History

History Overview

Intent

Our history curriculum enables our to pupils learn how historians study the past and use evidence to construct their accounts through reading, interpreting and analyses of historical sources. By studying these events they develop the ability to write like historians, and secure historical knowledge through repeated reference to and work with history within the chronological framework.

The topic and content choices are based on the context of our school and enables pupils to understand their shared past and have windows into topics unfamiliar to them, it also ensure that pupils understand their own identity and others' experiences in the world.

Implementation

Pupils from EYFS to Year 6 repeatedly learn through authentic examples building on the substantive knowledge the pupils have learnt in previous years. The knowledge that is gained is linked through authentic horizontal, vertical, and diagonal links across the school curriculum. 

Chronological knowledge is central to each unit and is referred to throughout to ensure that the pupils develop a coherent narrative about each period of history and its connection to other periods. This includes broad characteristics and general features, particular dates and events, and the broad developments that link to other periods they have studied or will study.

Through our curriculum, we develop the pupils’ knowledge about the past and their understanding about how historians investigate the past. Both the substantive and disciplinary knowledge are interwoven with each other to support the long-term retention of the pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Pupils have retrieval opportunities as starters for each lesson if needed.

Impact

We evaluate the impact of our teaching through assessment in class and through pupil voice. Teachers then evaluate if areas need to be re-visited based on these assessments or whether some pupils need consolidation or support.

Pupil voice at the end of each unit shows that pupils have acquired the requisite knowledge and can answer disciplinary knowledge questions using their substantive knowledge to support their explanations. Throughout the year, through effective monitoring by subject leaders, areas of development are identified and addressed.

Pupils demonstrate what they have learnt at the end of unit assessments, this summative assessment feeds into future unit planning. At the end of the year the curriculum design decisions are reviewed by the subject and senior leaders to establish if they need to be altered or remain the same.