The Reddings History Intent, Implementation and Impact
Intent
To ignite children’s curiosity about the past in Britain and the wider world and its impact on our lives now.
At The Reddings Primary school, it is our aim to instil a love of history in all our children that will stimulate their interest and understanding about the life of people who lived in the past.
We provide a history curriculum with appropriate subject knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum History Programmes of study. All children are taught about the actions of important people in history and about significant events in British history, whilst
appreciating how things have changed over time. We aim to provide an interesting and varied curriculum that interests and intrigues our children while meeting the needs of all backgrounds, cultures and abilities which enables them to learn to value their own and other people’s cultures in
modern multicultural Britain.
From EYFS up to the end of KS2, the children will be taught about various historical events, where they take place within a historical timeline and famous historical figures, some of which have shaped the world today. We will monitor progress regularly through learning walks, lesson visits,
book scrutiny and pupil voice.
We believe that by allowing the children to understand the importance and enjoyment of the subject through different opportunities, they will become enthused learners of history.
Implementation
As a school, we maintain strong links to the National Curriculum guidelines to ensure all aspects, knowledge and skills of history are being taught across all year groups.
We use progression of skills, knowledge and vocabulary across the school which are created as knowledge organisers so that staff are clear on what to teach, allowing them to focus on how to teach specific cohorts. Teaching is blocked to enable children to immerse themselves in the topic. 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 is was like to be around at a particular period in
history by having practical and experiential lessons where possible. We will give children opportunities to develop their skills of enquiry, investigation, analysis.
We will use assessment for learning to ensure all lessons are relevant and will help to plan for next steps. Foundation subjects are assessed at the end of each block and analysis of this assessment is then used to make sure all children are continuing to make progress throughout our curriculum.
Subject leads are given regular time to ensure resources are kept up to date, to monitor subject across the school, create action plans and to provide subject feedback to SLT as appropriate.
We follow on from developing the vocabulary of old and new and learning about ourselves in the Early Years to Year 1, linking to personal history, developing the skills and vocabulary of timelines based upon their time in school as well as changes over time from a baby to now. The focus is
upon developing the range of vocabulary that compares old and new. Primary sources are explored by asking historically based questions of family/ older members of families and staff.
We move to introducing a person and event from the past, linked to the geography learning.
Year 2 looks at significant events from the past, The Great fire of London and builds upon knowledge of timelines to be able to sequence events within a period of the past as well as further developing the vocabulary of comparison. Using Samuel Pepys’s diary they are introduced to other
types of sources
A significant person from the past links to explorers from year 1 (Polar exploration), developing understanding of how events from the past changed our understanding at the time.
Ks2- Year 3 starts at the beginning of one of the early British histories, in the Stone Age. Timelines and chronology develop so that they are over a longer period, deepening and developing the vocabulary of historical times.
The Ancient Egyptians is studied in Year 3 as an earliest civilisation so that learners can begin to link what was happening in different countries at similar periods of time to start to be able to make comparisons between civilisations
In year 4 timelines and chronology begin to be developed further as a means of linking events from different periods …where does this fit in in relation to x?… as well as in creating their own timelines of events within historical periods. The Ancient Greeks are studied first so that links to the ending of the civilisation can be made with the rise of the Ancient Roman civilisation.
Year 5 The Maya civilization was chosen as it links to Geography of South America (Year 2) and a geographical understanding of the Americas and Biomes (also studied in Year 5) and to develop their chronology from the period beyond the Ancient Romans. Links are also made between explorers in Year 1 and 2 with explorers discovering this non-European civilisation.
The concept of sources of information is developed and this continues as the move into Year 6 with children becoming more aware of the limits of sources and the need to understand that sources may be unreliable and the need to take into account who wrote them. WW2 was chosen as the
post 1066 event to enable Year 6 to focus both on more recent history but also the use of sources as propaganda during this time, further developing their historical questioning and responses.
Children also link their learning of the local area which was studied as part of geography in Year 3 and also in Year 1, to the local history study in Year 6. The ending of WW2 had a huge impact on the local area due to its designation as a new town and so is studied after the WW2 topic tracing
how aspects of national history are reflected in our locality.
Impact
Through pupil voice and book studies 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 learn lessons from history to understand the impact people and events have had on their loves as well as helping to influence the decisions they make in their lives in the future.
Assessments and monitoring will show standards in history will be high and will match standards in other subject areas.
Work will show that a range of topics are being covered, cross curricular links are made where appropriate and work scaffolded to support all learners in accessing the subject.
EYFS
Year 1
Spring Term
Summer Term
Autumn Term
Year 2
Summer Term
Autumn Term
Year 3
Summer Term
Autumn Term
Year 4
Summer Term
Autumn Term
Year 5
Spring Term
Autumn Term
Britain's Settlement by Anglo Saxons and Scots