History
The history curriculum is carefully mapped out so that all pupils leave primary school equipped with an understanding of the past that paves the way for their future. Throughout their journey in history, pupils will acquire a breadth of knowledge of places and people and significant events through time: locally, nationally, and internationally.
What is our approach to History?
Our history curriculum ensures that pupils not only have broad and strong substantive knowledge – a coherent picture of the past – but also understanding of the discipline of history. We want pupils to develop as scholars within the discipline of history – so pupils need to know how we arrived at established facts. Pupils need to understand something of the contested nature of history. Such disciplinary understanding is not only important in its own right, it also interacts powerfully with pupils’ building of rich, broad, secure substantive knowledge.
Success must be measured by the extent to which our children demonstrate our values alongside their knowledge acquisition, skillset, assessment performance and readiness for the next stage in their journey as responsible, global citizens and community champions. Pupils are given the opportunity to develop their ability to ask perceptive questions, work collaboratively, think critically, analyse evidence, examine arguments, develop judgement, communicate ideas, challenge themselves and understand differing perspectives making them true ‘ASPIRE’ history scholars. With clear historical perspective pupils will be empowered to be active global citizens and community champions: understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history, and between short- and long-term timescales.
What does our approach to History look like in the classroom?
The ‘Atwood Scholar’ is at the heart of our history curriculum. Teachers adapt lessons and provide enrichment opportunities to ensure children are enthusiastic to learn about the past. Each unit (and each lesson within the unit) is based around an enquiry question feeding children’s curiosity as well as developing their critical thinking and reflective learning as they consider possible solutions and points of view. Lessons involve a combination of class discussion, paired and group work before culminating in an independent activity where pupils are able to express their own thoughts and points of view.
In Key Stage 1, pupils develop their understanding of chronology, starting with a focus on continuity and change before moving on to significant events beyond living memory. Children further develop their chronological understanding through a deep dive into the lives of significant individuals.
In Key Stage 2 the History Curriculum divides into two main strands: a study of Britain’s past and a series of studies about Civilizations around the world and their influence on our lives today. When studying British History, time periods are taught chronologically starting with Settlers of the Stone, Bronze and Iron Age then exploring the significance and impact of invaders and settlers. Pupils then expand their chronological knowledge to significant events beyond 1066.
Although history is not taught formally in the early years foundation stage, the knowledge, skills and vocabulary built up in the ‘understanding the world’ area of learning, will enable them to access the content at key stage one.
History is essential in the education for mutual understanding and respect, which gives pupils an understanding of who lives in the UK today, of why we are here, and of what they as pupils can contribute. Through our curriculum, pupils will explore the origins of the UK and how different cultures have created the United Kingdom. They will begin to explore the history and legacy of Empire, slavery, extending the franchise and immigration, as well as the consequences of racial and religious intolerance and discrimination. This ensures our curriculum reflects the school and its locality, is relevant to our pupils, and is also enriching in their experience. Our curriculum has been adapted to allow children to explore and understand their own and others’ identities in order for pupils to construct their own interpretations of the world around them and their place within that world.
The disciplinary concepts we focus on in KS1 and KS2 are: DC1. Cause and Consequence; DC2. Continuity and Change; DC3. Similarity and Difference; DC4. Significance; DC5. Evidence; DC6. Interpretations
How do we measure success in History?
By building up a knowledge of substantive concepts, pupils are able to access increasingly complex material throughout the curriculum, which helps them to learn, understand and remember more. Pupils will have the opportunity to complete an ‘end of unit task’, either independently or with others, to apply the skills and knowledge they have garnered in that unit in answering an enquiry question. Following the unit, both substantive and disciplinary concepts are revisited time and time again in different contexts enabling children to make progress in the discipline of history
Evidence of impact is gathered and monitored through a variety of methods relating to Atwood Scholar themes:
- End of unit task
- Class observation
- Gathering of pupil voice data
- Book Looks to measure knowledge acquisition
Humanities Letter To Parents.pdf
Ark Atwood History Overview.docx
History Geography Parent Session.pdf
