History: Led by Mrs Gascoigne

The Nature of History

A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching should equip pupils to:

• Ask perceptive questions.
• Think critically.
• Weigh evidence
• Sift arguments.
• Develop perspective and judgement.

History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.

Curriculum Intent

We believe that teaching history is about providing children with opportunities to investigate and learn about real events and key individuals from the past. Our aim is to ensure that pupils have a better understanding of society and their local environment as well as the rest of Britain and the wider world.

Our history curriculum is designed to.

• Ignite children’s enthusiasm, interest, and curiosity about the past and how it has impacted on their life.
• Develop a sense of identity and cultural understanding based on their historical heritage.
• Develop knowledge of chronology within which they can develop a ‘sense of time.’
• Develop the skills to communicate historical knowledge and present it in a variety of ways e.g., oral, written, electronic, and visual forms.
• Enable them to know about the significant events as well as learn about the lives of men and women in the past and how they have influenced the future.
• Develop a variety of skills, including those of enquiry, interpretation, debate, problem solving, investigation and research.

Curriculum Implementation

• The history curriculum is sequenced and well-structured with clear end points. knowledge is built on overtime and learning is broken down into component parts to allow children to know and remember more.
• Pedagogical choices are designed to develop the practical, theoretical, and disciplinary knowledge intended in each lesson.
• Classroom activities are clear about what is to be learned (the curriculum object) and enable children to practise it.
• Teaching approaches take account of children’s level of expertise.
• When children learn historical skills for the first time, teachers make sure they have enough opportunities to practise.
• As children become more proficient in areas of practical knowledge, classroom activities become increasingly varied and open ended.
• Teachers’ direct children’s attention to the main concepts, themes, and ideas that they are exploring.
• Subject specific vocabulary is included in curriculum planning, so children acquire a visual language. This ‘language’ helps children to express a huge variety of ideas.
• When on educational visits or working with historians we ensure children have enough prior knowledge to make these experiences meaningful.
• Teachers make subject-specific adaptations to activities for children with SEND, where appropriate, instead of excessive adaptations to the curriculum or lowering expectations
• The curriculum allows time for children to develop socially, to learn how to negotiate and collaborate to bring expansive ideas to life.

Please click the links below to access the following documents for History:
History Policy
Long Term Plan
Knowledge and Skills Progression