History

Purpose of study

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, and 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.

Aims

The national curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils: 

know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world 
know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind 
gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’ 
understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses 
understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed 
gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

Intent (What we want to do)

The National Curriculum for history states that ‘high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world’. Through our curriculum design we hope to inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. We aim to equip children with the skills to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgment.

The National Curriculum Aims are:

To know and understand British History from the earliest times to present day. •To know and understand how people’s lives have shaped the nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world.
To know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world
To gain and use a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’.
To understand historical disciplinary concepts such as change and continuity, causation, similarity and difference, significance, interpretation and chronology and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses.
To understand the methods of historical enquiry and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed.
To gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

We aim to inspire curiosity in children about the past. Our curriculum teaches children the historical knowledge and transferrable skills to become analytical thinkers, tolerant individuals and confident communicators who are curious about the past. Our teaching is in line with the national curriculum, which aims to ensure that all pupils gain an understanding of British history and a knowledge of the wider world, can understand historical terms and disciplinary concepts and can make connections between different peoples and cultures. We also want to ensure that our children practise historical skills to investigate the past and to write analytically, as a Historian would. We ensure all children have access to the History curriculum through quality-first, inclusive teaching and, minimise and where possible remove, any barriers to pupils participating in all History learning.

Summary

A progressive curriculum rooted in the National Curriculum.
An enquiry-based approach to learning is planned for and delivered.

Implementation (How we will do it)

In EYFS, children begin to develop an understanding of what ‘the past’ is and the difference between the present and the past.

How do things change over time? Children explore their personal history, thinking about how they have changed from birth to starting school. They will begin to think about their own life story and family history. Children then explore the age of dinosaurs and the history of toys.
Cycle A - Who Lives in a House Like This? Using stories and books children will compare and contrast characters including figures from the past. After exploring different types of homes and materials children explore castles and what life was like living in a castle. As a result, children will be able to comment on images of familiar situations from the past.
Cycle B – Would you like to be a pirate or a mermaid? Using stories and books children will compare and contrast characters including figures from the past. Children have the opportunity to explore what life was like as a pirate and what it was like living on a pirate ships As a result, children will be able to comment on images of familiar situations from the past

In KS1, children deepen their awareness of the past, learning about a key historical event and a Historically Significant Individual. Pupils will develop an awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time. They will know where the people and events fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods. They will use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms. They will ask and answer questions, choose and use parts of stories and other sources to show that they know and understand key features of events. They will understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.

The Great Fire of London (Year 1)
Florence Nightingale (Year 2)

In KS2 each year group studies a different period of history; some of which focus on British History and others on the history of the wider world, including ancient civilisations. Pupils will continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history. They will note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms.

They will regularly address and devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance. They will construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information. They will understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.

The Stone Age – The Iron Age & The Ancient Maya (Year 3)
The Ancient Egyptians and the Ancient Greeks (Year 4)
The Romans, Anglo Saxons and The Vikings (Year 5)
The Victorians and WW2 (Year 6)

Underpinning our history curriculum is substantive knowledge. These are the key facts about a historical period that children must learn, for example, key dates and events. This historical knowledge is taught through exploring disciplinary knowledge, which are key historical concepts. History lessons are explicitly linked to exploring these concepts. There are six key historical concepts which are chronology, similarity and difference, continuity and change, causation, significance and interpretation

We take an enquiry-based approach to every lesson, which all starts with an enquiry question. To answer the question, children have to use historical skills. There are 3 key historical skills that children use to explore the past, which are historical enquiry, using evidence, communicating about the past.

Children are also exposed to historical language which is revisited regularly during retrieval practice to ensure that children retain an understanding of key historical terms. Each Historical period of study has vocabulary which the children will be introduced to and taught the meaning of. Children have opportunities to explore the vocabulary and further understand its meaning in context. Each History lesson begins with retrieval practice delivered through vocabulary. Children will be asked about vocabulary from previous years learning and their current topic. They will be asked to explain the vocabulary and a series of discussions will take place leading on from the specific vocabulary.

Quality first teaching in geography includes reasonable adjustments, scaffolds and adaptations to ensure all children can access learning and included opportunities to express their learning in a variety of ways.

Summary

Clear content sequencing, progression maps and planned opportunities for retrieval are used in History to set out the knowledge to be taught and remembered.
Carefully structured and engaging lessons planned within a logical and progressive sequence which are used to promote greater learning.
Knowledge is built during each topic with planned opportunities to develop disciplinary, substantive and procedural knowledge, further enhanced through visits and opportunities to engage with the wider community and outside agencies.
Regular opportunities for the children to retrieve prior knowledge from their year group or previous year groups, whilst also making connections and thinking more deeply.
Ongoing formative assessment to inform teaching leading to summative judgments at key points throughout the year as well as key points throughout key stages.

Impact (What impact will it have?)

Our history curriculum ensures pupils gain knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world through stimulating an interest in understanding the lives of people and helping children cultivate their sense of identity. We are confident that our history lessons deliver the knowledge to enable children to function as well-informed individuals who can engage with different aspects of society and in the modern world. Our children are equipped to thrive in the next stage of their history education at secondary school and beyond. Children have the opportunity to show that they know and understand the vocabulary they have been taught when they engage in pupil voice and when they produce a piece of Historical writing within their unit of work. Pupils with SEND make good progress in History. When expected progress is not made, plans are put in place to address this and allow for accelerated progress through additional provision in class, external agency support and family discussions.

Pupils’ learning over time, reflects the intended curriculum. We ensure the pupils know more and can do more throughout History building year on year.

Summary

The climate for learning which can be seen around school.
Children can confidently articulate their learning.
Through pupil voice and understanding the impact the curriculum has had on learners.
Knowledge gain evidenced in books during a topic.
Formative and Summative assessments are made regularly.
Assessments made using school progression maps.
The children learn in line with or above national expectations.