A Level History - 1st Yr of 2Yr Prog

Mode of study

Full Time

Start date

08/09/2025

Entry requirements

You will need to have at least 5 GCSEs at 5 or above including English and a 6 in History, or English if you have not taken History at GCSE. You will also need to have good research, analytical and essay writing skills.

Teaching staff

All our A-level teachers are qualified experts in their field. Our teachers are also A-level specialists.

Course Code

A2HISA1P

Duration

2-Year

Location

St Albans Campus

Awarding body

AQA Education

Assessment

In addition to various in-class assessments throughout the two years of your study, you will be formally assessed through completion of a coursework unit and sitting two exams at the end of the second year.

About the course

History is the study of the past. It examines the political, economic, social and cultural issues of different cultures and eras. In A-level History, you will study a range of eras, developing an insightful understanding of events within their historical context. From an intellectual standpoint, A-level History is about the acquisition of vital learning skills: you need to be able to read and digest large amounts of information and to pick out what is and what is not relevant to the question or task you have been given. Studying this subject at A-level will teach you how to analyse, reflect and argue coherently and knowledgably within both class debate and your written responses. There are many benefits of studying A-level History. You will get considerable enjoyment and intellectual stimulation when you have securely understood a topic. This is when arguments can be formed and you can involve yourself in the cut-and-thrust of historical debate. Your ideas and perceptions will be challenged through the study of different perspectives, meaning that you will really have to think for yourself which may perhaps even lead you to question your viewpoints. Therefore, this is a subject that is ideal for developing skills of higher order thinking and critical analysis.

Career options

History is a highly respected A-level and will open up a wide range of degree courses and careers. It is a sound qualification for many degree courses at university, with History graduates progressing to careers in business, journalism, research, teaching and other areas. History is about interpretation and developing your own point of view; it combines well with any subject, whether humanities or science-based but goes particularly well with English Literature.

A Levels can lead you onto many different career paths, including university to further develop your skills in your chosen subject(s).

'Oaklands has been very different from school, it has set me up for college, the tutors have been excellent, the environment brilliant and I have walked away today with an A*, 98% overall and got into my first choice university to study Physics.' - George Milleret, Intensive Maths A Level

Course Content - What will I learn?

You will study a range of eras, for example, Russian History, examining the nature of the Russian Civil War and the reasons for Bolshevik victory, the rise to power of Stalin and policies of collectivisation and 5 year-plans. Purges under Stalin and cultural developments will also be studied as will the Second World War and the leadership of Khrushchev. In addition to this, you will study the Making of Modern Britain from 1979 to 2007. Whichever era you are studying, you will consider social, economic and cultural change over that period. The extent to which Britain remains a global power will be considered especially as regards relations with USA and Europe. You will also complete a coursework module where you will be expected to write an analysis of a historical issue over a period of 100 years.

Please contact us to find out if you require any specific equipment for this particular course.

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