Philosophy: |
At Thornhill Primary School, we strive to stimulate the children’s interest and understanding about how events in the past have influenced our lives today and subsequently, how they will affect the future. We believe that history should fire children’s curiosity about the past in Britain and the wider world and play an essential part in preparing children for living and working in the modern world. We make full use of the local area’s rich history and believe it is important that the children develop a deep understanding of the history of their locality. |
Intent: What we are trying to achieve through our curriculum… |
Our aim is for children develop a sense of chronology and through this, build a sense of identity and cultural understanding based on historical heritage. By doing this, they learn to value their own and other people’s cultures in modern multicultural Britain and the wider world. The history curriculum at Thornhill makes full use of resources within the immediate and wider local area enabling children to develop a deep understanding of the history of their locality. Children develop the skills of enquiry, analysis, interpretation, questioning and problem solving.
At Thornhill, we aim to teach history in an engaging manner through practical, hands on learning. We encourage our children to be inquisitive and to ask questions about the past. We focus on helping children understand that historical events can be interpreted in different ways and that they should ask searching questions. Developing an awareness of the past and chronology is an essential part of our history lessons at Thornhill as well as learning, understanding and using historical vocabulary. The skills gained in history lessons should equip pupils to consider and evaluate current world events and to predict the possible effects they may have on the future. |
Implementation: How our curriculum is delivered… |
We deliver high quality sessions throughout the school in order to ensure that our pupils gain an in-depth understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Historical understanding is developed in a range of ways, including exploring primary and secondary sources. In each year group, we give children the opportunity to visit sites of historical significance as well as encouraging visitors to come into school. For example, every year Key Stage Two visit either Eden Camp, Jorvik Centre, Beamish Museum or Binchester Roman Fort, which helps to progress the children’s knowledge and understanding of life during specific eras.
The National Curriculum is followed to ensure all aspects are covered across all year groups. In Key Stage One, history lessons are taught discretely to allow children to solely develop their historical understanding and key skills, including sequencing events and comparing sources. In our Key Stage Two classes, each class focuses upon a range of topics so that throughout their time in the juniors, they revisit key topics, such as the Vikings, every year. However, as they progress through Key Stage Two, the children will focus on a different aspect of the same topic in order to gain a holistic understanding of a particular era. For example: Year 3- Viking early raids and invasions, Year 4- Resistance by Alfred the Great, Year- 5 fall of the Roman empire and Viking/Anglo Saxon struggle for power and Year 6-Viking/Anglo Saxon struggle leading up to 1066. This helps to build upon prior knowledge and increases an in depth understanding of a particular topic. The children also focus on historical events in chronological order e.g. Year 3 Prehistory, Year 4 Stone Age, Year 5 Bronze Age and Year 6 Iron Age. By doing this, children develop their understanding of historical concepts and gain a deeper understanding of the important periods of history. The children have access to high quality texts linked to each topic. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) follows the ‘Development Matters in the EYFS’ guidance which aims for all children in Foundation Stage to have an ‘Understanding of the World; people and communities, the world’ including ‘making sense of their own life story and family history’ and ‘figures from the past’ by the end of Reception year. We use our key school documents to plan our History throughout the school: LTP / Progression of Knowledge & Skills / MTP / Short term plans. There is a focus on the following disciplinary skills: Chronological understanding
Interpretation and enquiry
Organisation and communication
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Impact: The difference our curriculum is making… |
Our reasoning for teaching history as outlined above is so that pupils:
· Develop a good understanding of chronology due to the order of teaching. · Are obtaining knowledge and skills in an appropriate sequence. · Have participated in high quality visits to further develop their historical knowledge (where applicable) · Retain prior learning and make connections between what they have learnt previously and what they are currently learning. · Are confident to discuss what they have learnt using subject specific vocabulary. · Are prepared for the next key stage due to learning through a progressive curriculum.
The impact is evidenced in high quality books, discussions with the children and through using assessment questions. Lesson observations and discussions with pupils show that children are confident and able to talk about what they have learnt in history using relevant vocabulary. Pupil voice also demonstrates that pupils are enthusiastic about history and are able to recall their learning over time. Visitors comment on our pupil’s understanding. The history books demonstrate that a broad and balanced curriculum is taught and that history is taught at an age appropriate standard across each year group with opportunities planned in for pupils working at greater depth. Work is of high quality and demonstrates pupils are acquiring knowledge, skills and vocabulary that is progressive across the school. |