HISTORY

History

History is a fascinating and extensive subject, which appeals to students with a broad range of interests. At Westminster Tutors, we do not assign specific periods to study, but instead students are able to choose the options which are most appealing and relevant to them. Our students acquire a critical approach to sources and evidence, learning to look for bias and prejudice to reach balanced conclusions, and they also develop their research and essay-writing skills.

Course options

British period study and enquiry

  • Y101. Alfred and the Making of England 871-1016
  • (Enquiry topic: Alfred the Great)

  • Y102. Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest 1035-1107
  • (Enquiry topic: Norman England 1087-1107)

  • Y103. England 1199-1272
  • (Enquiry topic: King John 1199-1216)

  • Y104. England 1377-1455
  • (Enquiry topic: Richard II 1377-1399)

  • Y105. England 1445-1509: Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII
  • (Enquiry topic: Wars of the Roses 1445-1461)

  • Y106. England 1485-1558: the Early Tudors
  • (Enquiry topic: Mid Tudor Crises 1547-1558)

  • Y107. England 1547-1603: the Later Tudors
  • (Enquiry topic: Mid Tudor Crises 1547-1558)

  • Y108. The Early Stuarts and the Origins of the Civil War 1603-1660
  • (Enquiry topic: The Execution of Charles I and the Interregnum 1646-1660)

  • Y109. The Making of Georgian Britain 1678-c.1760
  • (Enquiry topic: The Glorious Revolution 1678-1689)

  • Y110. From Pitt to Peel: Britain 1783-1853
  • (Enquiry topic: Peel and the Age of Reform 1832-1853)

  • Y111. Liberals, Conservatives and the Rise of Labour 1846-1918
  • (Enquiry topic: England and a New Century c.1900-1918)

  • Y112. Britain 1900-1951
  • (Enquiry topic: England and a New Century c.1900-1918)

  • Y113. Britain 1930-1997
  • (Enquiry topic: Churchill 1930-1951)

Non-British period study

  • Y201. The Rise of Islam c.550-750
  • Y202. Charlemagne 768-814
  • Y203. The Crusades and the Crusader States 1095-1192
  • Y204. Genghis Khan and the Explosion from the Steppes c.1167-1405
  • Y205. Exploration, Encounters and Empire 1445-1570
  • Y206. Spain 1469-1556
  • Y207. The German Reformation and the rules of Charles V 1500-1559
  • Y208. Philip II 1556-1598
  • Y209. African Kingdoms c.1400-c.1800: four case studies
  • Y210. Russia 1645-1741
  • Y211. The Rise and Decline of the Mughal Empire in India 1526-1739
  • Y212. The American Revolution 1740-1796
  • Y213. The French Revolution and the rule of Napoleon 1774-1815
  • Y214. France 1814-1870
  • Y215. Italy and Unification 1789-1896
  • Y216. The USA in the 19th Century: Westward expansion and Civil War 1803-c.1890
  • Y217. Japan 1853-1937
  • Y218. International Relations 1890-1941
  • Y219. Russia 1894-1941
  • Y220. Italy 1896-1943
  • Y221. Democracy and Dictatorships in Germany 1919-1963
  • Y222. The Cold War in Asia 1945-1993
  • Y223. The Cold War in Europe 1941-1995
  • Y224. Apartheid and Reconciliation: South African Politics 1948-1999

Thematic study and historical interpretations

  • Y301. The Early Anglo-Saxons c.400-800
  • Y302. The Viking Age c.790-1066
  • Y303. English Government and the Church 1066-1216
  • Y304. The Church and Medieval Heresy c.1100-1437
  • Y305. The Renaissance c.1400-c.1600
  • Y306. Rebellion and Disorder under the Tudors 1485-1603
  • Y307. Tudor Foreign Policy 1485-1603
  • Y308. The Catholic Reformation 1492-1610
  • Y309. The Ascendancy of the Ottoman Empire 1453-1606
  • Y310. The Development of the Nation State: France 1498-1610
  • Y311. The Origins and Growths of the British Empire 1558-1783
  • Y312. Popular Culture and the Witchcraze of the 16 and 17 Centuries
  • Y313. The Ascendancy of France 1610-1715
  • Y314. The Challenge of German Nationalism 1789-1919
  • Y315. The Changing Nature of Warfare 1792-1945
  • Y316. Britain and Ireland 1791-1921
  • Y317. China and its Rulers 1839-1989
  • Y318. Russia and its Rulers 1855-1964
  • Y319. Civil Rights in the USA 1865-1992
  • Y320. From Colonialism to Independence: The British Empire 1857-1965
  • Y321. The Middle East 1908-2011: Ottomans to Arab Spring

Assesment

AS Level

Unit 1: British period study and enquiry

  • Assessment of one of the 13 units Y101-Y113
  • 50 marks
  • 1 hour 30 minutes written paper
  • 50% of total AS level

Unit 2: Non-British period study

  • Assessment of one of the 13 units Y101-Y113
  • 50 marks
  • 1 hour 30 minutes written paper
  • 50% of total AS level

A Level

Unit 1: British period study and enquiry

  • Assessment of one of the 13 units Y101-Y113
  • 50 marks
  • 1 hour 30 minutes written paper
  • 25% of total A level

Unit 2: Non-British period study

  • Assessment of one of the 24 units Y201-Y224
  • 30 marks
  • 1 hour written paper
  • 15% of total A level

Unit Group 3: Thematic study and historical interpretations

  • Assessment of one of the 21 units Y301-Y321
  • 80 marks
  • 2 hour 30 minutes written paper
  • 40% of total A level

Unit Y100: Topic based essay

  • Non-exam assessment
  • 3000-4000 word essay
  • 40 marks
  • 20% of total A level

Set Texts

Reading List

For Class and Country: The Patriotic Left and the First World War (Studies in Labour History).

ISBN-13: 978-1786940025

Specification

Teachers will choose the examination board for students joining in Year 12 based on their expertise and specialist knowledge. For Year 13 and retake students, teachers will continue students’ studies with AQA, Edexcel/Pearson, OCR or WJEC/Eduqas. Please note that we do not offer CIE but can more than map to one of the boards listed.

Teachers

Benedict Tucker
BA (Cambridge)

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Westminster Tutors is one of the oldest and best independent sixth form colleges in London. Established in 1934, our culture of scholastic excellence is deeply embedded and sets the standard for other colleges to follow.