Aims and Objectives

Through our teaching of history, we aim to ensure that pupils:

· know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world

· know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind

· gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’

· understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses

· understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed

· gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales

Taken from the National Curriculum for History, September 2014

Approaches

History topics are developed in planning meetings within each year group and planned in accordance with the Cornerstones curriculum document. Where appropriate, cross-curricular links are made with other subject areas to make learning more meaningful. 

History lessons should be delivered in an exciting way, which includes; analysing sources of evidence including artefacts; visiting places of historical interest; talking to people through personal experiences or visitors to the school; ICT; drama; posters; letter writing, and Memorable Experiences. Where there is no written evidence, learning can be recorded through photographs, video etc. Pupils are encouraged to ask and answer their own historical questions.

Teacher assessments are recorded after each lesson to track progression termly, and then given to parents within the end-of-year reports. All pupils are entitled to access the history curriculum at a level appropriate to their needs arising from race, gender, ability or disability.

Topics Covered 

Throughout the year, many topics covered within year groups have a History focus. These are:

Childhood History (Y1)

School Days History (Y1)

Movers and Shakers (Y2)

Magnificent Monarchs (Y2)

Through the Ages (Y3)

Emperors and Empires (Y3)

Invasion (Y4)

Ancient Civilsations (Y4)

Dynamic Dynasties (Y5)

Groundbreaking Greeks (Y5)

Maafa (Y6)

Britain at War (Y6)

Other topics covered will also meet History objectives within their cross-curricular links.