History

• To help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of their country’s past and that of the wider world.

• To inspire pupils’ curiosity, leading them to ask relevant questions and think critically when searching for answers.

• To challenges pupils to view events from different perspectives, leading to greater empathy and understanding of events and situations.

• To engage pupils’ creative and critical thinking about change, both locally and globally, and the implications for the future.

Why is History important?

History is important because it helps pupils to understand and interpret the past, and therefore, the present.

Through history, pupils develop a deeper cross-cultural awareness and understanding of their own and others’ heritage, through looking at evidence and asking and answering questions.

In history, we can analyse successes and failures, which, in turn, teaches us to learn from our mistakes.

When is History taught?

History is taught through thematic units. The overview maps out which thematic units feature this subject and the Long-Term Plan clearly shows the objectives taught.

How is History taught?

History is taught through a combination of subject knowledge, historical skills, enquiry and fieldwork. Learning takes place both inside and outside the classroom. 

What do we learn about in History?

We learn about the following:-

Old Things

Wars (World Wars, Civil Wars)

The Ancient Greeks

The Inuits

Roman Empire and Invasions

Inventors e.g. Thomas Edison

The Mayans

The Benin

Famous historical figures

Broadcasting

Religions

Democracy

Transport

Extinction

Animation

Technology e.g. the Internet and World Wide Web

The Moon Landing

Significant local history figure / event

Apartheid / Anti-Semitism

Discovery of America / Native American Legacy

Who do we learn about in History?

We learn about the following individuals:-

Thomas Edison

Walt Disney

Mother Teresa

Neil Armstrong

Roman Emperors and rulers

Martin Luther-King

Nelson Mandela

Rosa Parks

Various World Leaders

Tim Berners-Lee

John Logie Baird

Steve Jobs

Carl Linnaeus

How do we assess and monitor History?

Assessment is an ongoing process in the classroom as teachers observe pupils’ oral and written responses. Opportunities for assessment exist in medium term plans and are built into all activities. When a new unit is introduced, the title and supporting materials are displayed to a class. Pupils use their existing knowledge to summarise what they already know about the topic and consider what will be taught. At the end of a unit pupils are encouraged to reflect on their learning against unit knowledge ladders. As a class, a theme review sheet will be completed.

The learning objectives and outcomes within each lesson offer teachers opportunities for checking progress. Consistency of judgment is ensured by using skills ladders and advice by the curriculum coordinators.

We use Kahoot quizzes to assess the retention of core knowledge within each theme.  Each and every cross-curricular theme we teach has accompanying subject-specific Kahoot quizzes to assess core knowledge.  Children love them as they fun, interactive and competitive!  We are able to repeat quizzes throughout the year, giving opportunity for children to recall and revise knowledge from previous themes and even previous year groups.  Kahoot provides teachers with detailed reports broken down by child and by question, so that planning can be adapted and opportunities provided to address gaps in knowledge.  The Kahoot quiz links are shared on the class website pages and emailed home to parents, providing further opportunity for practice.

We use a system called 'TrackZone' for teachers to make summative assessments against objectives taught within each theme. This provides the curriculum leads with useful information at class and whole-school level, allowing them to monitor patterns and trends and to provide support & challenge.

Parents are informed of curriculum coverage via the school website and the progress achieved by their child in the end of year report.