History Vision
Aims
To help children understand their place in the world. They can understand that the whole of the present and future is based on the whole of the past. They learn from, and about, history.
Intent
The school sits within a contextually rich area of history: 1066 country. The history curriculum at Harbour Primary draws from and makes full use of the immediate and wider local area, enabling children to develop a deep understanding of the rich history of their locality.
Topics are informed by the national curriculum and are sensitive to children’s interests, as well as the context of the local area. The history curriculum at Harbour Primary is carefully planned and structured to ensure that current learning is linked to previous learning and that the school’s approaches are informed by current pedagogy. We will respond to any gaps identified in children’s learning.
In line with the national curriculum 2014, the curriculum at Harbour Primary School aims to ensure that all pupils:
- gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world which helps to stimulate pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past;
- are encouraged to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement through an enquiry-based approach, following a knowledge-based introduction;
- begin to understand people’s lives, the process of change and the diversity of societies;
- based on their own identity, understand relationships between different groups.
Implementation
There are three terms of history taught throughout each year, each building on the last, so that children achieve depth in their learning. The key knowledge, concepts, skills and vocabulary that children will acquire and develop have been mapped to ensure progression between year groups throughout the school.
At the beginning of each new history topic, teachers will elicit prior knowledge through activities such as mind maps or KWL grids, allowing them to address any gaps or misconceptions. Each topic will start with a reference to timelines (including previous years’ time periods) to develop children’s understanding of chronology and build on previous learning. Key knowledge is reviewed by the children and checked and consolidated by the teacher
Each lesson will begin with a low-stakes retrieval quiz. This may be a whole class sorting activity in EYFS or KS1, or a multiple-choice quiz in KS2. These are marked with the children to address any misconceptions immediately. Knowledge organisers are used to support these.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) follows the EYFS’ guidance which aims for all children in EYFS to have an ‘Understanding of the World’ by the end of the foundation stage.
By the end of year 2, children will have had the opportunity to understand where they are in history as well as studying significant individuals, events within living memory and events beyond living memory.
Children in key stage 2 will build on this with a chronological understanding of British history from the Stone Age to the present day. They will learn about local history, world history and the world’s ancient civilisations. They will learn to analyse historical evidence, draw comparisons and make connections between different time periods and their own lives.
The school’s own context is also considered, with opportunities for visits to places of historical interest and learning outside the classroom also identified and embedded in practice. Visits to the local area such as Newhaven Fort and Norman Church; the examination of artefacts; as well as the acquisition of key knowledge and systematic development of key skills.
Planning is informed by and aligned with the National Curriculum. In addition, staff have access to planning support, subject knowledge support and subject leader guidance. The history curriculum is designed to ensure appropriate diversity in the significant figures that children learn about. Teachers’ cater for the varying needs of all learners, differentiating the support needed to access learning, where necessary and as appropriate, and ensuring an appropriate level of challenge. Outcomes of work are regularly monitored to ensure that they reflect a sound understanding of the key identified knowledge.
Impact
Outcomes in Curriculum books evidence a broad and balanced history curriculum and demonstrate the children’s acquisition of identified key knowledge. They show a clear development of subject specific vocabulary.
Children build a chronological understanding of British and world history and understand their own place in the world. Emphasis is placed on analytical thinking and questioning and children demonstrate a coherent knowledge and understanding of the past and its effect on the wider world, in addition to being curious to know more about the past. Through this study, pupils ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, debate and sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement.
Regular heritage projects provide further relevant and contextual learning as well as interactions with engaging members of the community. Visits from positive role models from within the community (including the development of meaningful resources, which are shared nationally to support excellence on the teaching and learning of history) allow children to to make connections between their own experiences and those of the people around them.
There is a strong focus on discussion and children can use subject specific vocabulary to describe and explain their learning.
Vision and Progression
