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History Department

History Department

The City of Worcester is a rich environment for the study of history. At a vital strategic and commercial crossroads, this ancient Cathedral city has been occupied since pre-Roman times and its varied architecture illustrates all stages of English history. Through primary source materials and visits, pupils at RGS Worcester are encouraged to see the past not as "another place" but one that underpins the world around them.

History is taught as a compulsory subject for Years Seven to nine and the syllabus approximates to a National Curriculum programme of study. In the first year in the Senior School pupils study Medieval Realms, looking in particular at the significance of the Norman Conquest, the task of Medieval Kingship and the characteristics of life in Worcester in the Middle Ages. In the following year, we teach the Tudor and Stuarts, culminating in the impact and consequences of the English Civil War, which both began and finished in Worcester. With the Commandery (a Civil War centre in the City), we are well-placed to make this period come alive for pupils. In Year Nine, pupils examine the role of Britain and Worcester in a wider, global context by studying the changing tastes and trade routes which drew both city and country into contact with what would become a world-wide empire. Particular attention is paid to the slave trade, the rise of Britain as a Great Power and the international conflicts of the late 19th and 20th century. In the second half of Year Nine students commence the GCSE course with a study of Britain and the Great War. Throughout this part of the course the issue of human rights and the rights of nations come to the fore.

At present, about half of our pupils opt for the subject at GCSE. We study the SEG Syllabus B World History Course which is a fluent extension of our work in Year Nine. Year Eleven pupils focus their two pieces of coursework upon key campaigns in World War II just after Christmas. In the Sixth Form, students pursue the OCR 3835 course at A1 Level and the 7835 course at A2. In A1 they study and compare the regimes of Henry VIII and Hitler whilst in A2 they carry out (i) in depth study of Elizabeth I, (ii) an overview of Tudor foreign policy, (iii) an individual study of their own choosing. About half of our pupils gain A or B grades at A level and many go on to study History or related subjects at university and over the last six years we have managed to gain an Oxbridge success each year.