History Curriculum

Statement of Intent: History:

History aims to help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world and inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. We strive to give our pupil’s enjoyment of History lessons taught discretely and also through Cross Curricular links.

Through the teaching of History, St Joseph and St Teresa Catholic Primary School it is our intention to:

•             To develop an understanding of British history and that of the wider world.

•             Help pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups.

•             We work to develop an understanding of chronology as well as a knowledge and understanding of how the local area has changed over time.

•             The children are given the opportunity to examine, interpret and evaluate a variety of sources in order to make deductions about the past. They are taught to think and behave as historians and archaeologists.

•             The children are also encouraged to pose their own historical questions. We investigate how and why the world has changed as well as what we can learn from the past to make the future a better place.

•             Weave British Values into the History curriculum promoting values such as Mutual Respect, Tolerance and Individual Liberty. Themed days such as Black History, Remembrance and Significant Women promote such values. Themed days, visitors and school visits are used within the History curriculum to develop a deeper understanding of the time periods studied and to inspire the children so that they have a lifelong love of History.

•             To ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement.

Statement of Implementation: History

History at St Joseph and St Teresa Catholic Primary School is taught in blocks throughout the year, so that children achieve depth in their learning. The Whole School Curriculum maps are used throughout the school to ensure progression between year groups throughout the school. These are on a two year rolling programme.

At the beginning of each new history topic, teachers refer to classroom timelines to develop children’s understanding of chronology. Key knowledge is reviewed by the children and rigorously checked and consolidated by the teacher. By the end of year 6, children will have a chronological understanding of British history from the Stone Age to the present day. They are able to draw comparisons and make connections between different time periods and their own lives. Interlinked with this are studies of world history, such as the ancient civilisations of Greece, Egyptians and Romans.

Cross curricular outcomes in history are specifically planned for and embedded to ensure purposeful learning links. The school’s own context is also considered, with opportunities for visits to places of historical interest and learning outside the classroom also identified and embedded in practice. Visits to the local area and use of local artefacts, such as the use of maps and photographs of bomb damage to the local area in WWII, also support contextualised learning, as well as the acquisition of key knowledge and systematic development of key skills.

Planning is informed by and aligned with the National Curriculum. In addition, staff have an awareness of other planning and learning resources available. The history curriculum is designed to ensure appropriate diversity in the significant figures that children learn about. Teachers’ cater for the varying needs of all learners, in line with our school inclusivity and teaching and learning policies, differentiating activities where necessary and as appropriate, and ensuring an appropriate level of challenge. Outcomes of work are regularly monitored to ensure that they reflect a sound understanding of the key identified knowledge.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) follows the ‘Development Matters in the EYFS’ guidance which aims for all children in reception to have an ‘Understanding of the World; people and communities, the world and technology’ by the end of the academic year.