History
History is essential because it provides an understanding of where the world came from and how it has developed to become the world we know today. It helps us to learn from mistakes in the past to make a better future. It is important to remember our heritage as this creates who we are as people and how we view the world.
History is taught in planned and arranged topic blocks by the class teacher so that pupils can develop their understanding and knowledge of different subject areas. The units have been chosen to compliment the overarching topic and add to the other subjects. Within each history unit, the pupils will be taught the accurate vocabulary along with definitions and how to use said vocabulary. There are clear outcomes for each topic and what it is important that the pupils learn.
We build upon the history skill development of the previous years and transfer skills of using artefacts and resources throughout the years. Our history curriculum is carefully mapped out to ensure progression and a deeper understanding using small steps progression document and Chris Quigley’s milestones. At the beginning of every new topic, teachers assess children’s understanding of the key knowledge for that topic and this is revisited at the end of each topic to get a clear understanding of their development.
Every class has a history display with key vocabulary for that unit displayed alongside supportive materials and strong examples from lessons taught. This vocabulary is repeated and revisited continuously.
History learning is recorded in the children’s Topic books. This might be shown in a variety of different ways such as posters, annotated sources, and pieces of writing answering a specific question.
Each lesson is identified with the subject heading of History and an ‘I can’ statement sticker that is taken from each year groups small steps progression document. Each ‘I can’ statement is a small step towards the children achieving the milestone for that subject. These ‘I can’ statements are then highlighted in the children’s books and the attainment is then recorded on the History part of Target Tracker.
