'I love History because we get to learn about life before we were even born and it’s interesting to see how life has changed and developed.'  Louie, Year 4

Intent

History at St John’s excites, inspires and challenges our children while preparing them for the next phase of education. A rich and well-planned curriculum allows children to develop knowledge and skills within the teaching of key historical themes developed across school. The curriculum has been designed to consider the skills and knowledge that children will develop throughout each history topic; these are mapped across each year group and are progressive throughout the school. The links between topics across year groups also allow for generative knowledge to be developed while pupils develop their disciplinary knowledge as historians. The links between topics in year groups and links between themes across school ensures a curriculum with a strong framework so that children know more, remember more and understand more. We have designed a curriculum that will allow all children to develop their interest of the past, arousing their curiosity and motivation to learn. Our intention is that all students will develop a well-rounded, deep knowledge of the past and its events, with the aim to improve every student’s cultural capital and understanding of world, including their local history.

Implementation 

History is taught through a series of well-planned topics, which allow the children to develop the skills needed to be a historian. Carefully planned, engaging enquiries allow them to develop confidence with enquiry, analysis, evaluation and argument. Children develop their enquiry skills so they are able to ask carefully considered questions before making hypotheses. They are taught how they can use sources of evidence to find out about the past whilst recognising that interpretations in History may differ. The children are introduced to relevant, progressive historical vocabulary which is built upon over time. Chronology is taught explicitly and with intent at the beginning of each topic, starting in EYFS and children learn how events in the past have influenced the present. The history curriculum allows children build on knowledge over time allowing them to retain prior-learning and explicitly make connections between what they have previously learned and what they are currently learning. Teachers enable children to discover links across periods of world, ancient, British and local history. They plan for high-quality experiences to further develop hinterland knowledge. Instant intervention occurs as teachers formatively assess each child during their history lessons and intervene at the first instance in order to address any misconceptions the children may have.

Units of work are blocked within timetables to allow the children to develop a deep understanding of a time period, which is referred back to later in the term.

Impact

We assess the impact of our history curriculum through careful teacher assessment and analysis of this by the subject leader. Staff use a range of assessment tools to gauge a clear understanding of the children’s abilities. These include observations and pupil voice, recordings and videos of pupils’ discussions, floor books evidence, retrieval quizzes and written evidence in topic books. This ensures that all children are assessed fairly, regardless of any disadvantages and potential barriers. The history subject leader is assured of the accuracy of these judgements through moderations, professional dialogue with staff, observation of teaching and pupil voice. Outcomes in topic and enquiry books highlight a knowledge-rich history curriculum and showcase children’s growing understanding across the key stages of the identified historical strands.

By the end of Key Stage 2, every child should have the skills, knowledge and experiences necessary in order to explore the past and learn from it. Children will have a rich knowledge of historical events that have shaped the world that they currently live in as well as having an understanding of history on a local level. They will be able to comment on the past in a critical and analytical way, making informed and balanced judgements. They will have knowledge of diverse careers linked to history and will have a growing passion to explore these roles in the future.