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GCSE History

History has to be one of the most fascinating subjects to study at GCSE. We live in an incredibly complex and advanced time, both socially and politically and the study of History is crucial to fully understanding not just the world we have lived in but, also, the world we live in today!

As with all our subjects at Barts, whilst we prefer Edexcel IGCSE for subjects at GCSE level, our tutors and staff are extremely knowledgeable in most of the main exam boards. So if you are retaking History, and are more familiar with another exam board (say, AQA), we would be more than happy to support you with the board you are most familiar with.

Unlike other subjects at GCSE (and due to the enormity of the history of the human race!), there is a huge amount of choice as to what topics you can study at GCSE. Below are the choices for Edexcel IGCSE:

Paper 1.

Students must study at least two depth studies from the following:

  • The French Revolution, c1780–99
  • Development of a nation: unification of Italy, 1848–70
  • Germany: development of dictatorship, 1918–45
  • Colonial rule and the nationalist challenge in India, 1919–47
  • Dictatorship and conflict in the USSR, 1924–53
  • A world divided: superpower relations, 1943–72
  • A divided union: civil rights in the USA, 1945–74
  • South Africa: from union to the end of apartheid, 1948–94.

Paper 2.

Students must study one historical investigation from the following:

  • The origins and course of the First World War, 1905–18
  • Russia and the Soviet Union, 1905–24
  • The USA, 1918–41
  • The Vietnam Conflict, 1945–75
  • East Germany, 1958–90.

Then, students must study one breadth study in change from the following:

  • America: from new nation to divided union, 1783–1877
  • Changes in medicine, c1848–c1948
  • Japan in transformation, 1853–1945
  • China: conflict, crisis and change, 1900–89
  • The changing role of international organisations: the league and the UN, 1919–c2011
  • The changing nature of warfare and international conflict, 1919–2011
  • The Middle East: conflict, crisis and change, 1917–2012.

Lyndsay, our History tutor, is incredibly experienced, having graduated from Oxford in ‘71 and then later, achieving an MA in History too. She spent many years teaching History in both comprehensive and independent schools and was Head of History at prestigious Roedean too. Lyndsay is also an examiner at GCSE and A Level. We think you’ll be in very safe hands to achieve extremely well with her!

At Barts, you will be set plenty of past paper practice questions to help prepare you for your examinations. These are typically sat during Supervised Study which takes place in our exam room, and is invigilated by our Examinations Officer. Past papers are invaluable to become familiar with the structure and style of each paper, as well as practising under timed conditions. Mock exams run in the Spring term and are compulsory for all students. This gives our tutor the opportunity to find any gaps in the students’ knowledge, and helps to direct the focus of revision in the run up to exams.

If you would like to get in touch to discuss coming to Barts to study, for the first time or as a retake, History or any other subject for that matter, please do get in touch with us through our contact page.