History

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

George Santayana

At Saddleworth School the history department aims to deliver a curriculum that is coherent and integrated and fosters a deeper understanding of Britain’s past and the wider world.  We aim to approach learning in an enquiry based manner with the focus on developing historians who are equipped to think critically about the evidence from the past, ask perceptive questions, develop their ability to reach reasoned judgments, understand the changes in Britain’s history and the significance of world events.  We also want our students to develop the skills required to challenge both events from the past and the world around them by seeing how past events influence the world we live in today.  We value the importance of learning in and outside the classroom and across subject areas and the department is working to draw links with other subject areas.

• YEAR 7 – In Year 7, students will study British history from 1066 – 1714. Key areas of investigation will include: How did the Norman Conquest change England? Why was religion so important? What was the biggest problem Elizabeth I faced? What was it like to live in Stuart England? Why did Charles I lose his head?
• YEAR 8 – In Year 8, students will combine their study of British history and investigate the links between our own country and some of the main historical events affecting the rest of the world. Key areas of investigation include: Why did GB have an Industrial Revolution? How did the Industrial Revolution affect the Oldham Cloth Industry? Who was treated worse: the factory workers or the slaves? What was it like to live in Industrial towns? Does GB deserve to be called GREAT Britain? What were the causes of WWI? What happened during the war? How successful was the peace settlement at the end of the war?
• YEAR 9 – In Year 9, students will focus on developing their understanding of world history in the twentieth century. The Key areas of investigation will include: Why did the USA become a superpower in the 1920s? How accurate is the term “Roaring Twenties”? Why did Adolf Hitler come to power in 1933? What was life like in Nazi Germany? Who was responsible for the Holocaust? Why did the Second World War begin? What happened during the war? Was dropping the atomic bomb justified?

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