text: In Year 9 students should be proficient in the skills they have developed since Year 7 – skills in handling evidence, interpretation and causation. Students in Year 9 will follow a course of modern world history, beginning with the Age of Empire and ending with a study of how society changed after the Second World War. Students will study the causes of World War One and an in depth look into what it was like to fight on the Western Front. Students will look at the interpretations of Field Marshall Haig and whether he deserves his nickname ‘the Butcher of the Somme’ . Students will look at the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and the rise of Hitler in the inter war years. We will discuss the merits of appeasement before looking at how the League of Nations failed to stop Hitler in the 1930s and how foreign policy and the failure of diplomacy led to the outbreak of war in 1939.
  Students will complete six assessments over the course of the year, allowing them two opportunities to develop in each area. Assessments are reviewed yearly and are subject to change with most taking place during lesson time, we have found this to be beneficial for students in terms of teacher support.
  Current performance is based on the assessed work completed throughout the year and her end of year examination. Her oral contributions in class will also inform staff about her level of engagement with the subject. All students are issued with a generic mark scheme for each key skill and an expectation of where they should be in Years 7-9.
  She should talk to her teacher first as it could be a simple matter of misunderstanding a task or a topic. She should try and be specific about what she finds particularly challenging and the support offered may differ depending on the nature of the challenge. She may be paired with a 6th form subject student leader in History who can offer longer term support or with a student in the year above who will have recent experience of the Year 8 course.
  The best way to support your daughter is by talking to her about what she is studying in History and about how she is getting on. Students should be encouraged to complete homework in a quiet area of the home without the distractions of siblings, television or mobile phones/ipads. By signing your daughter’s planner on a weekly basis, you will be able to see what tasks she has been asked to complete for homework.
  Please feel free to contact the History department at history@newsteadwood.co.uk if you have any queries about your daughter’s progress in History.