Our vision for History
Our young historians will gain a deep, well-rounded and chronologically coherent understanding of local, national and internationally significant periods, events and historical aspects during our two-year rolling programme. Our pupils will leave us feeling inspired and curious to find out even more. We will support our pupils to do this by building awareness of both their own heritage and that of the wider world, and by equipping them with the essential historical skills that can be used and applied across all domains of history in future learning.
We will deliver an ambitious, motivating and knowledge-rich curriculum that:
- Is underpinned by our EARTH values of Empathy, Achievement, Resilience, Team-work and Healthy living;
- Gives pupils a deep chronological understanding of the UK and Halifax, including its interactions with the wider world;
- Exposes pupils to significant ancient civilisations, empires and non-European societies;
- Draws connections between different aspects of local, regional, national and international history;
- Develops a wide and deep historical vocabulary;
- Uses and applies important concepts and skills such as cause and effect, similarity and difference, chronology and interpretation of different historical sources;
- Allows pupils to understand methods of historical enquiry and develop critical thinking.
How History is planned and taught
This process of knowledge acquisition begins in Key Stage 1 with a focus on the local history of The Victorians and Copley Village. Learning about the immediate world around them is the ideal foundation for later composite learning in Key Stage 2. Pupils also study the example of Florence Nightingale as being a significant individual from the past who has contributed to national achievements by being the founder of modern nursing. This component learning is undertaken whilst pupil also build their historical vocabulary and slowly enrich their chronological schema. Pupils learn to ask questions, use different sources and begin to understand that the past can be represented in different ways.
In Key Stage 2, pupils' chronological frameworks are further developed, at a local, national and international level. This includes a focus, for example, on the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Ancient Egypt and World War 2. Whilst developing this wider chronological understanding of history, our pupils build and add to timelines through the year groups to ensure they can reference and refer to events from prior learning.
Our pupils learn about chronology through discussion of where the event or period appears on a timeline at the beginning of a new topic and they are encouraged to share their previous knowledge in the initial lesson. Reviewing their learning allows us to build on the pupil’s knowledge, understanding and skills over time.
Our pupils' historical skills are developed by recognising connections, contrasts and trends over time, using historical terms, analysing causes and historical significance. The history overview details the careful long-term curriculum sequencing of these essential historical skills and concepts. The substantive and disciplinary knowledge and skills that pupils will develop throughout each history topic are also mapped across the school to ensure progression. Pupils' learning in history is enriched by visits to historical buildings, museums and exhibitions.
We have four golden threads which are our substantive concepts that we would like pupils to have an in-depth understanding of. These threads are taught throughout the school journey and built upon each year.
How we evaluate and assess History
The impact of our History curriculum can clearly be seen in the pupils’ books. Our pupils’ historical understanding is also evident in class assemblies where pupil share their knowledge with their parents. The opportunity to evaluate and reflect is to enable the pupils to see how their learning is progressing.
Pupil learning is assessed informally in each lesson and teachers plan responsively to next steps. Pupils are given retrieval practice activities regularly during lessons whereby they retrieve previous learning and make links to the current unit of work. At the end of a unit, pupils are assessed against the end points for the topic. Evidence of work, lesson input and retrieval practice enable teachers to make a judgement as to whether each child is working at the expected level.
History Curriculum Overview 2021-2022
History Curriculum overview 2022-2023
Disciplinary Knowledge
| Name | |
|---|---|
| History Disciplinary Knowledge.pdf | Download |
Substantive Concepts Overview
| Name | |
|---|---|
| Substantive Concepts Overview.pdf | Download |
KS1 History Progression Maps
| Name | |
|---|---|
| History KS1 Cycle A Neil Armstrong Christopher Columbus Helen Sharman.pdf | Download |
| History KS1 Cycle A Remembrance and WW1.pdf | Download |
| History KS1 Cycle A Wainhouse Tower.pdf | Download |
| History KS1 Cycle B Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole.pdf | Download |
| History KS1 Cycle B The Great Fire of London.pdf | Download |
| History KS1 Cycle B The Plague.pdf | Download |