Key Stage 3 History
Across Key Stage 3, History unfolds as a carefully sequenced journey through more than two thousand years of British and world history — from ancient approaches to public health and medieval West Africa to Tudor England, the Mughal Empire, transatlantic slavery and the conflicts of the twentieth century.
The curriculum deliberately combines broad chronological studies, focused depth enquiries and themes traced across time, revealing both the sweep of historical change and the experiences of people, places and societies in detail. Historical knowledge is developed alongside the habits of the historian: analysing sources and interpretations, explaining cause and consequence, evaluating change and continuity, judging significance and constructing well-supported arguments. Together, these foundations provide confident preparation for GCSE History (AQA).
Year 7
| Term | unit knowledge & skills
(the order and pace of units may change to suit the needs of our current students.) |
|---|---|
| Autumn |
Sanitation Across the Ages Why have clean water, toilets and public health mattered so much to human civilisation? This thematic journey stretches from ancient societies to the modern world, uncovering patterns of change and continuity and asking why progress has sometimes been rapid and, at other times, remarkably slow. |
| Autumn |
Interpreting the Mali Empire How can we reconstruct the story of a powerful medieval African empire? The wealth, culture and influence of Mali provide a fascinating introduction to the historian’s craft: interrogating sources, testing evidence and confronting the challenges of interpreting societies from the past. |
| Spring |
Medieval England: The Norman Conquest 1066 changed England forever, but William’s victory at Hastings was only the beginning. The struggle for the English throne, the Norman invasion and William’s methods of conquest and control reveal how a kingdom was seized and transformed, opening up questions about both the causes and consequences of conquest. |
| Spring – Summer |
The Rise and Fall of the Mali Empire A deeper encounter with one of medieval Africa’s most remarkable states, from its flourishing trade networks and centres of learning to the extraordinary reign of Mansa Musa. Primary evidence and historical interpretations are used to consider what made Mali powerful, why it declined and how its significance and legacy should be judged. |
| Summer |
The Early Modern World, c.1450–1651 An age of new ideas, religious upheaval and political conflict. Beginning with the Renaissance, the course explores Henry VIII’s transformation of Church and state and the turbulent reigns of Edward VI and Mary I before following the growing tensions between Crown and Parliament towards the English Civil War. Across the period, change, continuity and the causes of conflict come sharply into focus. |
Year 8
| Term | unit knowledge & skills
(the order and pace of units may change to suit the needs of our current students.) |
|---|---|
| Autumn |
Sugar and Slavery How did the growing demand for sugar become entwined with the transatlantic slave trade and Britain’s expanding connections with Africa and the Caribbean? The experiences of enslaved people sit alongside the economic and political systems that sustained slavery, creating a powerful study of exploitation, resistance, abolition and far-reaching historical consequences. |
| Spring |
The Mughal Empire Early modern South Asia was home to one of the world’s most powerful empires. Through its rulers, peoples, culture and achievements, this unit examines how the Mughals governed a vast and diverse population, the nature of imperial power and the empire’s enduring legacy, while also questioning why some histories and civilisations have traditionally received greater attention than others. |
| Summer |
Why Has London Always Been a City of the World? From Roman Londinium to the twenty-first century, London’s story is one of migration, trade, empire and cultural exchange. This thematic study connects British history to the wider world, revealing how successive communities have shaped the capital and how its changing population reflects Britain’s long-standing global connections. |
Year 9
| Term | unit knowledge & skills
(the order and pace of units may change to suit the needs of our current students.) |
|---|---|
| Autumn |
The First World War: Causes, Conduct and Consequences How did tensions between the great powers turn into a global war in 1914? Unravelling the complex causes of the conflict leads into the realities of fighting and the experiences of those affected by war, before considering how four years of unprecedented conflict transformed Britain, Europe and the wider world. |
| Spring |
Nazi Germany and the Holocaust This carefully taught, age-appropriate depth study examines the Nazi rise to power, the transformation of life under dictatorship and the escalation of persecution into the Holocaust. Evidence and individual experiences bring questions of responsibility, resistance and remembrance into focus, enabling this difficult and essential history to be approached with seriousness, sensitivity and critical understanding. |
| Summer |
Beginning GCSE History The final part of Year 9 marks the transition into AQA GCSE History, beginning with either Norman England or Britain: Health and the People. It provides an opportunity to bring together the knowledge, source analysis, interpretation and extended-writing skills developed throughout Key Stage 3 while introducing the greater depth and independence expected at GCSE. |