History A Level

History A Level

Open Plan A Levels
 
Do you need an A Level within 12 months to get into University?

We now offer a range of A Levels where we guarantee to prioritise the marking of your coursework so you are fully ready to take your exams in January and June of each year.
 
You will have to find a testing centre in your area to check on the cut off dates for coursework.
 

Exam Format

A Level History consists of 4 units in total:
 
AS Level = 2 units
 
A2 Level = 2 units
 


AS Level
 
Unit 1- AS Level Unit One: HIS1D: Britain 1603-1642
 
Change and Consolidation

Written examination: 1 hour 15 minutes
 
Unit 2- AS Level Unit Two: HIS2O: The Impact of Chairman Mao: China 1946-1976
 
Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes
 


A2 Level:
 
Unit 3- A2 Level Unit Three: HIS3J: The State and People: Britain, 1918-1964
 
Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes
 
Unit 4- A2 Level Unit Four (coursework option) : HIS4X: Totalitarian Ideology in Theory and Practice, c1848-c1941 (broadly covering the required 100 years)
 


Course summary
 
Understanding the past is key to decoding the present. This makes our A Level History course interesting and engaging, providing detailed insights into modern British history as well as developing key analytical and research skills.  

The completion of AS and A2 equates to fulfilment of a full A-level.  Read on to find out more about our History A Level distance learning course and how you can learn with our amazing materials and online support.
 
Specification details can be found from the weblink of the examination board (AQA) below:
 
http://store.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/pdf/AQA-2040-W-SP.PDF
 
'Learners are advised to obtain (either purchase or loan) at least one supporting textbook for each module/unit in order to complement the course notes and to maximize understanding and learning. A list of recommended textbooks is provided at the end of each module/unit.



Course Content
 
An outline of what is offered in our A Level history course:

AS Level
 
Unit 1 – Change and Consolidation
 
Britain, 1603-1642
 

Unit 2 - Historical Issues: Periods of Change
 
The Impact of Chairman Mao: China, 1946-1976
 


A2 Level
 
Unit 3 – The State and the People: Change and Continuity

The state and People; Britain 1918-1964
 

Unit 4 – Historical Enquiry
 
Totalitarian Ideology in Theory and in Practice, c1848-c1941
 
Course Outline in Detail:
 


Unit 1 - Change and Consolidation
 
Overview:
 
This unit promotes the understanding of change over time, of at least 50 years.  Focuses on how governments establish themselves and respond to the need for change.    The student will develop a strong sense of historical perspective and understand the relationships between key feature and characteristics of the period of study.
 

Britain, 1603-1642
 
An overview is provided of the changing relationships between Crown, Parliament and people in Britain during the reigns of James I and Charles I.
 
Part 1
 
The Reign of James I: the Establishment of the Authority, 1603-1618
 
The position of the monarchy, the ideas of James I and the union of the two crowns

King James I England and VI Scotland – The man
 
The divine right of kings and the royal prerogative
 
The position of the Church under James I, including his response to challenges from Roman Catholics and Puritans
 
The Elizabethan settlement of 1559
 
James and his relationship with the various religious communities
 
James I’s relationship with Parliament, including conflicts over finance

The form of Apology of the House of Commons
 
The Committee of the whole house – 1607
 
The influence of Court favourites
 

Part 2

The Stuart Monarchy, 1618-1629
 
The foreign policies of James I and Charles I
 
The career and influence of Buckingham
 
Religious issues and rise of Arminianism
 
Parliament 1618–21

Relations between Crown and Parliament
 

Part 3
 
The Personal Rule of Charles I, 1629-1640
 
The ideas of Charles I on monarchy and the concept of Divine Right
 
Charles I’s rule without parliament
 
The role and influence of Wentworth
 
Religious issues including Laud’s reforms, and the influence of Catholicism at Court

1629-40 – Personal Rule and financial issues
 
Archbishop Laud
 
The role and influence of Wentworth – earl of Stafford
 

Part 4
 
Charles and the Origins of the Civil War, 1640-1642
 
The reasons why Charles I recalled Parliament, including his difficulties with Scotland and Ireland
 
Opposition and faction within the Parliament, including the role and influence of John Pym
 
The actions of Charles I in the political crisis of 1640-1642
 
Reasons for the outbreak of war
 
The nineteen propositions


 
Examination on Unit 1:
 
Duration:  1 hour 15 minutes
 
Three questions will be set; students will have to answer two questions.  All questions will be in two parts.  The First Question will focus on narrow issue or development.  The Second Question will test the understanding of the links between a narrow issue or development in a wider context. Each question is worth 36 marks.
 
