Leading GCSE History

Leading history at Key Stage 4 can easily become narrowly focused on successfully getting students through the GCSE history course. Most of you will feel the pressure of SLT's targets. We now have loads of relevant data to use to look at value added and residuals. Even if students make good progress from KS3 to KS4, there is always the KS2 to KS4 data to test you out again! Naturally we want all students across the ability range to achieve well. To do this, we must make smart use of all available data. It is important that we do this prospectively as well as retrospectively. This website's emphasis, therefore, is on raising expectations, careful monitoring and encouraging a can-do culture. History subject leaders at KS4 need to be aware of the progress of all students studying GCSE history and must take early initiatives at any sign of underachievement. They must get into all GCSE classrooms to praise success and closely observe those who are not meeting their target grade.

There is, of course, more to GCSE history than just the percentage of A*-C grades, Average Point Scores or value-added. Above all other subjects, history is the one that students feel spends too long on decoding the examination questions. I know this is not our fault, but we need to recognise that many students enjoy history as a subject in its own right and want to learn more.

We also need to bring variety to the learning, not least to maintain students' motivation. This is particularly important for low-attaining students who tend, on the whole, to do less well in history than in their other subjects. They find history hard and the examination questions obtuse. To keep them focused we need to ring the changes, so that the unholy trinity of exposition, textbook-based activity and examination questions do not take complete hold. Your role in ensuring that varied learning happens in all classrooms is crucial.

At Key Stage 4 you should also be thinking about the destination of students beyond 16. How many will go on to study history at KS5? Do you analyse that data? How many then go on to read history at university because of the love of the subject that you nurtured in your department's classrooms?

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