History
Intent
At Beckermet Primary School we intend to deliver a history curriculum that will instil enthusiasm and a love of learning history. Our aims are to fulfil the requirements and beyond of the National Curriculum for history; providing a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum; ensuring the progressive development of historical concepts, knowledge and skills. Furthermore, we aim to inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about history that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world (The 2014 Primary National Curriculum in England).
History teaching at Beckermet Primary School has a wide application to everyday life, teaching the children to enjoy learning about the past and to have a better understanding of the society in which they live.
We intend to:
- To inspire pupils’ curiosity to discover more about the past and to develop an understanding that enables them to enjoy all that history has to offer;
- To enable children to know about significant events in British history and to appreciate how things have changed over time; for children to see history as something to learn from and that has shaped the present
- To develop a sense of chronology ;making links between periods and people in history
- To understand how Britain is part of a wider European culture and to study some aspects of European history;
- To have a knowledge and understanding of historical development in the wider world;
- To help children understand society and their place within it, so that they develop a sense of their cultural heritage
- To develop in children the skills of enquiry, investigation, analysis, evaluation, debate, interpretation, problem solving and presentation
Implementation
To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in history, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school focusing on knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum, with cross-curricular learning intertwined where appropriate. At Beckermet Primary School, we ensure that history has the same importance given to it as the core subjects.
The history curriculum at Beckermet Primary School is based upon the 2014 Primary National Curriculum in England and we are initiating the use of Rising Stars in the Spring 2022, which provides a broad framework and outlines the knowledge and skills and taught in each Key Stage. Teachers plan lessons for their class using the progression of knowledge and skills document. Teachers can use this document to plan their history lessons suitable to their class’s interests and what they want to learn. The progression document ensures the curriculum is covered and the skills/knowledge taught is progressive from year group to year group. Revisiting prior knowledge and links/comparisons to other historical periods/people/events are made within topics as well as a focus on chronology. Timelines are used to help children’s understanding of chronology.
When teaching history the teachers should follow the children’s interests to ensure their learning is engaging, broad and balanced. History teaching focuses on enabling children to think as critically. A variety of teaching approaches are used based on the teacher’s judgement. Use of quality resources as well as the development of a topic learning wall enhance children’s historical learning.
History provides excellent opportunities to enhance the learning of more able pupils through the investigations, analysing sources and writing extending pieces. These children will be selected for appropriate enrichment opportunities throughout the year.
Educational visits are another opportunity for the teachers to plan for additional history learning outside the classroom, making use of our local area including visitors to school.
Knowledge organisers are used to aid the learning of key knowledge.
EYFS
The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum supports children’s understanding of History through the planning and teaching of ‘Understanding the World’. This aspect is about how children find out about past and present events in their own lives, their families and other people they know. Children are encouraged to develop a sense of change over time and are given opportunities to differentiate between past and present by observing routines throughout the day, growing plants, observing the passing of seasons and time and looking at photographs of their life and of others. Staff encourage investigative behaviour and ask questions such as, ‘What do you think?', ‘Tell me more about?', 'What will happen if..?', ‘What else could we try?', ‘What could it be used for?' and ‘How might it work?' Use of language relating to time is used in daily routines and conversations with children for example, ‘yesterday', ‘old', ‘past', ‘now' and ‘then'.
Impact
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By the end of their primary education, we are confident that all pupils will have developed a greater understanding of themselves, the local area they grew up in and their belonging within our modern day society. Drawing upon their cumulative knowledge and constructed understanding of the past, our pupils will have an understanding of the complexities of people’s lives, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups as well as the challenges of their time. We aim that all our children have developed the confidence and skills to think critically, make reasoned, logical judgements in their future based on evidence and never be afraid to contest, challenge and question new knowledge presented to them. Upon leaving Beckermet Primary School, we hope that our pupils recognise the significance of the people, places and events that shaped them into who they are today. The impact of our curriculum is measured through (but not limited to) the following methods: Assessing children’s understanding of topic linked vocabulary before and after the unit is taught. · Levels of pupil engagement with the subject. Are our children enthusiastic about History? · How do our children discuss their learning in history? Can they recall key knowledge? · Work produced by our children · Collaboration with cluster schools during subject cluster meetings · Moderation staff meetings where pupil’s books are scrutinised and there is the opportunity for a dialogue between teachers to understand their class’s work. · Subject leader book scrutiny, pupil interviews on learning, observations · Annual reporting of standards across the curriculum. · Marking of written work in books.
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Click here to view the Primary National Curriculum for History.
Click here to view the EYFS framework document.
Click here to view a progression of skills for History.