First part= 12 marks
 
Second part =24 marks
 
Unit 2 - Historical Issues: Periods of Change
 
Overview:
 
Unit 2 promotes the study of significant periods of history in depth.  An understanding of the complexity of historical process is established.  

The Impact of Chairman Mao: China, 1946-1976
 
An opportunity to analyse the extent to which Mao Zalong transformed China in the years between the start of the Civil War in 1946 and his death in 1976.
 


Part 1
 
The Impact of Chairman Mao: China, 1946-1976
 
The strengths and weaknesses of the Guomindang at the start of the civil war, including the role and influence of Chiang Kai Shek
 
Communist retreat
 
The long march
 


Part 2
 
The Civil War, 1946-1949
 
Political and military strength of the CCP in 1946
 
Ideological differences between Nationalist and Communists
 
The People's Republic of China is born
 
Reasons for the ultimate Communist victory
 


Part 3
 
The Consolidation of Power, 1949-1953
 
The ideology and leadership of Mao Zedong
 
Opposition to Mao within the communist party
 
Role of the communist party in the new government
 
Social reforms, including the emancipation of woman and universal education
 


Part 4
 
Economic planning and its results, 1953-1967
 
Move to collectivisation
 
Industry and the First Five-Year Plan 1953-7
 
The collectivisation of agriculture, 1953-1957
 
The hundred flower campaign
 


Part 5
 
The Great Leap Forward, 1958-1960
 
Ideology behind Great Leap Forward
 
Agricultural Communes
 
Failure of the Great Leap Forward
 
The third five year plan, 1962-1967
 


Part 6
 
The Cultural Revolution and its aftermath 1966-76  

Origins of the Cultural Revolution
 
The course of the Cultural Revolution
 
Spread of the Cultural Revolution October 1966-Jan 1967
 
Reasons for the de-radicalisation of the Cultural Revolution
 


Part 7

The effects of the Cultural Revolution
 
Effects on Cultural and Intellectual Life
 
The Shanghai Radical
 
Lin Biao’s enforced exit

How Mao’s death affected China
 

Examination of Unit 2:
 
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
 
Three Questions will be set.
 
First Question will be compulsory and will be in two parts.  First part will test the ability to compare two historical sources in context.  Second part will evaluate the ability to combine own knowledge and sources to answer a general question on the period of study. Each question is worth 36 marks.

First part: 12 marks
 
Second part: 24 marks
 
There will be two other questions from which students choose one.  The questions will have two parts.  The first part will ask candidates to recall information and arrive at a substantial judgement on a historical issue.  The second part will require students to evaluate the validity of a judgement contained within a quotation.
 
Unit 3-The State and the People: Change and Continuity
 
Overview:
 
Unit 3 promotes an understanding of change and continuity over approximately 50 years.  The relationship between the state and the people are explored.  Develops students understanding of how a particular issue, such as the impact of religious belief, interacted with other issues in a short period and how this issue changed in significance over the 50- year period.
 
The state and People; Britain 1918-1964
 
Overview of change and continuity in Britain from the end of the First World Was to the election of 1964, through periods of peace and war to an era of consensus and affluence.
 


Part 1

Victory and Crises: 1918-1931
 
Lloyd George and post-war reconstruction
 
The First Labour Government 1929: aims, policies and problems
 
Baldwin and the Conservative government 1924-1929
 
Strengths of the Conservative Party
 
Cultural changes – the role of woman and social and cultural mores
 


Part 2
 
The National Government and inter-war changes, 1931 – 1939
 
Social and economic conditions
 
Social impact of the depression in Britain
 
Government economic policy – unemployment and poverty
 
The Abdication Crisis and its impact 1936
 


Part 3
 
The impact of war and post-war reconstruction, 1939-1951
 
Churchill’s coalition government 1940-1945
 
The Beveridge Report 1941
 
The General Election of 1945
 
Leading Members of the Labour Government
 


Part 4
 
Post War Economic Problems
 
Labours Nationalisation Programme
 
Creation of welfare state; education and social policies
 


Part 5
 
General Election of October 1951
 
Conservative Government 1951 -1964
 
Churchill’s Government 1951-55
 
Anthony Eden’s Government 1955-57
 


Part 6
 
Conservatives and the Economy 1951-64
 
Quality of life under the Conservatives
 
Main developments 1957-64

Britain and European Economic Community

Consensus politics
 


Examination of Unit 3
 
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
 
Students will answer two essay questions from a choice of three.  Each question is worth 45 marks.
 


