GCSE History

History GCSE
Summer 2021
The original plan:
At Handsworth we follow the Pearson Edexcel 1-9 History
GCSE. There are three exams which cover the following
modules:
Paper/ Exam 1:
Medicine in Britain c1250- present, which includes a
section on The British Sector of the Western Front, 1914-
1918.
Paper/ Exam 2:
The American West, c. 1835- 1895
Early Elizabethan England, 1558- 1588.
Paper/ exam 3:
Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918- 1939.
Following a careful plan means that we only have the

Weimar and Nazi Germany module to complete in Y11 for
the Paper 3 exam.
The Government plan for the exams in the
Summer of 2021:
This year, because of Covid- 19, the government has adapted the History GCSE to
make sure that no child is disadvantaged going into the exam.
The new criteria:

• Everyone in the country sitting the Pearson Edexcel 1- 9 History GCSE must sit
the exam for Paper 3. For us this will be Weimar and Nazi Germany.
• From the remaining three modules (Medicine in Britain, the American West and
Elizabeth), each school is allowed to pick two modules which students will sit the
exam for (therefore dropping one topic).
What we would like to do at Handsworth:
• We will sit Paper 3- Weimar and Nazi Germany (this is the compulsory
exam for everyone). Students will complete the Weimar and Nazi
Germany work in their main history class (which has a lesson twice a
week).
• We will then be entering students for the Paper 1 Medicine in Britain

(and the Trenches section) and the Early Elizabethan module for Paper
2.
• This means that students will not be sitting an exam on the Paper 2
American West topic this year.
Why we have decided this is the best plan:
At Handsworth every student studying History this year will have two hours of history
a week in their original history class. They will also have an additional, third hour, of
history every week (with a history specialist teacher). These extra hours are called ‘S-
groups’ and these are different groups to the original classes.
1. The Medicine in Britain (with the Trenches section) exam for Paper 1, we feel, is a
good exam. There are lots of different questions, including lots of short ones, and
there are sources included in the exam to support students work. Students have done
lots of work on Medicine in both Y9 and Y10.
2. We will continue to revise and go over Medicine knowledge during Y11 in both the
main history classes, and the additional hour of history per week in the ‘S- groups’.
Why we have decided this is the best plan:
3. For Paper 2, the Early Elizabethan Module, has been completed during school and
home learning. This is what the focus of the S- group lessons will be on- helping
students to learn, revise, grow and consolidate their knowledge about Elizabethan
England.
4. We feel that in Paper 2, the Elizabethan module has a nicer range of exam
questions in comparison to the American West module.
5. This will also keep the exams simple:

Paper 1: Medicine in Britain and the Trenches
Paper 2: Early Elizabethan England
Paper 3: Weimar and Nazi Germany
Overview of the plan this year:
In the student’s original history groups- twice a week:
• Complete the Weimar and Nazi Germany topic (expected to be completed around
March).
• Do regular ‘reminder’ revision of Medicine in Britain and the Trenches.
• Revise both the Germany topic and the Medicine topic before the exams start.
In the additional ‘S- group’ hour every week:

• Focus on revising and building knowledge for the Early Elizabethan England topic
• Include revision for Medicine in Britain and the Trenches.
What students can do:
There is a lot of time between now and the exams in the
summer, however students need to act now to make the most of
the time they have.
This can include:

• Completing the Home Learning lessons set for the Early
Elizabethan module if this has not yet been completed.
• Attending intervention- this runs weekly in school and if your child

has been asked to go, it is vital that they do.
• Start or continue to revise the Medicine in Britain and Medicine in the

Trenches topics.
Revision books.
Option 1:
We have created revision guides in the History department.
Students in previous years have told us that they really like

them- they follow the same pattern which the lessons were
taught in and include lots of detail in a friendly way.
There is a revision guide for each topic, which focuses on

knowledge, and a separate exam skills guide.
You can have an electronic copy for free (from the Home
Learning site or take a USB to your teacher).
Paper copies are £0.50 each- letters for this are in the history
department.
Revision books.
Option 2:
A CGP GCSE Edexcel history revision guide.
Sold for £3.25 from school (letters are in the department to

make an order).
We have some stock already in the history department.
They can also be purchased from Amazon and other book

sellers.
These give a good overview of all of the modules, but do

not go into great detail.
Revision books.
Option 3:
Pearson Edexcel have created revision guides for the exam.
There is one book for each module. These go into detail for
each of the topics. These can be brought from Amazon/
other book sellers.
They also sell books focused on practice exam questions

with model answers.
We are unable to purchase these though school, however:

• We have copies in department for each module which
students can look at if they would like to see before
buying
• We are more than willing to help students make sure
they are buying the correct books!
Revision books.
Option 4:
Pearson Edexcel have also created revision topic cards.
This is something that a student could make as part of

their revision, or these can be purchased from Amazon/
other book sellers. There are separate ones for each
module.
We are unable to purchase these though school, however

your child's teacher is more than willing to help students
make sure they are buying the correct thing!
Revision ideas:
Students will be issued with revision tick lists from school. These tick lists follow the same order as
the lessons they were taught.
These can be used to guide revision to make sure that the student has revised a range of topics, and not
just the topics they remember or feel most comfortable with!
Revision activities could include:

• Making/ using topic cards
• Completing knowledge quizzes (home
made or on BBC Bitesize
• Completing notes/ mind maps in stages:
Stage 1: writing down everything
student can remember about
a topic
Stage 2: using a different colour and
a book, adding forgotten details
to remember next time
• Completing revision sheets from school

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History GCSE

Following a careful plan means that we only have the

The new criteria:

• We will then be entering students for the Paper 1 Medicine in Britain

5. This will also keep the exams simple:

In the additional ‘S- group’ hour every week:

This can include:

• Attending intervention- this runs weekly in school and if your child

• Start or continue to revise the Medicine in Britain and Medicine in the

Students in previous years have told us that they really like

There is a revision guide for each topic, which focuses on

Sold for £3.25 from school (letters are in the department to

We have some stock already in the history department.

They can also be purchased from Amazon and other book

These give a good overview of all of the modules, but do

They also sell books focused on practice exam questions

We are unable to purchase these though school, however:

This is something that a student could make as part of

We are unable to purchase these though school, however

Revision activities could include:

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