History Examples of Students’ Work

Year 7: Peasants' Revolt
Student comment:
“Learning History in year 7 has been interesting. I think it was especially good when we learnt about Medieval Africa, which I had never learnt about before. I also think the teaching format was great and easy to understand.” 

GCSE Year 9: Elizabethan England

Student comment:
“My experience of learning History GCSE in year 9 is great. We are currently learning about the Elizabethan period and how their society was structured.

It is a great deal of reading and taking notes but the notes that you have taken makes it easier when you have exams because you have something to revise on that you can understand.

There are many class discussions which are helpful when you are finding it hard to understand.”

Studying History – Rayhan, Year 11 student
“I learnt a lot about writing historically, especially during my History project in year 9. This definitely improved my ability to learn something on my own and produce something based on that.
The content of the course was very interesting. I find history important to gain an understanding on how the world works.
The Cold War topic was great because it gave me a good understanding on the current political situation of the world being an aftereffect of the cold war. It links to current world issues such as the war in Ukraine.
The Elizabethan Era, while not as important, was fun to learn about how England was hundreds of years ago and how much we have developed since then.
The Medicine topic gave me a strong understanding of how health improved over time and that was really fascinating. It has given me so much more respect for doctors and scientists who have and continue to advance our understanding and have improved our lives so much.
And probably the most surprising was the USA topic where the main surprise was how vital the Civil Rights Movement was, along with how horrible the Vietnam War was. Similar to the Cold War topic, it has given me understanding of how our world works right now and shown me that while humans have improved a lot we still have a way to go.”

Year 8: Industrial Revolution

Student comment:
“I enjoy learning History in year 8 as it builds sympathy for different historical figures.

In History you can learn different views about different figures.

In History I enjoy debating whether the facts are true or not and enjoy discussing my view about them.”

GCSE Year 10 work on the Black Tudors

Student comment:
“Learning GCSE History has been enjoyable so far. I really liked the Elizabethan topic. 
It makes me feel educated on the world knowing about the Cold War for example and having an idea of different people's perspectives on others and events, and how their outtake differs from someone else's. I don't feel truly connected to it as I don't see figures that look like me, but that's just the curriculum. (That changed recently however, learning about migration and the Black Tudors), But if I can find one thing I like about the topic, like a domino effect, I enjoy the rest of it."

A level: Women in the 1960s
Student comment:
“If you have a genuine love for History, A levels are for you. Not a single lesson goes without someone asking an interesting question relevant to our learning that helps us all. Don't get me wrong, it is tough due to the amount of content but you have to engage with the learning which makes everything easier. A tip I would give is to constantly criticise historical figures and events which makes them memorable especially at  Biddenham (with a great social fabric vital to history) as our topics are about Britain with the bad Prime Ministers, youth culture, leisure, women, etc and Ireland when it was colonised.

I would genuinely encourage Year 11 students to take A level History as it makes you more critical of the world and history around you and a more introspective person."