Many of you will feel that having a separate history policy at Key Stage 4 is unnecessary, and yet you will be surprised how many departments have never really articulated the aims of their GCSE teaching beyond getting the best results possible.
Some questions to get you thinking
1. Do you genuinely provide equally for all students when they start GCSE? Is it the course they would have chosen? Have you ever canvassed students’ opinions on this issue?
2. Do all students have similar access e.g. in terms of textbooks/teachers?
3. When you analyse your results do you focus as much on the 5=9 achievement range as you do on the 1-4?
4. When you plan the course, do you discuss with the students the aspects they want to learn about, or merely what will improve results?
5. Do you ensure that all students have opportunities to learn beyond the classroom via museum or site visits?
6. Do you go out of your way to help strengthen the history element of the citizenship curriculum because you care about students’ historical experience, even if they do not take history after the age of 14?
7. Do you do all you can
