History: GCSE, IB & A level
Explore GCSE, A level & IB History at Malvern College - a leading independent private school offering expert teaching.
We aim to stimulate pupils’ intellectual curiosity about discovering the past and to develop their analytical, evaluative and communication skills.
When pupils join the College in the Foundation Year we enjoy examining a variety of topics – from the History of Malvern College, to the First World War and What Drives Historical Change.
History Curriculum: Course Specifications
GCSE: History
Aims & Course Content
At Malvern, pupils studying IGCSE History follow the Edexcel International IGCSE syllabus. The broad aim of the IGCSE History course is for pupils to understand some of the key historical developments of the 20th century, such as the impact of the First and Second World Wars, the rise and rule of Hitler’s Germany, the reasons for the emergence of Communist states, and their impact on Russia and China. Two of the four units cover a broad sweep of Russian history from 1905 to 1953, examining the causes and impacts of changes such as the Russian Revolutions of 1917 and the two world wars. In the third unit, pupils will study Germany from 1918 to 1945, looking at the Weimar Republic, the rise of the Nazis and the Nazis in power between 1933 and 1945. In the fourth unit, we will examine Chinese history from1900 to 1989, looking at the causes of internal conflict from the Boxer Rebellion of 1899-1900 through to the victory of the Chinese Communist Party in 1949, the rule of Mao Zedong and the huge economic changes introduced by Deng Xiaoping in the 1980s.
During the History IGCSE course, pupils develop source analysis and essay writing skills. At every stage, they are given the opportunity to assess the significance of ideas such as Marxism, the role of individuals such as Mao Zedong and Stalin, and key events such as the First and Second World Wars and the Russian Revolutions, as causes of change, as well as also identifying trends of continuity
Assessment Details
Paper 1 Depth Studies (1 Hour 45 minutes):
- Dictatorship and Conflict in the USSR, 1924-53
- Germany: development of dictatorship, 1918-45
Paper 2 Investigation and Breadth Studies (1 Hour 45 minutes)
- Russia and the USSR, 1905-24
- China: Crisis, Conflict & Change, 1900-89
Specification details
International Baccalaureate: History
Standard/Higher Level
Aims
History aims to understand the past and enable us to make sense of the world we live in by looking at ideas and personalities in their historical context and examining what these discoveries say about human nature and experience. The subject remains a first rate academic and cultural training and is widely respected by universities. The emphasis on examining evidence, writing lucidly, developing the skills of argument and debate, understanding the variety of human experience, and the knowledge of how societies and institutions have evolved make it an invaluable study.
Course Content
The IB History course is designed to develop an appreciation and understanding of History as a discipline, including the nature and diversity of its sources, methods, and interpretations. The course promotes international awareness and understanding of people living in a variety of places at different times and equips students with a better understanding of the present through an understanding of the past.
Paper 1 (Standard and Higher Candidates)
Both Standard and Higher Level candidates are required to study a Prescribed Subject for Paper 1. At Malvern, this is “The Move to Global War”, which comprises case studies of Japanese expansion in East Asia (1931–1941) and German and Italian expansion (1933–1940)
Paper 2 (Standard and Higher Candidates)
Both Standard and Higher Level candidates study the following topics from the 20th Century World History Topics for Paper 2:
Topic 10: Authoritarian States (20th century)
Major themes
- Origins of authoritarian states; establishment of authoritarian states; rule of authoritarian states
- Candidates study the USSR under Lenin and Stalin and China under Mao Zedong
Topic 11: The Causes and Effects of 20th Century Wars
Major themes
- The causes, practice and effects of war in the 20th century
- Candidates study a selection of wars, likely to include at least some of the following: The Russian Civil War; the Chinese Civil War; the Algerian War; the First World War; the Second World War
Paper 3 (Higher Level Only)
Higher Level candidates study Option 4: History of Europe
Candidates study three Sections:
Section 11: Italy (1815–1871) and Germany (1815–1890). This deals with the emergence and growth of nationalism in the Italian peninsula and the German states and the foundation and consolidation of power in the newly established nation states.
Section 12: Imperial Russia, revolution and the establishment of the Soviet Union (1855–1924). This deals with the social, economic and political factors that inaugurated and accelerated the process of imperial decline, attempts at domestic reform, and the impact of war and foreign entanglements. The two revolutions of 1917 and the victory of the Bolsheviks leading to the establishment of a new communist state are studied.
