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A Level History

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Choose A Level History at St Edmund’s College to explore fascinating periods of history and gain insight into the world we live in today.

The study of the past is the exploration of controversy. It requires decisions to be made based upon the gathering of often limited and questionable information leading to the creation of sustainable conclusions.

If you are interested in the past, keen to explore different perspectives and to debate issues, enjoy reading and writing extended essays – A Level History is the course for you!

Enrichment opportunities at St Ed’s include:

Head of Department Mr C Berkley BA (Liverpool) PGCE (ARU) CETLTYL (Seoul) TESOL (Trinity College, London) CELTA (Cantab)
Syllabus OCR

 

Course structure

A Level History covers three topics over two years of study. There are four assessments taken at the end of Rhetoric II (Year 13).

Topics studied

  • British Period Study and Enquiry: Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest (1035 – 1087)
  • Non-British Period Study: Philip II (1556 – 1598)
  • Thematic Study and Historical Interpretations: Y318 Russia and its Rulers (1855-1964)

 

Assessment

The four assessments take place at the end of Rhetoric II (Year 13) and are as follows:

  • British period study and enquiry – 25% (1.5 hour written)

The enquiry is a source-based study which immediately precedes or follows the outline period study.

  • Non-British period study – 15% (1 hour written)
  • Thematic study and historical interpretations – 40% (2.5 hours written)

Learners will develop the ability to treat the whole period thematically, and to use their detailed knowledge of the depth study topics to evaluate interpretations of the specified key events, individuals or issues.

  • Non-examined assessment (NEA) – topic based essay – 20%

Students will complete a 3000–4000-word essay on a topic of their choice, which may arise out of content studied elsewhere in the course. This is an internally assessed NEA.

Topics overview

Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest 1035–1087

Key topics Content
Anglo-Saxon England 1035–1066 England in 1035 The consequences of Cnut’s death (1035); instability resulting from the continuation of Danish influence (Harold I 1035–1040 and Harthacnut 1040–1042); Edward’s upbringing, the problems he faced and leadership qualities; Edward’s policies (taxation, law and    order, government and administration, military organisation); Edward’s Norman connections; the importance of the Godwin family (Earl Godwin, Edward’s marriage to Edith, the crisis of 1051–1052, Harold Godwinson and his brothers); the succession crisis including the claim of Harald Hardrada.
William of Normandy’s invasion and the Battle of Hastings 1066 William of Normandy’s invasion preparations; Hardrada’s invasion, Fulford Gate and the Battle of Stamford Bridge; the Norman landings in Hastings and  Harold’s response; the course and outcome of the Battle of Hastings; reasons for William’s victory (leadership skills, strategy, tactics, resources, logistics, chance); William’s march through the south; William’s coronation.
William I and the consolidation of power William’s departure in 1067; the imposition of Norman rule; the suppression of rebellions (including, Exeter 1067, Edwin and Morcar 1068 and the North 1069–1070 Hereward the Wake); the Harrying of the North; castle building (motives, techniques, effectiveness); the establishment of and challenges from a new elite; threats from Scotland, Norway.

 

Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964

Key topics Content
The nature of government Autocracy, dictatorship and totalitarianism, developments in central administration; methods of repression and enforcement; the extent and impact of reform; the nature, extent and effectiveness of opposition both before and after 1917, changes in local government; attitude of the Tsars, Provisional Government and Communists to political change; the extent of political change.
The impact of dictatorial regimes on the economy and society of the Russian Empire and the USSR Changes to living and working conditions of urban and rural people including the impact on the peasants of Emancipation, Land Banks, famines, NEP, collectivisation and the Virgin Land scheme, the impact of industrial growth under the Tsars, War communism, NEP and the Five Year Plans on industrial workers; limitations on personal, political and religious freedom; reasons for and extent of economic and social changes.
The impact of ware and revolution on the development of the Russian Empire and the USSR The effects of the following wars on government, society, nationalities and the economy: the Crimean War, the Japanese War, 1905 Revolution, 1917 Revolutions, First World War, Second World War, the Cold War.
Russia: Empire, nationalities and satellite state The Polish Revolt 1863; expansion in Asia; Russification; Finland; the Baltic provinces; impact of the First World War and the Treaty of Brest Litovsk; Russo-Polish War; Communist advance into Eastern and Central Europe after the Second World War.

