Bellemoor School | Southampton

• Level 2

I can understand that my own life is different from those of the past.  I am beginning to understand why people in the past acted as they did.  I know that the past can be brought alive through a number of different types of media.  I am able to answer simple questions about history by extracting small bits of information from sources.  Answers are not yet constructed in sentences.

• Level 3

I can put a variety of dates and events into chronological order.  I am beginning to understand some of the main events studied.  I am starting to understand why simple changes took place.  I can write sentences about the past, including simple factual information.

I am beginning to try to explain why events that happened in the past took place.

• Level 4

I am starting to possess a good base of factual knowledge about the past in Britain.  I also have some fairly detailed knowledge of the history of the wider world.  I am starting to use groups of sources to build up reasons why events happened.  I am starting to construct explanations for why events took place.

I am starting to appreciate that there can be a number of different explanations for the same event.  I am writing simple paragraphs to defend my own viewpoint.

• Level 5

I can show an increasing depth of factual knowledge and understanding of aspects of the history of Britain and the wider world.  I can use this to describe features of past societies and periods and can begin to make links between them.  I can describe events, people and changes.  I am beginning to identify bias and one-sidedness in sources, and am starting to say why one source may be more useful than another.  I am starting to evaluate and order causes and consequences, and am beginning to reach my own conclusions about issues and events in the past.

I can select the sources most useful to me from a particular group.  I can construct paragraphs that offer both description of the events of the past, and analysis of why those events took place.

I am able to present my interpretations using alternative and creative representations.

• Level 6

I can identify the causes and consequences of a number of past events across a number of periods.  I am beginning to construct my own historical essays containing some depth of argument.  I am using my own factual knowledge to produce essays that show a fairly complex understanding of the past.  I am beginning to comment on the reliability and the usefulness of individual historical sources.  I am comfortable in deciding between groups of sources as to which are of greatest use to the historian.

I am able to present my analysis and historical interpretations listing multi-media resources and sharing this with a wider audience.

• Level 7

I am beginning to use my detailed factual knowledge to link events and actions that have taken place both in British history, and the history of the wider world.  I am starting to identify movements in history.  I am beginning to adjust my essay structure according to the type of question being asked.  I can competently analyse the strengths and weaknesses of sources, and can write my findings down in a clear and organised way.

I am beginning to construct essays that set events and issues in their wider historical context.  My well structured answers are evaluating a wide variety of issues and interpretations in a mature and competent manner.  I am capable of researching topics involving numerous interpretations of the past, and of reaching my own substantiated conclusions.

I am able to use multi-media to present my findings to a wider audience of different age groups.

• Level 8

I can use my factual knowledge and understanding of the history of Britain and the wider world to analyse the relationships between events, people and changes, and between the features of different past societies and cultures.  My explanations of reasons for, and results of, events and changes are set in a wider historical context. I can analyse and explain different historical interpretations and am beginning to evaluate them.  I can evaluate and reflect upon my own findings, and realise that the past is subjective and is always open to reinterpretation.  I can carve-up my essays into individual paragraphs, containing concise introductions and conclusions.  I can show competence in analysing and interpreting sources from all forms of media.

Exceptional Performance

I can use my extensive and detailed factual knowledge and understanding of the history of Britain and the wider world to analyse relationships between a wide range of events, people, ideas and changes and between the features of different past societies and cultures.  My explanations and analyses of reasons for, and results of, events and changes are well substantiated and set in their wider historical context.

I can analyse links between events and developments that took place in different countries and in different periods.  I can make a balanced judgement based on my understanding of the historical context about the value of different interpretations of historical events and developments.  Drawing on my historical knowledge and understanding, I can use sources of information critically, carry out historical enquiries, develop, maintain and support an argument and reach and sustain substantiated and balanced conclusions independently.  I can select, organise and deploy a wide range of relevant information to produce consistently well-structured narratives, descriptions and explanations, making appropriate use of the dates and terms.