Why do we learn history?
At Ark Burlington Danes we empower pupils to build a substantive and essential body of knowledge of both British and international history, playing an important role in a pupil’s cultural literacy. Our curriculum ensures pupils are building the disciplinary knowledge of an historian’s trade: studying conflicting interpretations of the past and learning to draw conclusions from a diverse evidence base. In doing so, pupils develop their writing, debating and questioning skills and have the confidence to pursue history beyond their time studying at BDA. We aim to disrupt the traditional historical narrative, by decolonising the curriculum and looking at different perspectives of world history.
Head of Department
Ms Angela Charalambous
Our approach
In all lessons, students can expect a knowledge retrieval Do Now, and at least 15 minutes of deliberate independent practice to help move newly acquired knowledge/skill from the working memory to the long-term memory. Although the curriculum is taught chronologically, key themes are regularly revisited across the years, making retrieval effortless whilst also deepening student understanding of their current module. The use of curriculum booklets has allowed for a steady increase in the amount of reading that students are completing each lesson and has allowed students to take ownership of their lesson both inside and outside of the classroom. The booklets are a logically sequenced record of the knowledge which they cover throughout the year. Furthermore, all assessments have embedded retrieval practice and are part of a feedback and redrafting cycle, which is used to inform planning of following lessons. Moreover, knowledge organisers for each unit are used to prioritise key knowledge, and make all parties involved (student, parent, teacher) aware of what students must know and grasp by the end of each module. Knowledge organisers also include a list of key vocabulary which teachers teach explicitly, helping to build a schema which will be built upon as students move from Year 7 to Year 13.
Year 7 - History
| Autumn |
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Migration before 1066 England in 1066 Norman Conquest Life in Medieval England |
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How did migration shape our island before 1006? Why was there a crisis in England in 1066? Why did William win the Battle of Hastings? How did William gain control of England? What was medieval life like in England? |
| Spring |
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Legacy of Norman Conquest Rats and Rebels |
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How did William change England after 1006? What was the impact of the plague? Why did the Peasants Revolt in 1381? |
| Summer |
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Rise of Islamic Empires Crusades |
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Who can tell us most about the Silk Road? What can primary sources tell us about the medieval Islamic World? Why were the First Crusades launched? |
Year 8 - History
| Autumn |
|---|
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Tudors to Stuarts: How did England change? West African Kingdoms: Mali, Timbuktu, Oyo and Dahomey |
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How far did power for the English monarchy change from Tudors to Stuarts? How was there so much learning at the ends of the earth? How different were the West African kingdoms of Oyo and Dahomey? |
| Spring |
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British Empire and the Slave Trade Expansion and Empire |
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Why did the British build an Empire? What happened during the Transatlantic Slave Trade? How did Britain expand their Empire after the Slave Trade? |
| Summer |
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Migration to Britain, 1730-1900 Causes of World War One |
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How did the British Empire affect migration to Britain? Why did migrants come to Britain during the Industrial Revolution? What was Europe like on eve of World War One? Was World War One an accident or choice? |
Year 9 - History
| Autumn |
|---|
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World War One Inter-war years |
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How can West London tell us the story of World War One? What happened after World War One? |
| Spring |
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Holocaust Second World War |
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Who wanted six million people to die? What did the world look like post 1945? |
| Summer |
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| Migration to Britain in 20th Century |
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How has Britain been shaped by migration? What was the impact of migration on Britain? |
Year 10 - History
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
| Anglo-Saxon and Norman England | Anglo-Saxon and Norman England |
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How did the Normans successfully take over England? How did the Normans consolidate their power in England? |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
| Warfare through time: 1250-present | Warfare through time: 1250-present |
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How has the nature of warfare changed since 1250? How has the experience of warfare changed since 1250? How did warfare impact London during World War Two? |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
| Revision of Warfare and Anglo-Saxons | Conflict in the Middle East, 1948-1992 |
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How did the birth of state of Israel cause conflict in the Middle East? |
Year 11 - History
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
| Conflict in the Middle East, 1948-92 | Weimar and Nazi Germany |
| To what extent were attempts at a solution in the Middle East successful? | How and why did Hitler rise to power in 1933? |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
| Weimar and Nazi Germany | Revision |
| How did Hitler create a dictatorship in Germany? |
| Summer |
|---|
| Revision and Exams |
Year 12 - History
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
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Russia: Theme 1- Communist Government, 1917-85 China: Theme 1- Establishing Communist Rule, 1949-65 |
Russia: Theme 2- Industrial and Agriculture change, 1917-85 China: Theme 2- Agriculture and Industry, 1949-65 |
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How did a band of revolutionaries control the whole of Russia? How did Mao establish communist rule? |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
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Russia- Theme 3: Control of the People China- Theme 3: Cultural Revolution and Aftermath |
Russia- Theme 4: Social Developments China- Theme 4: Social and cultural changes |
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Was terror the only way to control Russia? How successful was Mao's cultural revolution? |
| Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
|---|---|
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Russia- Essay skills and Review China- Sources skills and Review |
Coursework- Independent study research and prep |
Year 13 - History
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 |
|---|---|
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Tudors- Early Tudor Rebellions Coursework |
Tudors- Challenges to the rule of Elizabeth I Coursework |
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How dangerous were the rebellions faced by male Tudor monarchs? How did Elizabeth I deal with threats to her position in the throne? |
| Spring 1 | Spring 2 |
|---|---|
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Tudors- Central and regional Tudor government Russia and China Revision and writing skills |
Tudors- Writing and source analysis skills Russia and China Revision and writing skills |
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How did government from the centre and localities change over the Tudor period? |
| Summer |
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Revision Exams |