History at GCSE Level
In Year 10 students follow the Cambridge iGCSE Specification – Modern World History. This is a two year course that culminates in three exam papers being set at the end of Year 11. There is no coursework element to this course.
History iGCSE CIE
Year 10 – The 20th Century: International Relations since 1919
This module focuses on International tensions, conflicts and diplomacy in the 20th Century. Covering the period from the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, the outbreak of the Cold War in 1945, the brink of Nuclear War over Cuba in 1962 and the collapse of the Iron Curtain in 1989, students will investigate the political tensions that made these events a reality. They will analyse the decisions of leaders such as Chamberlain, Truman, Kennedy and Khrushchev and evaluate the decision making that kept the world in a fragile peace after 1945. This module will be examined at the end of Year 11 and there is regular revision and assessment throughout the two years to help students prepare, including a mock exam in Y10.
Year 11 – 20th Century Depth Studies
In Year 11 we look at the seminal events in Germany in the first half of the 20th Century.
Depth Study 2 –Germany 1918-45
Students will look at the upheavel of post war Germany, the miraculous recovery of the Weimer’s golden period and the onset of Nazi dictatorship. We question how such a change could come about and investigate the circumstances in place that allowed fascism to take hold. We also look at wartime Germany and its impact on its citizens.
There will be a mock exam in Year 11 that focuses on the source paper for this course.
Exam Structure
There is no coursework unit for this course. There will be 3 terminal exams at the end of Year 11.
Paper 1 – Knowledge based paper, mixture of Year 10 Core Content and Depth Study work (2 hours)
Paper 2 – Source based paper, focused on an aspect of the Year 10 Core Content (2 hours)
Paper 3 – Short essay paper, based on a choice of Depth Study topics (1 hour)
This course is supplemented by a bi-annual trip to Berlin for GCSE Historians, a very valuable and exciting experience for the students.