History
History
Intent
We aim to deliver a high-quality History education with carefully chosen content, details and breadth to ensure pupils acquire a coherent knowledge and understanding of the past both in Britain and the wider ancient civilizations. Our projects, replacing the traditional ‘topics’, will be centred around a key question concept that will encourage the children to relate their knowledge to society today. Our history curriculum will encourage children to think and act like historians by learning how historians study the past and construct accounts of the past through specific examples. As with all subjects, each unit of study will have specific ‘sticky knowledge’ (the things we want the children to know or skills to be able to apply long term). These are guided by ‘Golden Threads’ that weave throughout all History learning and they are: Chronology (understanding key dates within British and ancient history) Similarities and Differences (noting trends, connections and contrast between periods) and Historical Figures (identifying those who shaped society today).
Implementation
The History curriculum begins in Reception where children begin to develop a sense of past and present in their immediate community. Children will develop a greater understanding of the world through exploring key concepts such as ‘Why is it good to be me?’, ‘How can we make the world a better place?’ and ‘How do we show kindness to people and places?’.
In Key Stage 1, pupils will begin to expand and develop their knowledge of the past. Projects will be delivered on a two-year cycle, where children are provided the opportunity to build on prior knowledge and develop a critical understanding of key historical concepts.
In Key Stage 2, children will access the History curriculum each week for an hour (or sometimes as a ‘blocked’ period where a half-term’s learning happens over two weeks if this will make a particular unit of study more effective). Children will develop disciplinary knowledge and are taught enquiry skills such as interpreting the past, asking and answering questions and reviewing and analysing sources of evidence.
Impact
Outcomes and understanding will be gauged from learner voice conferencing, quality of work produced and end of unit quizzes, along with ongoing formative assessment within and between lessons. Our Golden Threads will inform future planning to ensure children are given ample opportunities to build on prior learning and expand on their understanding of History.