Intent

At Murdishaw West we aim to provide an exciting, engaging, progressive History curriculum that provides children with a clear chronological narrative of the History of Britain and the wider world. We want to encourage the children to develop an interest in the past and an understanding that enables them to enjoy all that History has to offer. Our History curriculum will enable children to develop a context for their growing sense of identity. Children will be taught how events in the past have influenced and shaped our lives today and gain an appreciation for previous generations. By encouraging children’s natural curiosity and providing them with opportunities to form and ask their own questions, we aim to develop in children the skills of enquiry, investigation, analysis, evaluation and presentation. We will use the National Curriculum History Guidelines as the basis for our planning and we will make meaningful links with our understanding of the children we teach. Through learning about a variety of eras, events and key individuals the children will deepen their understanding of the journey of human kind, including achievements and follies.

 

Implementation

Each year group will have 3 History topics across the school year. Each unit has a curriculum overview detailing the knowledge and skills to be taught and a knowledge organiser showing the expected key knowledge to be covered. History will be taught at least once a week. History will be taught allowing children to learn, practise and develop skills of; chronology, collecting and analysing evidence, presenting and communicating learning and evaluating, within planned history lessons. Historical vocabulary will be a key factor in all lessons. Children will be taught historical language relating to their given time period, key event or significant person as well as the historical vocabulary needed to understand and discuss the subject and will be able to use this within their work. Throughout the year there will be some assemblies that focus on History. These assemblies may be linked to Historical themes, events or people which are not covered in our curriculum, therefore enriching the children’s Historical knowledge through exposure to a range of subjects. There will be the opportunity for the children to attend trips and interact with visitors who will bring History to life. The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum supports children’s understanding of History through the planning and teaching of ‘Understanding the World’. This aspect is about how children find out about past and present events in their own lives, their families and other people they know. In KS1 the children will begin by learning about their own personal history, key people and events. In Key Stage Two the children will be taught about the eras identified in the National Curriculum. The History topics in years 3, 4 and 5 will be taught on a three-year cycle. This will ensure that children do not miss out on learning about key historical eras. At the start of each topic children will place the era they are learning about on a timeline at the front of their history book enabling them to develop a good understanding of how events in time relate to each other. Children will be taught using an enquiry approach that encourages them to ask questions and seek answers and understanding. Each topic will begin with an opportunity for the children to recall the prior learning that the topic will build upon. At the end of a topic the children will be given the opportunity to show what they have learnt. Across the school children will be given regular opportunities to review and retrieve previous learning, including but not limited to the use of retrieval grids each morning. Cross curricular approaches will be used, where appropriate, including the use of ICT to enhance, and to present, pupils learning. The method of teaching History will include a combination of mixed ability group work and independent activities where pupils are encouraged to explore and communicate their findings in a variety of ways. Planned lessons will be tailored, as far as possible, to meet the individual needs of pupils. Key attitudes and values towards the subject will be developed to encourage a general awareness of social issues both past and present and to allow children to understand how we learn and develop from our past. Subject leaders will conduct pupil voice interviews surrounding children’s knowledge and understanding and any areas of improvement will be fed back to staff to ensure progress for learning. Each classroom in the school will have a timeline of display showing the events and periods covered during the previous years. New events and periods will be added to the timeline as children encounter them during the course of their learning. All children will also have a timeline in the front of their History book showing previous events and periods studied which can be added to throughout the year. 

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Impact

The impact of this will be that the children make good progress for the EYFS through to Year 6. Through learning about the local and world history the children will understand how different aspects of life today have been influenced by many civilisations. Children will develop their understanding of the British Values of Tolerance and Respect through learning about different cultures and their achievements. This will be evidenced through the pupils work and pupil voice. Children will gain a depth of knowledge and understanding of time periods that have been studied and will have the opportunity to apply this knowledge within other areas of learning. Children will develop skills across the curriculum through historical experiences and they will be encouraged to be enthusiastic towards the subject as they develop their own areas of interest and study. Teachers will be aware of where the learning is at and will strive to improve all children’s level of work within the subject.

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