Migrants in Britain c800-present day

Chronological range: c800–present day

The starting point for our new topic will be c800. This means we can avoid too much overlap with the medieval periods which feature in the Paper 2 British depth studies but it also enables us to look at the Vikings in terms of their reasons for coming, patterns of settlement and their impact including language and trade.

Our new topic will offer students the opportunity to study the City of York under the Vikings. The Jorvik Viking Centre is an excellent museum to visit if you are studying this topic.

Theme 1: the experience and impact of migrants in Britain

One of the main themes spanning the period will be the experience and impact of migrants in Britain. In the modern period this includes their relations with the authorities and existing population, including anti-immigration and equal rights movements, as well as the role of the media. This provides students with the opportunity to study some fascinating case studies and individuals. One such individual who could be studied as part of this period is Dr Harold Moody, one of Britain’s first black civil rights activists.

Another fascinating individual who could be studied as part of this course is Ignatius Sancho, the only Briton of African heritage known to have been eligible and voted in an 18th-century general election through property qualifications.

Theme 2: the context for migration

One of the main themes spanning the period will be the context for migration, which will consider change and continuity in the reasons for migration and patterns of settlement, as well as the changing context of British society. This provides students with the opportunity to study some absorbing events which have shaped British history and influenced migration, including the Industrial Revolution, the growth and decline of the British Empire and EU membership. One such event which could be studied as part of the early modern period is the emergence of England as a predominantly Protestant nation and, in relation to this, the experience of the Huguenots in the seventeenth century.

Case studies

As well as the two main themes of the experience and impact of migrants and the context for migration, students will investigate a range of case studies which provide opportunities to explore the operation of key factors and to make detailed comparisons over time. The case studies have been carefully selected to show a range of different migrant groups over time, but also to allow the specification to make reference to a range of cities in the UK, including Liverpool in the nineteenth century, and the experience of Asian migrants in Leicester post-1945. One such place that can be studied is Bristol in the mid-twentieth century, and of particular interest during this period is the Bristol Bus Boycott.

Historic Environment: Notting Hill c1948–c1970

All of our thematic studies have an associated Historic Environment which allows students to explore the relationship between a place and historical events and developments, linked to the overall theme. The Migration Historic Environment will be Notting Hill c1948–c1970. This provides an opportunity to study more modern British history, it was a key area where migrants settled and illustrates both the racial tensions and the impact of migrants on cultural developments in this period. One individual that can be studied as part of the Historic Environment is Claudia Jones.

Full draft content available now

We hope this gives you a flavour of the new content we will be including in our new Migrants in Britain thematic study. You can view the full draft content and sample assessments on our website.

We are really excited by how the topic has progressed and pleased with the feedback we’ve received from teachers so far. Please keep an eye on our website for more details of support for the topic. We will let teachers know as soon as it has been approved and please note that the content could be amended subject to scrutiny by Ofqual. The topic will be for first teaching September 2021, first exam summer 2022. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us.