History
At Wigmore Primary School we understand that History fires pupil’s curiosity to ask questions and know more about Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Our history curriculum aims to help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. We aim to inspire our pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. History helps pupils to understand the process of change, the diversity of societies as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time. At Wigmore our curriculum will equip the children to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgment. It will also provide them with an understanding of chronology and that our world has been shaped by events which have happened in the past.
Intent
The EYFS Framework and National Curriculum for History aims to ensure that all pupils:
EYFS - ELG: Past and Present
- Talk about the lives of the people around them and their roles in society;
- Know some similarities and differences between things in the past and now, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class;
- Understand the past through settings, characters and events encountered in books read in class and storytelling
National Curriculum
- know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
- know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind
- gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’
- understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses
- understand the 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
- gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales
Planning and progression
- At Wigmore we follow the EYFS Framework and the National Curriculum and use Key Stage History to aid our planning and ensure coverage for different topics throughout the key stages.
- Long term planning is produced and reviewed on a yearly basis to ensure coverage and adapt to any changes to classes/structure of the school.
- Staff have contributed to the LTP by reviewing how much time is needed for each unit – for example Anglo Saxons and Vikings will need more than a half term so 9 weeks have been allocated to ensure sufficient coverage.
- Skills progression – ensures skills are reviewed and developed and the children are progressing.
- The medium-term plans (MTP) are updated each year to reflect previous teaching and ensure lessons are relevant. They also link to the learning pathway/ There are key questions for each lesson to aid structure and to develop a sequence to learning.
- MTPs have links to previous learning are highlighted to ensure children are developing long term memory by revisiting known knowledge.
- Key events are mentioned and identified in year group long term plans and themed events take place when required.
Implementation
Teaching and learning
- History lessons are taught and planned by individual class teachers and they use the Key Stage History website to aid planning and ensure key knowledge is covered.
- The lessons are delivered throughout the year for different amounts of time depending on the amount of knowledge to be covered – see long term plan.
- The subject of history can be linked with other subjects – art, geography, D.T etc where possible ensuring that this is developing key knowledge and contributing to information being stored in the long term memory.
- The lessons are taught in a variety of ways to allow children to experience different types of learning; these could include – art, drama, English, practical activities, using computers for research/presenting etc.
- At Wigmore we subscribe to Key Stage History – this aids planning and has resources which develop key skills such as enquiry and use of sources. Teachers use this as an aid to planning and resourcing lessons.
Wider learning
- Children experience history through trips and visitors into school which gives them a hands on experience.
- Reading is developed across the history topic through research, stories etc.
- Themed days and weeks are planned to celebrate important events e.g. art and history day, WW1 remembrance week
Extended writing – link to English lessons – cross curricular links to make learning more relevant for children and develop long term memory.