The leader for History is Mrs Caroline Williams.   

        The link governor for History is Rev. Bruce Johnson.

Intent

At Walton-on-Trent Primary School, we want our children to love History. We want them to have no limits to what their ambitions are and grow up inspired by history. Our aim is that, through the teaching of History, we stimulate all children’s interest and understanding about the life of people who lived in the past. We teach children a sense of chronology, in order to develop a sense of identity and a cultural understanding based on their historical heritage. This enables our children to learn to value their own and other people’s cultures in modern multicultural Britain. In History at our school, we will also give children opportunities to develop their skills of enquiry, investigation, analysis.

• For children to know and understand the history of the British Isles as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day; including how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world.
• To support children in understanding significant aspects of the history in the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies and the achievements and flaws of mankind.
• To encourage learning of and contextual use of key historical terms, including those that are abstract in their nature.
• To understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference, and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts and analyse trends.
• To build confidence in framing historically valid questions and children’s abilities to create their own structured accounts
• To allow children to 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
• To enable children to 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.
• All children no matter their needs will have access to the History curriculum, including SEND, and EYFS.

Some ‘overarching’ termly topics may be more history based, whereby much historical study is undertaken within a term. Historical and Geographical learning is balanced across the academic year, so that children gain breadth and depth of learning within both areas. Cultural capital gives our pupils the background required to be informed and thoughtful members of our community who understand and believe in values.

Implementation

In order to achieve the aims outlined above, History is organised into topics across the school following the National Curriculum. These topics are set out for each class from Curriculum Maestro and are used as a basis to help and support teacher planning, however teacher lesson design is not limited to. The teachers use creative and cross-curricular approaches as well as teaching the subjects independently. As we have mixed classes, we provide suitable learning for each year group this can be seen in our progression maps. Staff ensue they teach lessons engaging with indoor and outdoor learning this enable children to see different contexts and experience a broader choice of activities. Supporting their curiosity, critical thinking and enhancing their cultural capital. Through the year we aim to invite outside agencies in to support children’s learning in new ways and consolidate previous learning, e.g., a theatre company visit. Children will complete work in a range of ways to suit all learning needs, this will include working individually and in mixed ability groupings. Pupils study History for one hour per week for 3 terms across the school year.

Impact:

Within history we strive to support children in analytical thinking and questioning which helps pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Through this study, pupils learn to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, and develop perspective and judgement.

We use lesson observations and learning walks to check learning and expectations.  

Pupils’ attainment and progress is measured against the objectives set in the national curriculum and recorded by teachers using Classroom Monitor, this informs teachers, future activities, and parents.