History

Exam Board - OCR

Course Content

The A Level course offers a British (early Stuarts) and non-British (Russia 1894-1941) period study as well as a thematic unit (Tudor Rebellion) which requires a synoptic approach.  In addition, all students also have to research and write a 3-4000 word essay independently (while supervised by a teacher).  The A-level course seeks to instil the skills of critical thinking and the formation of an evidence based argument.  The A-level specification provides a suitable foundation for the study of History or related courses in further and higher education.  The various skills required by the specification provide opportunities for progression directly into employment.  Equally, they contribute to students' lifelong learning, especially through Key Skills.  To study A-level History you should be prepared to read, think critically and evaluate the interpretations of the past made by historians.

The course covers the following:

Unit 1: British Period Study and Enquiry Y108

The Early Stuarts and the English Revolution 1603-60.

Unit 2: Non-British Period Study Y219

Russia 1894 - 1941

Unit 3 Thematic Study and Historical Interpretations Y306

Rebellion and Disorder Under the Tudors, 1485-1603

Unit 4 Topic Based Essay Y100

Coursework which is an independently researched essay of 3,000 – 4,000 words in length.

Methods of Assessment

	A-level
Unit 1:	25%	1 hour 30 min exam	50 marks
Unit 2:	15%	1 hour exam	30 marks
Unit 3:	40%	2 hours and 30 min exam	80 marks
Unit 4:	20%	3000 – 4000 word essay	40 marks

Other Information

All students will be issued textbooks for Russia from the library but they will need to buy textbooks to supplement their learning for The Stuarts and The Tudor Rebellions.

Entry Requirements

GCSE 6 in History and GCSE 6 in English Language