History

History is an excellent way to help our learners understand the things that have happened in the past, and consider how these events have shaped the present. We would like our pupils to continue their journey through their learning as historians, researching lines of enquiry and eventually asking their own questions in order to find reasoned answers that will broaden their historical knowledge. The history curriculum produces inquisitive children who reflect on and evaluate the past in order to understand how it influences the future. 

History is learned through five key concepts: chronological understanding, knowledge and understanding of past events, interpreting history, historical enquiry and organisation and communication.

Chronological understanding encourages pupils to learn to sequence events in history.  Learners will also acquire knowledge and understanding of past events, for example, significant people and the changes that occurred in a given era.  Interpreting history will provide the children with various opportunities to use a range of sources to investigate the past, thinking specifically about where the evidence has come from, who wrote it and for what audience. Using the key concept of historical enquiry encourages the learners to ask questions about the past and find the answers. The organisation and communication of the children’s developing knowledge is also a focus. They are supported to acquire key vocabulary so that they can express themselves clearly and articulately.

Pupils are given plentiful opportunities in lessons to work collaboratively to discuss and debate topics. Pupils are also encouraged to participate in drama-based activities to strengthen their understanding.  All learners are enabled to achieve due to the variety of methods of enquiry, research and discussion. We assess the children’s developing knowledge regularly through recapping on prior learning and allowing them to respond to their findings in a variety of ways, such as through timelines, drawings, diagrams and empathic written responses. At the end of each unit, all children are given the opportunity to prresent their learning in an independent, creative piece of work.