INTENT – The History Curriculum
End of Key Stage outcomes are taken from ELG’s with a specific historical focus* as well as National Curriculum outcomes for the end of Key Stage. In order to make children’s progress develop on an upward trajectory, the objectives are split into targeted year groups. Furthermore, the history curriculum at our schools in bespoke to the children’s experiences and local history linked to the local area. The National Curriculum for History states that teaching should equip pupil’s to have an understanding of the history of Britain which will equip them for the wider world.
It is our aim for children to leave our schools as enthusiastic and competent historians who have a breadth and depth of understanding to equip them in their secondary education and beyond.
IMPLEMENTATION – Rationale
Our History curriculum is progressive. In Key Stage 1, children work on key historical enquiry skills – investigating people, places and events from the past. Careful planning ensures that these events, people and objects link closely to the children’s lives – for example investigating toys through time and linking to events still celebrated today because of their impact on British history such as Remembrance and Guy Fawkes Night.
Our curriculum is carefully structured, so, even with mixed age classes, children are taught at an appropriate level and knowledge and prior learning are recapped. Because of the way our curriculum is structured, children gain an understanding into the local area and local history as well as core curriculum aspects
Chronology should be at the heart of all history lessons. In some classes, due to the mixed-age nature, it is not possible to teach time periods chronologically. To counteract this, teachers place an importance of developing an understanding of chronology within all history lessons – ensuring children see links and are able to compare between periods studied. Indeed, each history session should begin with a chronology activity.
Children should be encouraged to engage ‘hands-on’ with history – through the use of artefacts, photographs, eyewitness accounts, visitors and visits to historical places of interest.
IMPACT
We aim for all of our children to leave us as historians- mirroring the National Curriculum aims that children leave us with a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain and the wider world. They should have a solid knowledge base which will stand them in good stead for future education. We aim to teach them about British history, world history and history of their local area through carefully progressive units. Crucially, we have created a bespoke curriculum which allows them to investigate history which is relevant to them now and, importantly, as adults of the future. Links drawn between subjects such as English, Geography and Computing allow children to demonstrate historical skills in other subject areas.