Ancient History: Key Stage 4

At Key Stage 4, students have the opportunity to study the new OCR Ancient History 9-1. The GCSE consists of two exam papers, with the weighting split 50%/50%.

Studying Ancient History helps learners develop their understanding of the ancient world and the legacy of the ancient world in today’s society. It provides engaging and exciting content which looks at characters that have shaped the course of History, such as Cyrus the Great and Alexander the Great, and defining events including the Battle of Thermopylae, the foundation of Rome and the expansion of the Macedonian Empire.

Throughout the course, students will be learning to analyse and evaluate the causes, consequences and significance of historical events. Moreover, students will also learn to analyse key ancient historical sources such as mosaics, sarcophagus’, astronomical calendars and key writings from Herodotus, Arrian and Plutarch.

Students in Ancient History receive 3 lessons a week in both year 10 and 11.

The following shows a breakdown on the units we study throughout Key Stage 4:

Paper 1: The Persian Empire 559-465BC and Alexander the Great 356-323BC (1 hour 45 minutes)

This paper is a combination of two topics. The Persian Empire is a period study focusing on the Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great, Cambyses II, Darius I and Xerxes I. The second component is a depth study, focusing on Alexander the Great and the expansion of the Macedonian empire.

Paper 2: The foundations of Rome: from kinship to republic 753-440BC and Cleopatra: Egypt and Rome 69BC-30BC. (1 hours 45 minutes)

This paper is a combination of two topics. The foundations of Rome is a longer period study focusing on the kings of Rome and the early Roman Republic, with an emphasis on the most exciting and interesting events and characters. The second component focuses on the relationship between Egypt and Rome, and the role of key figures such as Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, which ultimately led to the demise of the Roman Republic.