History

Intent:

A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.

Implementation:

Pupils study Humanities every term. Typically, two of the three terms in a year will be devoted to History while the remaining term is dedicated to Geography. History lessons are weekly, but the subject being studied is used as a context for learning in other subjects – for instance writing a story about Anglo-Saxons in English. Knowledge is taught, so that pupils build up a web of knowledge upon which further knowledge can be more easily placed. Knowledge from previous years is referenced in subsequent years so that pupils are able to spot trends across the ages. Specific themes are studied in each area of History studied; for example types of government, buildings, warfare, role of women, social hierarchies, art, technology. Furthermore, concepts and skills such as evidence, chronology, comparisons, and similarities and differences are built in to lessons to get children actively learning the subject and improving their thinking skills.

Long term plan:

Progression in Skills: Birth to Three  (Nursery 1) 3 to 4 Year Olds (Nursery 2) Children In Reception Understanding of the World: Make connections between the features of their family and other families.   Understanding of the World: Begin to make sense of their own life-story and family’s history. Understanding of the World: • Comment on images of familiar situations in the past. • Compare and contrast characters from stories, including figures from the past. • Talk about the lives of people around them and their roles in society. • Know some similarities and differences between things in the past and now, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class. • Understand the past through settings, characters and events encountered in books read in class and storytelling.
	Nursery	Reception	Year 1 H1-5	Year 2 H1-5	Year 3 H1-5	Year 4 H1-5	Year 5 H1-5	Year 6 H1-5
Autumn 1	Follow children’s interests	Follow children’s interests		Great Fire of London	Stone Age to Iron Age	Ancient Greece	Early Anglo-Saxons
Autumn 2								Medicine through the Ages
Spring 1			Great explorers		Ancient Egypt			WWII
Spring 2			We are Britain					Holocaust
Summer 1				Why are they famous?		Roman Empire		Late Anglo-Saxons (& Vikings)
Summer 2			Seaside	Changes within Technology			The Mayans

 

Impact

Assessments of learning are carried out in each lesson by the teacher. At the end of a unit, a final piece of work is to be completed which brings together the knowledge learnt throughout the term. Regular subject moderation takes place.

 

Website Links

BBC Bitesize History

Primary History Videos