History at Walton-le-Dale High School
At Walton-le-Dale, our History curriculum is built on the firm belief that every student deserves an education that empowers them to be ambitious and aspirational. We aim to provide our young people with the tools to express themselves confidently, think critically, and understand the complex world they live in.
Our Vision and Intent
Our curriculum is designed to provide a “big picture” framework of the past. By following a clear chronological journey from Year 7 through Year 9, students learn to make links between different time periods and see how the world we live in today was shaped.
The Learning Journey
Key Stage 3 (Years 7–9)
Our Key Stage 3 curriculum provides a broad foundation that prepares students for further study while exploring fascinating global and local stories.
| Year Group | Key Themes & Topics |
| Year 7: Foundations | Early migration to Britain, the Norman Conquest (1066), the Medieval “Age of Faith,” and the significance of the Islamic Empire. |
| Year 8: Turning Points | Religious changes in Tudor England, the English Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, and the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. |
| Year 9: The Modern World | The British class system and the Titanic, Suffragists and Suffragettes, the beginnings of the Welfare State, the World Wars, the rise of dictatorships, the Holocaust, the end of the British Empire, and the “Troubles” in Ireland. |
Key Stage 4 (GCSE)
The skills and knowledge built in earlier years directly underpin our GCSE themes. Students will study the following AQA History GCSE units:
- America, 1920–1973: Opportunity and Inequality: Exploring the economic boom, the Great Depression, and the fight for Civil Rights.
- Conflict and Tension: The Inter-War Years, 1919–1939: Examining the global struggle for peace and the road to the Second World War.
- Britain: Health and the People: A thematic study of medicine and public health from c1000 to the present day.
- Elizabethan England, c1568–1603: examining key aspects of Elizabeth’s reign.
Students have access to high quality revision materials on GCSEPOD and Classroom 42.
How We Teach and Support Students
We use a variety of strategies and to ensure every student makes progress:
- Interactive Lessons: Students engage in “think-pair-share” discussions, gallery lessons, discussions and debates, explode the source.
- Consistency: We use specially designed work booklets to ensure high standards of presentation and high-quality resources for all students.
- Assessment: We use a mix of knowledge tests, creative assessments and extended writing assessments.
- Enrichment: History at WLD goes beyond the classroom with visits to sites such as Lancaster Castle, Quarry Bank Mill and Houghton Tower.
Future Paths: Careers in History
The discipline of history teaches students how to analyse complex information and build logical arguments—skills that are essential for the modern workplace. Studying history at WLD can lead to diverse careers such as:
- Law and Journalism: Where critical thinking and evidence-based arguments are vital.
- Politics and Public Service: Understanding society, power, and how decisions affect the future.
- Heritage and Conservation: Managing museums, archives, or historic sites.
- Business and Research: Identifying trends and understanding the “cause and consequence” of global events.
History is a subject within the Humanities Faculty
- Miss Main – Head of Department
- Mrs Lo – Teacher of History
