Intent
‘We are not makers of history. We are made by history’ (Martin Luther King Jr). Our History North Star is to inspire children to understand this quote; that they are a product of their history – locally, nationally, and globally – and instil a curiosity about the past. Our teaching will motivate children to ask critical questions to discover who they are, why the world is the way it is and understand how this continually impacts on their daily life and the world they live in. Our teaching will build on pupil’s prior knowledge from Key Stage One and provide them with opportunities to explore the past through a range of sources and evidence. Through high-quality teaching children will have an extensive base of Historical knowledge and vocabulary. Our History curriculum will equip pupils with a greater understanding of chronology of major periods of time in British History, from the earliest times to the present day. They will know how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world, comparing British History to significant aspects of the history of the wider world and ancient civilisations. Children will understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses. Finally, as children progress through our History curriculum they will understand the different 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.
Implementation
At Ashfield, History is taught as a discrete subject and lessons are planned with a clear progression across each year group. Key skills and knowledge have been broken down and allocated across different year groups to ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum. Our History curriculum builds on what children have learnt at our local infant feeder school. It has been carefully planned to ensure that children have a sound knowledge of history and that the History aims in National Curriculum are met. To support transition into our school, our first unit of work is learning about the history of Ashfield Junior School. This unit of work builds on what the children already know about the Victorians from our feeder school. Children in Year 3, then learn about the Stone and Bronze Age. In Year 4, children learn about the Iron Age and the Celts, Romans, the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. In Year 5, children learn about the Ancient Greeks and Egyptians. Year 6 learn about WW2 and the Mayan Civilisation.
To develop schema and so that children can make more links, our History curriculum is taught through overarching key concepts (listed below) and themed concepts including settlement, beliefs, civilisation, power, democracy and conflict. These themes have been carefully woven through our curriculum and provides opportunities for children to revisit concepts across KS2 so that they can make connections and links between different periods and key events in history.
Our curriculum has a clear progression of learning of skills and knowledge in each year group. Each unit of work will be introduced through an enquiry question which will provide our KS2 historians with a clear focus on what they will be learning about. These questions will be posed at the beginning of the unit of work and teachers will make links in previous learning in History. There is a sequence of learning for each History unit and progression of skills and knowledge across KS2.
Our History lessons will include:
– A progression of history knowledge
– Concepts and themes that will be revisited across KS2
– A clear sequence of learning for each unit
– Specific historical vocabulary for units of work and year group
– Develop historical skills
– Provide opportunities to reflect and build on prior learning
– Make links with other subjects in the curriculum
– Differentiated activities and/or adaptive teaching support (e.g., word maps, iPad and technology etc) for children with SEND
Overarching Key Concepts:
Similarities and differences, Cause and consequences, Continuity and Change, Significance, Chronology and Sequencing.
Clear themes derived from concepts, allowing children to develop connections between periods and key events
Invasion & Conflict, Settlement, Beliefs, Civilisations & Empire, Lifestyles
