History Intent
Through the History curriculum at Shillington Lower School, we try to inspire an inquisitive nature about the past within our children. We aim to develop an understanding of British History as well as key historical events from around the world. We develop the children’s understanding of chronology and a deeper understanding of the time periods studied. We study the local area and how this has changed over time. The children are given opportunities to examine, interpret and evaluate a range of sources to make deductions about the past. We encourage children to think critically about the past and ask historical questions. We compare aspects of life now to how people lived in the past. Within the History curriculum we cover British values by looking at themes of Tolerance, Mutual Respect, and Individual Liberty. We have themed days to help inspire enthusiasm in the children for example immersive Egyptian or Roman days and Remembrance celebrations. Through our curriculum we hope to inspire curiosity about the past and a passion for the subject of history.
The coverage of recent history in KS1 includes ‘Toys Past and Present’ and ‘What is Monarch’ which enables children to acquire an understanding of time, events and people in their memory and their parents’ and grandparents’ memories.
The intent in lower KS2 is that children can work in chronological order from ancient history. Some of the topics covered are ‘Stone Age’ and ‘Egyptians’.
History Implementation
History is taught in blocks throughout the year, so that children achieve depth in their learning. The key knowledge and skills that children acquire and develop throughout each block have been mapped to ensure progression between year groups throughout the school. At the beginning of each new history topic, teachers refer to classroom timelines to develop children’s understanding of chronology. Within lessons prior learning is always considered and opportunities for revision of facts and historical understanding are built into lessons. Through revisiting and consolidating skills, our lesson help children build on prior knowledge alongside introducing new skills and challenge.
Where appropriate we use historical artefacts, visitors, workshops, and visits to excite and intrigue our children to find out more about events and people from the past. We aim to give our children as much understanding as possible about what it was like to be around at a particular period in history by having practical and experiential lessons where possible. Through these lessons, we intend to inspire pupils to develop a love of history and see how it has shaped the world they live in.
History Impact
Through the high-quality teaching of History taking place, we will see the impact of the subject in different ways. Through pupil voice children will be able to talk about the skills and knowledge they have acquired. Children will be engaged in History lessons and want to find out more. Children will complete research independently through projects and homework and to further their own enjoyment about the subject or topic. Work will show that a range of topics are being covered, cross curricular links are made where possible and differentiated work set as appropriate. The school environment will be history rich through displays, resources, and vocabulary. Assessments and monitoring will show standards in History will be high and will match standards in other subject areas. As historians, children will learn lessons from history to influence the decisions they make in their lives in the future.