Intent
We believe that historical skills and knowledge are essential components to a broad and balanced curriculum. The history curriculum is structured to allow students to explore, gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain's past and that of the wider world.
Implementation
The curriculum is designed for all children to succeed, building upon skills and knowledge learned at KS1 and Lower KS2, with a hands-on approach through regular investigative work. We aim to inspire curiosity, to know more about the past in a variety of innovative ways, such as: using a wide range of resources, visiting our local surrounding area and cross curricular links within other subjects. This, in turn, builds a solid foundation to move onto KS3, inspiring them to become life-long learners.
In this subject, we aim to teach history as a contemporary and dynamic subject, where topics are taught not only as discrete lessons but in a cross-curricular manner. As a department, we strive to use a variety of teaching and learning methods to bring history alive. Children are encouraged to complete long term art projects, handle historical artefacts, research projects and presentations, evaluating both primary and secondary sources, opportunities for independent study allowing pupils to research and analyse the importance of a historical period.
The curriculum focuses on three key areas: historical enquiry, chronological understanding and communication. Children, in history, enjoy both exploring historical content, but also building on key historical skills such as analysing both primary and secondary material, evaluating evidence, understanding of source provenance, in addition to the key skills of chronological understanding and historical enquiry. Historical topics across KS2 include: The Mayans, The Romans, The Quayside, The Anglo-Saxons and WWII (Battle of Britain) including Post Britain 1948. Historical topics across KS3 include: Key Skills, Medieval England (Battle of Hastings), How William kept control of England, religion, medieval life, the plague, Renaissance, The Tudors, The Stuarts and slavery and Native America.
Impact
The children are exposed to a wide variety of extra-curricular opportunities such as educational visits and whole topic days. More able pupils are offered additional enrichment sessions where skills are developed further through independent enquiry. Children are making progress in key areas such as building upon their enquiry skills, when analysing primary and secondary sources and evaluating evidence – pupils will be expected to use key writing skills when explaining key points. The curriculum is designed to help develop pupils' historical thinking throughout both key stages whilst still encouraging a love for learning – enabling them to transfer these skills to KS4.