History A Level

History is a subject valued by universities and employers because it combines logical investigation with reasoned and substantiated argument. George Santayana once said ‘Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it’, while Marx was convinced that history repeats itself, ‘the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce’. By helping us to understand the past, History sheds light on the issues of the contemporary world. Many of the problems we face today have their roots in the recent past. The Central Sixth History course aims to provide students with a wide-ranging investigation of modern history across Britain, Europe, and America.

The course covers a range of historical fields focusing on the concepts of power, ideology, terror, democracy and dictatorship. The configuration of the units for AS and A Level is as follows:- AS Units: England 1485 to 1558, The Early Tudors; Democracy and Dictatorship in Germany, 1919 to 1963. A Level Units: Civil Rights in the USA, 1865 to 1992 or The Changing Nature of Warfare 1792 to 1945; Coursework 3,500 - 4,000 words: a student choice relating to one of the three previous units. The course will develop your skills of historical research, analysis and interpretation. It also includes a visit to the Cold War Museum in Telford, occasional guest speakers, and access to rare documents.

Assessment of the four units is structured as follows:- AS Units: England 1485 to 1558, The Early Tudors (source based exam); Democracy and Dictatorship in Germany, 1919 to 1963 (essay based exam). A Level Units: Civil Rights in the USA, 1865 to 1992 or the Changing Nature of Warfare 1792 to 1945 (thematic essay exam); Coursework 3,500 - 4,000 words.

Students who study History often follow the subject at degree level or study for a related subject such as Law, Politics or Sociology. The study of History is useful in a wide range of careers such as the legal profession, the civil service, teaching, local government, politics, and in pressure groups and charities. History skills are especially useful in research based occupations such as journalism, the police and the law.