St John the Evangelist Catholic Primary School

History

Intent

At St John’s we believe that all students deserve access to a broad and highly engaging History curriculum that engenders a love of learning of the past, both local and the world, differentiated to suit children with SEND, EAL, PP and GD. We aim to deliver a curriculum that is both rich in skills and knowledge and allows all our children to become independent thinkers with enquiring minds who understand the events that have gone before us which have created the world that we live in today. They will also have a secure sense of their own personal History and the ability to change the world in the future.

Implementation

In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in History, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. We foster in all our children an enquiring mind and a genuine love of the past. Through careful planning, we ensure that knowledge and skills are developed progressively, giving children a sound understanding of historical events and chronology. We nurture children's understanding about Britain's past whilst introducing them to the History of the wider world.

In KS1, children discover how toys have changed within living memory. They will increase their knowledge and vocabulary of everyday historical terms and be able to explain how we can find out about the past. By studying a significant local person, pupils will develop their enquiry skills, asking questions about the past and gaining a greater historical awareness of their local area.

In LKS2, children continue to build on their understanding of the chronology of significant historical periods and events. Children will study periods in History on a timeline from the Stone Age to the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In UKS2, pupils will study ancient civilisations including the Egyptians and Mayans and study British history, extending beyond 1066, including the Tudors and World Wars.

History is taught through 5 topics to ensure that children build an in-depth knowledge about a particular period in History and understand how aspects of life have changed through time. We focus closely on the knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum, linking to many other areas including, English, Music, Art, DT and ICT.

We want out children to be fully immersed in the subject and develop their own passion for History through engaging, well-resourced lessons. Children will be able to have a true connection to the past from looking at artefacts from the period and experiencing educational visits and visitors. They will understand the wealth of their own family and local History, and they will play their part in the History of the world.

Impact

At the end of KS2, the children will have gained a secure understanding of their place in the world and that we are making history as each day passes. They will:

Have a secure subject knowledge of Historical events, people and contexts of the Historical periods that are covered.
Have a wide and varied vocabulary and be able to make links across the many areas of History covered. For example, knowing that Celtic Tribes had a chief in their society. Asking questions like 'I wonder if a chief is a bit like a king?' 'Is a Chief like a Pharaoh?' and promoting debate and discussion.
They will have a clear chronology of Historical events and people, not seeing parts of History as stand-alone events but managing to like those periods of time and events together and understand how they are interconnected.
The children will be able to show their interest and enthusiasm for the subject, developing their enquiry and investigative skills opening doorways into the past and being able to evaluate and discuss a range of historical evidence.
The children will be confident in presenting and debating their ideas and thoughts and show a greater understanding of how and why people can represent the past in different ways.
Be able to use a range of primary and secondary sources to inform their decisions and thoughts. Be able to identify how reliable a historical source might be.
Be able to talk confidently about an area of their local History. Understand how the lives of people that have gone before us have influenced our lives and will continue to influence.
Have gained a genuine interest and love of the subject from the exciting learning opportunities they have experiences. Seeing and being able to hold artefacts from the relevant historical period. Having that true connection with the past and wanting to discover the back story to an object/s.
Be fully prepared to continue their journey into KS3 with enquiring and investigative minds. The children will have a secure foundation of knowledge and skills to build upon. Knowing their place in the History of the world and making History each day as they go through life.