History A Level

Applications Open: Monday 3rd November 2025

Applications Close: Friday 24th July 2026

Entry Requirements: Our general entry requirements are:-

• A Levels – advanced courses, two year study programme, with an average entry requirement of at least five grade 5+ qualifications, including English and mathematics. Some subjects may have additional entry requirements.

• BTEC Level 3 – advanced courses, two year study programme, with an average entry requirement of at least five grade 4+ qualifications, including English and mathematics. Some subjects may have additional entry requirements.

• T Level - technical course, two year study programme, with an average entry requirement of at least five grade 5+ qualifications, including English and mathematics.

• BTEC Level 2 – One year programme, which could lead on to further studies, with an average entry requirement at least five grade 2 or above, including English and mathematics.

How to Apply: Please apply via Kent Choices

If applying to T Level Engineering, please include a second choice set of subjects within the same application.

Course aims

Our History A Level course aims to help students develop their interest and enthusiasm for history. To create effective and independent learners, critical thinkers and decision makers. Students will develop a range of skills that will help them stand out in the crowd and help them progress into higher education or the workplace. Students will gain a breadth of historical knowledge, the ability to analyse developments over time, appreciation of cultures and societies along with the knowledge of how past events shape today's world. Students will critically evaluate a range of material, including evidence from contemporary sources and the opinions of more recent historians. Students will engage directly with questions and present independent opinions within arguments that are well written, clearly expressed, coherently organised and effectively supported by relevant evidence.

Course content

Component 1 - British period study and enquiry 25% Britain 1930-1997 with the enquiry topic of Churchill. Students will study Churchill's view of the events that took place between 1929-1940, Churchill as a Prime minister and Churchill's view on Britain as an imperial power. Students will also study the reasons for political change in Britain, the struggles between political parties, political scandals, miners' strikes and the fall of Thatcher. Students will explore Britain's relationships with the USA and USSR, Britain's role in Europe and the responses made to crises such as the Korean War, Falklands War and the First Gulf War.

Component 2 - Non-British study 15% Democracy and Dictatorships in Germany 1919-1963 Students will examine the establishment of the Weimar Republic, the rise of Hitler, Nazi domestic policies and the impact of war and defeat on Germany 1939-1949. Students will have the opportunity to discover what happened to Germany after the war, denazification and the creation of an East and West Germany. They will explore the political and social conditions of both East and West Germany in the period prior to the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961.

Component 3 - Thematic study and historical interpretations 40% Britain and Ireland 1791-1921 This component focuses on the relationship between mainland Britain and Ireland including opposition and support for the Union, Irish nationalism, the impact of famine, industrialisation and Irish rebellions. The component ends on the crisis over Home Rule and the declaration of the First World War. Students will gain knowledge of the main developments and turning points of the time period.

Component 4 - Topic based essay 20% Coursework element Students have the opportunity to create their own independent investigation of a historical issue. They will create an essay in non-exam conditions of 3000-4000 words of their own investigation using both primary and secondary sources.

Assessment

Component 1: a 2 hour 30 minute exam comprising of interpretation evaluation and two essays. (40% of the grade)

Component 2: a 2 hour 30 minute exam comprising of source evaluation and two essays. (40% of the grade)

Component 3: an independent historical enquiry which is researched and written by the students. This will be around 4,500 words long. (20% of the grade)

Additional Course Entry Requirements

Grade 6 in History GCSE.

Progression and career opportunities

Skills acquired through a history course are well sought after by a variety of employers due to the critical thinking, analytical nature and independence the subject teaches you. Possible career opportunities include being a teacher, museum curator, excavator, researcher, barrister, various television roles, author, journalist and many more. You will also need a history A Level in order to study the subject at university.