Which periods will my child actually study?

The specification offers a menu of depth, investigation and breadth options; our teacher confirms the combination for each cohort, focused on the twentieth century.

Is there lots of reading and writing?

A healthy amount - History is an essay subject and we build writing stamina deliberately, with modelled answers, timed practice and detailed feedback on every assessed piece.

How is source analysis taught online?

Sources are shared on screen and dissected together in the live lesson, which suits the material well - everyone annotates, questions and compares readings in real time.

What if my child misses a lesson?

Parents are notified of any missed scheduled lesson, and Year 10 and 11 recordings mean the content itself is never lost.

How do the final exams work from overseas?

Students sit them under formal remote invigilation or at an approved centre in their own region - we organise whichever fits their circumstances and the board's rules.

Does History combine well with other subjects?

Very well - it pairs naturally with English, Geography and Economics - and the source and essay skills reinforce each of them.

Key Stage 4

📜 History

For school aged learners, ages 14-16

Overview

Our online IGCSE History lessons are live and teacher-led on a fixed timetable over two years. As with all our classes, there are around 15 students on average, so each learner is drawn into discussions - helping build confidence whilst getting involved to fully understand the topic. Assessed essays and mock exams throughout keep your child's progress visible and exam craft sharp.

What Students Study

Why study History?

History explains the world students are inheriting - and trains them to interrogate it. Weighing evidence, spotting bias, building an argument on paper: these are the exact skills prized in law, journalism, politics, heritage and business - and they transfer directly into A Level History and other essay subjects. Our course concentrates on the twentieth century, the era whose consequences still shape today's headlines.

Course content

Students prepare for the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9-1) History specification, studying a combination of options across three strands:

Depth studies - two periods examined close up, chosen from options such as Germany 1918-45, superpower relations 1943-72 and civil rights in the USA 1945-74
A historical investigation - source-based work on a focused episode, with options including Russia and the Soviet Union 1905-24 and the origins and course of the First World War
A breadth study in change - long-run change across a century or more, from options such as warfare and international conflict 1919-2011 and China 1900-89

Course Details

Examinations and assessments

Assessment is entirely by examination with Pearson Edexcel - no coursework - through two equally weighted papers sat at the end of the linear course. Paper 1 examines the two depth studies; Paper 2 covers the investigation and the breadth study.

Exam sittings are arranged around the student: formal remote invigilation for some, an approved exam centre nearby for others, depending on location and what Pearson Edexcel's regulations allow for the subject.

Paper 1 - Depth Studies: 1 hour 30 minutes, worth 50% of the qualification
Paper 2 - Investigation and Breadth Studies: 1 hour 30 minutes, worth 50% of the qualification
Coursework: none

Qualification

The qualification earned is the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9-1) in History, respected by schools and universities everywhere and a direct route into A Level History, which we also teach.

Entry requirements

No formal entry requirements apply, and no prior study of the periods covered is expected. The course is delivered in English and both papers are answered in English.

Meet the teacher

“I take pride in helping learners grow in confidence, build academic resilience and achieve outcomes that go beyond what they thought possible.”

K. Syzmanska, History teacher

Study full time or part time

History slots into the standard six-subject International GCSE programme, or can be studied by itself - a popular choice for homeschooling families wanting specialist teaching for one demanding subject.

The fees calculator shows what either option costs for your child's start date.