HISTORY
"History is who we are and why we are the way we are"
David McCullough
CURRICULUM
History is the study of past events. People know what happened in the past by looking at things from the past including sources (like books, newspapers, and letters) and artefacts (like pottery, tools, and human or animal remains.)
A historian needs:
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Thorough investigative and research skills
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Good communication skills
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An interest in human behaviour, culture and society
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An enquiring mind
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.
At Kingswood Primary School we aspire to give our children the skills and knowledge to be historians who are confident to question and enquire events of the past. We aim to celebrate children’s learning and create passion and excitement for investigating how the past has influenced the present. We ensure that throughout our teaching of historical events, an understanding of chronology is embedded through the use of timelines to show time as linear.
INTENT
The intent of our history curriculum is to develop the children’s knowledge of historical periods, events and significant individuals. We aim to progressively build on the children’s concepts of chronology, enabling them to make increasingly complex links between time and place. Our goal is to develop a creative, child-led way of assessing history. Children learn key facts and concepts alongside skills such as how to analyse and evaluate historical evidence, how to empathise with people from different eras and how to compare and contract life in different periods.
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.
IMPLEMENTATION
The teaching of history builds on the Early Learning Goals for Understanding the World within the EYFS.
Our history curriculum aims to give children a clear chronological understanding of the events in history through carefully planned units of work. We teach the National Curriculum, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression. In History, pupils find evidence, weigh it up and reach their own conclusion. To do this successfully, as historians, they need to be able to research, interpret evidence, including primary and secondary sources, and have the necessary skills to argue for their point of view.
The rationale behind the sequence of learning we have chosen is to enable our children to start their historical exploration through discrete subject teaching. In year 1 children think about significant people and events that have occurred within living memory. In year 2, they move on to widen that knowledge to events and people that were significant beyond living memory. When the children move to Year 3, they learn British history chronologically. At the end of Year 6 the children exceed the expectations of the National Curriculum by looking at how London has changed since Roman times.
Throughout the whole school the secondary order concepts are returned to so that children develop the substantive and disciplinary knowledge needed by historians.
Each new unit is taught and is signposted by the use of a new unit cover in the child’s learning across the curriculum book and an immersive activity to introduce the new topic of study. We aim for a high-quality history curriculum which inspires pupil’s a curiosity and fascination about Britain’s past and that of the wider world.
IMPACT
Our history curriculum will lead pupils to be enthusiastic historians, evidenced in a range of ways, including pupil voice and their work. Upon leaving Kingswood Primary School to embark on their journey to Key Stage 3 learning, children will be equipped with the skills, knowledge and understanding to confidently and critically follow a line of enquiry and select appropriate evidence from different sources to determine their own views an opinions.
Pupils have the opportunity to record their learning in a variety of ways, which is recorded within their books. Evidence of the learning is dependent on the lesson outcome; year group and the knowledge and skills being developed.
Subject leaders will conduct learning walks and pupil interviews to measure the impact of our teaching, based on how much children can remember..
Subject leaders will moderate the planning, work and monitoring outcomes from across the school to ensure that standards are meeting or exceeding the expectations of the National Curriculum.