Section 16: The Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia (1924–2000). We study just the first part of Section 16: The Soviet Union (1924–1941): Stalin and the struggle for power (1924–1929); defeat of Trotsky; Stalin’s policies of collectivization and the Five-Year Plans; government and propaganda under Stalin; the purges and the Great Terror; The impact of the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945); post-war Soviet Union (1945–1953): political and economic developments.
Assessment Details
External Assessment
- 75% Standard Level
- 80% Higher Level
Paper 1 – 1 hour
- 30% Standard Level
- 20% Higher Level
- A source-based paper on Prescribed Subjects
- Candidates are required to answer all four questions on the relevant Prescribed Subject
- The maximum mark for the paper is 24
Paper 2 – 1½ hours
- 45% Standard Level
- 25% Higher Level
- An essay paper based on the 12 World History Topics
- Candidates are required to answer two questions, each chosen from a different Topic
Paper 3 – 2½ hours
- The maximum mark for the paper is 30 Paper 3 (Higher Level only)
- 35%
- The examination paper is divided into 18 Sections; candidates are prepared for three. Two questions will be set for each Section
- Candidates must answer any three questions. The maximum mark for the paper is 45
Internal Assessment
- 25% Standard Level
- 20% Higher Level
- This is a historical investigation that enables candidates to demonstrate the application of their skills and knowledge to an area that interests them and that need not be syllabus-related
Candidates are required to:
- Provide a title for the historical investigation that, in order to give focus and direction, may be framed as a question
- Produce a written account of a maximum of 2200 words
- The historical investigation is assessed internally by the teacher and moderated externally by the IB
The maximum mark for the Internal Assessment is 25.
A Level: History
Aims
History aims to understand the past and enable us to make sense of the world we live in by looking at ideas and personalities in their historical context and examining what these discoveries say about human nature and experience. The subject remains a first rate academic and cultural training and is widely respected by universities. The emphasis on examining evidence, writing lucidly, developing the skills of argument and debate, understanding the variety of human experience, and the knowledge of how societies and institutions have evolved make it an invaluable study.
Course Content
We follow the OCR syllabus History A (H505), which is composed of four units, as below:
Unit Group 1 (British Period Study and Enquiry): Britain c. 1930–1997
Enquiry Topic: Churchill 1930–1951
Key Topics:
Churchill’s view of events 1929–1940, Churchill as wartime Prime Minister, Churchill and international diplomacy 1939–1951
British Period Study: Britain 1951–1997
Key Topics:
Conservative domination 1951–1964, Labour and Conservative Governments 1964–1979, Thatcher and the end of consensus 1979–1997, Britain’s position in the world 1951–1997
Unit Group 2 (Non-British Period Study): Italy and Unification 1789-1896
Key Topics:
Italy 1789–1847, The Revolutions of 1848–1849 and their aftermath, The Risorgimento and the establishment of a new Kingdom of Italy 1850– 1861, Italy 1861–1896
Unit Group 3 (Thematic Study and Historical Interpretations): China and its Rulers 1839–1989
Thematic study: China and its Rulers 1839–1989
Key Topics:
The nature of government, the economy of China, society in China, China and the wider world.
Depth Studies:
The First Opium War, the Boxer Uprising and the Cultural Revolution.
Coursework
Each candidate will write a 3000–4000 word essay on a subject of their choice.
Assessment Details
Unit 1 (British Period Study and Enquiry): Britain c. 1930–1997
25% of the total A Level, 1.5 hours written paper, 50 marks. The Period Study element is assessed by essays. In the Enquiry element, the focus is on the critical use of evidence in investigating and assessing historical questions, problems, and issues.
Unit Group 2 (Non-British Period Study): Italy and Unification 1789-1896
15% of the total A Level, 1 hour written paper, 30 marks. Candidates are required to answer both a traditional essay question and a mini-essay question.
Unit Group 3 (Thematic Study and Historical Interpretations): China and its Rulers 1839–1989
40% of the total A Level, 2.5 hours written paper, 80 marks. Two essays based on the thematic study, and one question requiring candidates to evaluate historians’ interpretations of events.
Coursework
20% of the total A Level, 40 marks. Each study must include evidence of using primary and secondary sources, while half of the marks are for reaching a substantiated judgement through demonstrating and organising concepts and knowledge
The Syllabus
