Intent, Implementation and Impact of our History Curriculum
Intent
At Hanslope Primary School, we encourage our pupils to develop their skills as historians by being curious about their own heritage (personal and local history), as well as the wider world. We strive to develop their understanding of chronology, by ensuring that they question and weigh up evidence, consider where the information has come from and keeping possible biases in mind. It is vital that pupils are able to make connections in history and understand how events or significant people from the past have shaped our lives today.
We feel it is important that pupils are taught about events from the past from different perspectives as we aspire for our pupils to have a broad and balanced view of historical events and people, increasing their ‘cultural capital’. This includes learning about different forms of discrimination through time, capital punishment, war or other significant historical events that have shaped us as a society and as a nation in the wider world.
At Hanslope Primary School we have designed our History curriculum with the intent that our pupils will:
- Become increasingly critical and analytical thinkers.
- Have a secure knowledge of the chronology of significant events, people and eras of British history.
- Make chronological links and connections with historical events that have occurred within the wider world.
- Understand how historical events and ways of life have shaped Britain and British people as a nation.
- Compare and contrast how different societies have lived within the same time frame.
- Differentiate between a wide range of sources and analyse them considering historical perspectives and biases.
- Develop a passion and thirst for knowledge about how people in the past lived their lives and how they compare to how we live today.
Implementation
The history curriculum follows the National Curriculum and is overseen by the history lead.
EYFS
At Hanslope Primary School, The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum supports pupils’ understanding of History through the planning and teaching of ‘Understanding the World’. This aspect covers how pupils find out about past and present events in their own lives, their families and other people they know. Pupils are encouraged to develop a sense of change over time and are given opportunities to differentiate between past and present
Key Stage One
In Key Stage One, History skills are taught with a blended learning approach. English skills and History skills are taught side by side, through class texts and historical themes such as: changes within living memory, events beyond living memory and significant individuals such as Neil Armstrong and Florence Nightingale. Floor books are used to record pupil’s learning and are regularly referred to through individual and whole class discussions.
Key Stage Two
In Key Stage Two, teachers teach weekly or 1x fortnightly history lessons. The aim of this approach is to ensure pupils have opportunities to build on previous skills. We feel the ‘little and often approach’ aids memory of fact re-call and enables pupils to build on previous knowledge more successfully.
Teachers are enthusiastic and passionate about History, ensuring that pupils also develop an enthusiasm and are fully engaged in lessons. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ progress, striving for them to achieve highly to the best of their capabilities and ensuring that opportunities are planned in for pupils working at greater depth. Working walls are used in classrooms to demonstrate the learning journey within History and are built up and added to throughout topics. Pupils are encouraged to discuss what they have learnt and build on previous knowledge.
At Hanslope, we teach historical skills that build and develop pupils understanding of British history and history of the wider world.
These skills develop and build on pupils’ understanding of:
- Chronological understanding.
- Comparing and contrasting historical accounts of the same event.
- Recalling facts about key historical events or significant people.
- Comparing the daily lives of people today and from specific historical periods.
- Understanding the limitations but also capabilities of people in specific eras.
- Thinking critically about sources and considering biases.
- Using accurate historical language and vocabulary when discussing their learning.
- Considering the impact certain historical events or people had on shaping the future and future events.
- Making links between specific historical figures and previous and future events.
- Understand that living memory means different things to different generations and encourage pupils to ask questions and engage with their own heritage and history.
- Evaluate why certain groups of people, held their particular beliefs and how these impact other people in the past and present day.
Many of the skills that make a knowledgeable and confident historian are also crucial in English. With this in mind, teachers in all key stages carefully select whole class texts that bridge English and the topics covered in History, ensuring that texts are rich and engaging. Teachers explicitly teach pupils subject specific vocabulary and model using it in History lessons as well as in reading and English.
Impact
The impact of the History curriculum at Hanslope Primary School will lead to outstanding progress over time across all key stages, relative to the child’s individual starting point. Pupils will be expected to leave Hanslope Primary School reaching age-related expectations for History. They will develop a confident understanding of their local history and learn more about their heritage. They will have a secure understanding of chronology, confidently recalling key facts of their learning over time. Their knowledge and enthusiasm for History will be evidenced through pupil voice, their work and answering questions in a range of ways at the end of topics taught.
Link Governor: Nigel Stacey and Frances Duck
Subject Leader: Mrs Donna Knight