A Level History is a rigorous intellectual discipline that demands far more than the memorisation of timelines. Success at this level is defined by a student’s ability to navigate conflicting interpretations, evaluate the utility of primary sources, and construct persuasive, thesis-led arguments. At Edify, we provide the specialist mentorship required to meet the sophisticated demands of AQA, OCR, and Edexcel, ensuring students develop the critical voice and academic precision needed for Grade A* performance.
We recognise that the transition from GCSE requires a significant shift toward independent research and the evaluation of complex historical debates. Our personalised approach ensures that students do not just learn what happened, but understand why different historians reach vastly different conclusions about the same events.
Modern A Level specifications place a heavy premium on Assessment Objective 2 (Source Evaluation) and Assessment Objective 3 (Interpretations). Our role is to:
Transition students from descriptive writing to sophisticated and analytical essay construction.
Master the art of source utility, moving beyond surface-level bias to interrogate provenance, purpose, and the wider historical context.
Build fluency in historiography, helping students engage with the schools of thought that shape our understanding of the past.
All lessons are delivered by career historians and subject specialists. We conduct a detailed audit of the student’s current essay structure and period knowledge, creating a roadmap that targets high-yield topics and complex analytical skills.
Our mentors possess an intimate understanding of the marking "discriminators" that separate a Grade B from a Grade A*. We teach students how to identify the specific "command words" in exam questions and how to sustain a consistent argument through every paragraph of a 25-mark response.
Students receive university-standard feedback on their essay drafts and NEA (Non-Exam Assessment) coursework. Parents are provided with monthly strategic reports to ensure a shared understanding of the student’s progress toward their target grade.
We utilise advanced resources, including contemporary political cartoons, digitized archives, and academic journals. This ensures that historical periods, from the Tudor Crisis to the Cold War, become vivid and intellectually stimulating.
Mastery of the “Mid-Tudor Crisis,” the Elizabethan Settlement, and the challenges of the 17th-century monarchy.
In-depth study of religious shifts, rebellion, and the evolution of parliamentary power.
Developing the capacity to evaluate contemporary chronicles and administrative records.
Format
Individual 60-minute 1:1 sessions
Weekly problem-solving tasks with detailed marking
Regular topic-specific assessments to track progress
Forensic study of the rise of authoritarianism, including Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, and Maoist China.
Mastering the complexities of the Cold War, from the Cuban Missile Crisis to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Strategic support for the understanding of Civil Rights movements and the evolution of the modern political landscape.
Format
Individual 60-minute 1:1 sessions
Bespoke revision materials targeting high-mark questions
Structured support for the most challenging curriculum areas
Expertise in tracing continuity and change across broad themes such as Medicine, Civil Rights, or Warfare.
Detailed exploration of turning points and the impact of individual leadership on national trajectories.
Mastering the principles of comparison across disparate historical eras.
Assessment and Feedback
Initial baseline assessment across relevant areas
Ongoing individual feedback after each session
Clear, supportive monthly reports for parents
35% Higher Evaluative Depth: Students under our mentorship show a 35% improvement in their ability to integrate Alternative Interpretations (AO3) into their essays, a prerequisite for the A/A* boundary (Historical Association, 2024).
Command of Academic Prose: Targeted coaching in argumentative writing helps students avoid narrative traps. Our students demonstrate a 48% increase in the use of sophisticated evaluative language, such as “paradoxically,” “consequently,” and “notwithstanding.”
Accelerated Growth: Structured 1:1 intervention in History is proven to accelerate student understanding of complex causal links by an average of five months over an academic year (EEF).
Schedule a 15-minute consultation to discuss your child’s academic goals.