers, diaries, memoirs, letters, photographs, cartoons, speeches and historians. They will develop citizenship through deepening their understanding of issues facing contemporary society.

Pupils will be expected to produce essays for each area of the European and British topics, and in some cases to redraft work in line with suggested improvements.

Assessment is divided between coursework (33%) and the final exam (66%). For the coursework task, students will write up an extended essay which will allow them to choose an area of interest and work individually to research and plan for this assessment.

All pupil assessments are routinely graded and recorded by the teacher and the results are stored centrally, these results are used by staff to track the progress of the individuals and ensure that their needs are being met. Pupils also review their own attainment and are encourage to identify ways to improve their learning. Staff report formally to parents as per the school calendar.