History Skills and the Norman Conquest:

This unit is designed to aid students when accessing the History course for the rest of their time at St John’s. It lays the foundations of key historical skills; using historical enquiries students are encouraged to develop their skills of research, analysis and interpretation. These are key to success throughout the school.

Medieval realms 1066 – 1500:

This unit looks at all aspects of life in Medieval Britain, from the feudal system and role of the peasant, to castle development and crime and punishment. The aim is to really get students to absorb and become fascinated by this strange time in the development of Britain into a modern state.

The Crusades and the Black Death:

This exciting unit looks at two events crucial to the development of modern Europe. The crusades section examines the series of holy wars fought over the control of Jerusalem and the holy land between the Christians and the Muslims. Work on the Black death looks at the impact of a disease that in Britain alone killed one third of the population.

Imperial China:

In this section we look at the development of the Chinese state from the reign of Emperor Shi Huangdi up until the Ming Dynasty. In this we examine how this vast warring nation came to be united into one of the most developed countries on earth at the time

Britain 1500 – 1750:

Students study a period in which Britain went through centuries of turmoil and religious upheaval, emerging as one of the leading countries in the world. We begin by examining Henry VIII and the reformation following his decision to break from Rome. Following this students then investigate the civil war and the work of Oliver Cromwell, before finishing by looking at the later Stuart monarchs.

The Slave trade:

Students compete to produce the best project with a prize for the best project given at the end of the year. They will look at the trade in slaves from Africa to the America’s, examining who benefitted from the trade, why it was allowed to continue and the effect of the trade on the slaves themselves.

The First World War:

In this introduction to the twentieth century world students study the war, that at the time was so horrific it was called ‘the war to end all wars’. They will look in depth at the causes and why it was that in 2 months of 1914 the great powers of Europe found them looking into a war that would last 4 years and claim 20 million lives. They then look at the soldiers’ experiences and the effects on those left behind.

America in the 1920’s and 1930’s:

Students will explore in this brief section the birth of America as the most prosperous country on earth looking into the boom. As part of this they will study the effect of prohibition on the United States, including the rise of gangsters such as Al Capone. Finally they will see how the Wall Street crash led to a worldwide depression.

War in Asia:

Students will begin this unit in term 2 looking at the effects of the Second World War on Asia, from the expansion of Japan through South East Asia, to the dramatic ending of the war with the dropping of Atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In the second section students will look at the Vietnam War, its origins, nature and effects.