History intent
Our aim at Courtney Primary School is to encourage pupils to develop an appreciation and understanding of the past, evaluating a range of primary and secondary sources. Our historians will also be able to explain clearly how these sources give us an insight about how people around the world used to live and how these interpretations may differ. Pupils will be taught to make links between these areas of learning, with the aim of developing engaged, motivated and curious learners that can reflect on the past and make meaningful links to the present day. Our History curriculum has been designed to cover all of the skills, knowledge and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum. The National Curriculum states that ‘a high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past.’
To ensure that pupils develop a secure and coherent knowledge, that they can build on, our History curriculum is organised into a progression model that outlines the following curriculum areas:
- Language about past
- Own lives
- People
- Chronology
And is to be taught in a sequentially coherent way. Chronological Understanding; Historical Understanding; Historical Enquiry; Interpretations of History; Organisation and Communication are all mapped out to ensure that pupils build on secure prior knowledge.
When covering each of these strands, the content will be carefully organised by each year group through a long-term plan. Content knowledge, vocabulary and skills will then be planned for at a greater level of detail in the medium-term plan. History is delivered through subject specific teaching organised into blocks under a theme. Meaningful links with other subjects is made to strengthen connections and understanding for pupils. The history units taught have been developed to help children appreciate their own identity and the challenges in their time. It will help them understand the process of change over time and significant developments.
History implementation
All learning will start by revisiting prior knowledge through a flashback. This is used to support children’s ability to recall previous learning and make connections. Following this, each lesson the children will engage with a flashback, which aims to recap 4 subject areas, through self-marking and then engaging with one section in detail. Teachers will model explicitly the subject-specific vocabulary, alongside explicit recognition of the skills they will use in that session in order to allow them to integrate new knowledge into larger concepts. To begin every new theme, the children will complete an entry card. The larger question will be broken down into small areas so the children are able to explicitly pinpoint the knowledge they have. Following the end of the topic, the children will complete the same sheet but as an exit card which displays the breadth of knowledge they have acquire over the course of learning.
Consistent learning walls in every classroom provide constant scaffolding for children. On the learning walls, teachers will display sophisticated vocabulary, in accordance with the medium-term planning, and will encourage children to use this through sentence stems through the lesson sequence. History, as part of humanities, is taught every other term. As part of this sequence of learning, we use flashbacks to review learning and check that children know more and remember more during the terms they do not engage with humanities learning. These require children to think deeply and recall facts from previous terms.
History assessment is ongoing throughout the relevant themes to inform teachers with their planning lesson activities, differentiation and flashbacks. Summative assessment is completed at the end of each topic where history objectives have been covered; an objective tracker is used to inform leaders of school improvements or skills that need to be further enhanced. Our historians will be given a variety of experiences both in and out of the classroom where appropriate to create memorable learning opportunities and to further support and develop their understanding.
History impact
At Courtney Primary, pupil voice shows that pupils are confident and able to talk about what they have learnt in history using subject specific vocabulary. They are able to explain the impact of flashbacks on their own learning and talk confidently about their growing knowledge. Pupil voice also demonstrates that pupils enjoy history and are able to more consistently explain the skills they need to be a historian. Pupils work demonstrates 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 good quality and demonstrates pupils are acquiring knowledge, skills and vocabulary in an appropriate sequence.
Early Years Foundation Stage
In the Early Year Foundation Stage, pupils will know some similarities and differences between things in the past and now, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class. Through working towards the Early Learning Goals, the children will:
- Talk about the lives of people around them and their roles in society.
- Understand the past through settings, characters and events encountered in books read in class and storytelling.
The children will learn through a combination of child initiated and adult directed activities presented with pictures, stories, artefacts and accounts from the past, explaining similarities and differences and explore the historical world around them and understand the important of history in their lives.