Unit 4 – Historical Enquiry
 
Overview of the Module:
 
Students will be required to submit a Historical Enquiry, based on the investigation of a historical issue.  The issue must be of sufficient depth and detail whilst covering 100 years.  The issue must allow focus on a significant issue or debate.
 
Students should evaluate a range of sources, which may include: textbooks, biographies, diaries, TV programmes, films, paintings, newspapers, museums and the internet.  A historical enquiry based on a range of appropriate secondary sources will also be acceptable.  

The topic chosen must be set on either a country or period different to that studied in Unit 3.  If the chosen topic covers part of the chronological period in either unit 1 or unit 2 then the focus of the enquiry must be on significantly different material.  In order to avoid duplication and overlap, a chronological and thematic approach should be taken.
 
Additional requirements:
 
the enquiry must demonstrate some awareness of historiography
 
the enquiry must be based on a range of sources (either primary or secondary or both)
 
the enquiry must be accompanied by a bibliography and an evaluation of approximately 500 words providing a critical evaluation of the sources used. This evaluation should include a brief bibliography.
 
Further details can be found on the following weblink:
 
http://store.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/pdf/AQA-2040-W-TRB-CG.PDF
 
Totalitarian Ideology in Theory and in Practice, c1848-c1941
 
Overview of how totalitarian regimes functioned in various European states from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century, highlighting specific issues and themes for a coursework question in the process. An opportunity to investigate three specific totalitarian regimes and the extent to which ideology shaped them.
 
Part 1
 
The USSR and Marxism
 
Marxist stage theory, including the dictatorship of the proletariat and how it was adapted by Lenin and Stalin
 
Bolsheviks versus the Mensheviks
 
The intolerance of diversity in the 1930’s, with reference to economic, political, religious and cultural diversity, including and purges
 
Three stages of Stalin’s rise to power
 
Part 2
 
Stalin’s Soviet Union in the 1930s
 
State measures used to achieve economic progress
 
Why did Stalin carry out the purges?
 
The cult of Stalin
 
Part 3
 
Fascist Ideology and Italian Fascism
 
History of Fascism
 
Features of Fascist Ideology
 
Different Strands within Fascism
 
How Mussolini adapted Fascism
 
Part 4
 
The Italian Fascist state of the 1930s
 
Suppression of political diversity
 
Woman in Fascist Italy
 
Racism against Germans and Slavs
 
The intolerance of diversity with reference to political, economic, religious and cultural diversity
 
Part 5
 
Nazi Germany
 
Nazi ideology, with reference to nationalism, socialism, race and anti-semitism and Volksgemeinschaft
 
The rise to power of Adolf Hitler
 
Development of Nazi Ideology
 
Hitler’s rise to power 1928-33
 
Political background to Hitler’s chancellorship

Establishment of Hitler’s Dictatorship – January 1933-August 1934
 
Part 6
 
The Nazi State in the 1930s
 
Nazi Germany’s intolerance of diversity
 
Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) 1938
 
Propaganda and the Nazi leadership
 
The Fuhrerprinzip (Principle of the Fuhrer)
 
The Totalitarianism of the three regimes
 


Examination of Unit 4:
 
The purpose of the Historical Enquiry is to test the student’s ability to undertake the investigation of a specific historical question, problem or issue by drawing on knowledge, understanding and skills acquired during the course.
 
The Historical Enquiry will be marked out of 60 and should be between 3500 and 4000 words in length.  

Summary of Assessments
 
Unit 1 – Change and Consolidation
 
25% of A Level
 
1 hour 15 minutes written examination
 
72 marks
 
Unit 2 - Historical Issues: Periods of Change
 
25% of A Level
 
1 hour 30 minutes written examination
 
72 marks
 
Unit 3 - The State and the People: Change and Continuity
 
30% of A Level
 
1 hour 30 minutes written examination
 
90 marks
 
Unit 4 – Historical Enquiry
 
20 % of A Level
 
Coursework unit
 
60 marks
 
Approximately 3500 words on an analysis of a historical issue