History at Highfield J&I School
Intent:
At Highfield, our history curriculum aims to give children the knowledge of how periods, events and people from the past have impacted throughout time and shaped the world in which we live today. We want our children to have the appropriate knowledge of local, British and global history combined with the disciplinary knowledge that will enable them to understand what it means to be a historian. We hope to develop a sense of curiosity that enables children to ask and answer their own questions about the areas of history that they have covered.
Our curriculum is built on the national curriculum programmes of study whilst ensuring representation for our pupils. Our children will develop a good understanding of different periods of history, chronology, society, innovation and power. These threads weave their way through the curriculum, starting in Reception and culminating in Year 6. Our lessons are carefully planned and ensure that there is clear progression within and across year groups. Our curriculum encourages our children to question, explain, analyse, justify and interrogate through the learning experiences that they encounter. Our curriculum will provide children with the opportunity to consider what life was like for other people and to relate this to their own lives and lived experiences.
Implementation:
Teaching in History is delivered in a systematic and progressive way through the planned curriculum. Our History curriculum starts with children learning about the meaning of the past; key people and significant events that introduce them to some of the themes that they encounter as they progress through school. We enable children to make connections between what they have learnt and what they are learning and utilise retrieval practice to support with this.
Our children are presented with a range of learning opportunities and resources that enable them to develop the skills of being a historian. As with all curriculum areas, where appropriate, we endeavour to provide children with representation, ensuring that they see people like themselves but also people who represent the school and wider community. Lessons are focused with a key learning outcome for each lesson. The sequence of learning is carefully mapped to ensure that children are not overloaded with information. There is progression within a unit but also within and across year groups: this relates to substantive and disciplinary knowledge.
Throughout our curriculum, children will learn the following:
What life was like for others and how this may have impacted on life today
Knowledge and understanding of different periods in history – people, events and contexts
Ability to question, analyse and interrogate sources that they are presented with
Use of historical evidence to support their thinking
How to present their findings
Use of key historical vocabulary
Impact:
Children will speak positively about their learning in history and understand what it means to be a historian. Children will have developed the historical knowledge and skills to help them explore, navigate and draw links between the past and present day. They will have developed the appropriate skills and knowledge that will enable them to succeed in history beyond their time at Highfield. Our children will demonstrate that they understand how to question, analyse and respond, understanding that not everything that they encounter is an accurate depiction of events or people.
The impact of the curriculum is measured through:
- Pupil progress and achievement data
- Learning walks, book monitoring and pupil voice
- Pupil conferencing
- Readiness for the next stage in their learning