 

Depth studies Content
Alexander II’s domestic reforms The effects of the Crimean War; the aims of Alexander II’s domestic policies; the nature of his government; changes in central administration; the extent and impact of domestic reform; the extent and effectiveness of opposition; changes in urban and rural living and working conditions; limitations on personal, political and religious freedom; extent of economic and social change.
The Provisional Government Main domestic policies of the Provisional Government; the nature of the government; methods of repression and enforcement; the extent and impact of reform; the extent and effectiveness of opposition; changes in urban and rural living and working conditions, limitations on personal, political and religious freedom; extent of economic and social changes; the impact of the continuing war; reasons for the overthrow of the Provisional Government.
Khrushchev in power 1956-64 The aims of Khrushchev; the nature of his government; opposition, methods and enforcement of repression in Russia and its satellites; the extent and impact of reform; changes in urban and rural living and working conditions; limitations on personal, political and religious freedom; extent of economic and social changes including economic planning and the Virgin Lands Scheme; the impact of the Cold War; Khrushchev’s fall.

 

Reading lists

British Period Study: Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest 1035–1087

  • Higham, The Death of Anglo-Saxon England, 2000 (New Edition Paperback), Sutton Publishing Ltd
  • Holland and Fellows, OCR A Level History: Early Medieval England 871-1107, 2015, Hodder Education
  • Huscroft, The Norman Conquest; A New Introduction, 2009, Routledge
  • Marc Morris, The Norman Conquest, 2013, Windmill Books

Further reading – general (available from Library)

  • Barlo, The Feudal Kingdom of England 1042-1216, (5th Edition), 1999, Routledge
  • Carpenter, The Struggle for Mastery: Britain 1066-1284, 2004, Penguin History
  • Clanchy, England and its Rulers 1066-1307, (4th Edition), 2014 , Blackwell
  • Golding, Conquest and Colonisation: The Normans in Britain, 1066-1100, (2nd Edition), 2013, Palgrave Macmillan
  • Stenton, Anglo-Saxon England, (3rd Edition) 1971 re-printed 2001, Oxford Paperbacks
  • Further Reading – Biographies (Available from Library):
  • Barlow, Edward the Confessor, (‘New edition’ edition), 1997, Yale University Press
  • Bates, William the Conqueror, (3rd Edition), 2004, The History Press
  • Hollister, Henry I, 2003, Yale University Press
  • Mason, William Rufus: The Red King, 2005, NPI Media Group
  • Walker, Harold: The Last Anglo-Saxon King, (‘New Edition’ Edition), 2010, The History Press

Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964

  • Acton, Rethinking the Russian Revolutions, Hodder
  • Falkus, The Industrialisation of Russia 1700-1914, Macmillan
  • Figes, A People’s Tragedy: the Russian Revolution 1891-1924, Cape
  • Fitzpatrick, The Russian Revolution 1917-32, OUP
  • Gill, Stalinism, Macmillan
  • Gooding, Russia and its Rulers, Hodder
  • Fontana, A History of the Soviet Union, Hosking
  • Merlin, Leninism under Lenin Liebman, Press
  • Lynch, Reaction and Revolution: Russia 1881-1924, Hodder
  • Lynch, Stalin and Khrushchev: The USSR 1924-64, Lynch Hodder
  • McCauley, Companion to Russia Since 1914, Longman
  • McCauley, The Soviet Union since 1917, Longman
  • McCauley, Stalin and Stalinism, Longman
  • Munting, The Economic Development of the USSR, Palgrave
  • Perrie, Alexander II, Emancipation and Reform in Russia 1855-1881, HA
  • Pipes, Russia under the Old Regime Weidenfeld and Nicholson
  • Pipes, The Russian Revolution 1899-1919, Collins
  • Rogger, Russia in the Age of Modernisation and Revolution, Longman
  • Saunders, Russia in the Age of Reaction and Reform 1801-1881, Longman
  • Seton-Watson, The Russian Empire 1801-1917, OUP
  • Volkogonov, The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Empire: Political Leaders Lenin to Gorbachev, Harper Collins
  • Waldron, The End of Imperial Russia 1855-1917, Macmillan
  • Wells, Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964, Heinemann
  • Westwood, Endurance and Endeavour: Russian History 1812-1980, OUP
  • Wood, The Origins of the Russian Revolution, Routledge
  • Wood, Stalin and Stalinism, Routledge

 

Key skills developed
Selecting and analysing information Synthesising different perspective to make informed judgements
Understanding the cause and consequences of events Analysing documents to assess reliability and relevance
Constructing and communicating an argument
If men could learn from history, what lessons might it teach us. But passion and party blind out eyes...
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)

Future pathways

History is useful in a variety of careers. Those directly related to the subject are obvious: teaching, museum work and the heritage industry.

Numerous employers base its usefulness on the fact that history is at its base level decision-making based upon limited amounts of information.

The legal profession uses many of the same skills as the historian and the decision-making skills developed are also valued by the police, the military, accountancy firms and larger businesses. Many librarians and archivists have a background in history, as do journalists.

History can be studied as a single subject and combined with many other courses at university. With many varied history courses, students can choose what kind of history and what periods they wish to study.

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