We are always particularly impressed by people who have developed historical interests beyond the demands of the syllabus. Bully your school into taking out subscriptions. Both have articles on a huge range of topics and are attractively presented. They also make suggestions for further reading, which you can follow up by using your public library. Also, look at the books which are being reviewed in the quality press, and try to get hold of titles that interest you.
Standards are high.
Different offers may be made in special circumstances. Candidates for History and Politics should be advised that it is particularly competitive. But sometimes candidates applying for the joint schools may be given offers in one of the parent subjects if quotas on joint schools are full, or if their performance on the two sides of the joint school is uneven. Most tutors welcome gap years provided that you have put together a culturally and intellectually stimulating programme of activities. Foreign travel and language courses are a good idea.