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.

Tutors

Benedict Tucker
BA (Cambridge)

David Swift
BA (Cambridge), MA (York), PhD (UCLan)

Why Choose Westminster Tutors?

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Average grades 57% A*-A and 80% A*-B
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Superbly qualified teachers who care
Average A level retake improvement is 1.5 grades

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About Us

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.