History Curriculum Information
Our intent of history teaching here at Icklesham Church of England Primary School and Nursery is to stimulate the children’s interest and understanding about the life of people who lived in the past. We teach children a sense of chronology, and through this they develop a sense of identity, and a cultural understanding based on their historical heritage. ‘We aim to ensure they learn to value their own and other people’s cultures in modern multicultural Britain and, by considering how people lived in the past, they are better able to make their own life choices today. In our school, history makes a significant contribution to citizenship education by teaching about the manner in which Britain developed as a
democratic society.
We teach children to understand how events in the past have influenced our lives today; we also teach them to investigate these past events and, by so doing, to develop the skills of enquiry, analysis, interpretation and problem-solving. Our history curriculum provides opportunities for all pupils to develop the skills, knowledge and independence to continue their future history learning in Year 7 and beyond.
Through our history curriculum, our aims are:
- to engage interest in the past and stimulate children’s curiosity into finding out more;
- to develop knowledge and understanding of how people lived in other times and how those times were different from today;
- to enable children to know about significant events in British history, and to appreciate how things have changed over time;
- to develop a sense of chronology;
- to encourage thinking about cause and effect, and how the past influences the present to experience a range of representations of the past;
- to develop the ability to communicate historical knowledge in a variety of forms;
- to understand how Britain is part of a wider European culture, and to study aspects of European history;
- to have some knowledge and understanding of historical development in the wider world;
- to help children understand society and their place within it, so that they develop a sense of their citizenship and cultural heritage;
- to develop in children the skills of enquiry, investigation, analysis, evaluation and presentation.
Teachers bring the history curriculum to life and engage children through a range of exciting topics and a variety of stimuli, including key texts, studies of famous historians, historical artefacts and events, workshops and school trips. As a staff, we maintain strong links to the National Curriculum and incorporate an enquiry-based approach to children’s learning about key historical events and people.
Curriculum leaders have developed our Medium Term Plans drawing on historical themes in the termly topics, making links with other subjects wherever possible, including: Art, Music, Science, RE, English, Maths and Geography. These form part of our Curious Curriculum themes across the year. Long-term plans identify individual historical units taught across the year group phases and the key skills developed in each unit. A planned progression of skills built into the history curriculum, means that the children are increasingly challenged as they move through the school.
Teaching, learning and historical enquiry is planned in line with the curriculum overview. Teachers are use the relevant resources from Cornerstones Curriculum Maestro for the base of their planning supplemented by other high quality resources.
We believe educational visits help to promote learning in all aspects of history and we aim to incorporate it in all areas of the curriculum. In particular, children study at depth our local area allowing regular opportunities to explore the area they live and learn in. Our curriculum is designed so that we can make full use of historical places of interest in our local area such as Battle Abbey to teach about invasion, migration and settlement.
As evident in the overview below, history is taught discretely over three half terms per year, however some units are carried over to allow for depth and breadth of learning within that subject area.
Curriculum leaders have personalised the National Curriculum to ensure children will know more and remember more by making links between subjects and year groups which deepen their learning. History, wherever possible, links with with our termly themes and meets the needs of our children to provide knowledge of our local area as well as ensuring coverage of a diverse range of civilisations and cultures.
Pupils in Foundation Stage learn:
Understanding the World
Past and Present
Children develop an understanding and knowledge of some similarities and differences between things in the past and now, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class. They use Britain and China to compare. They understand the past through settings, characters and events encountered in books read in class and storytelling. Children access these objectives through provision which is centered around the children and their enquiry, with much emphasis placed upon stories and discussions. It is important to recognise that the early years education is the building blocks to children accessing the Key Stage 1 learning.
Pupils in Key Stage 1 and 2 learn:
The children will know and understand the history of the UK from the earliest times to the present day and will know how people’s lives have shaped the UK. They will know how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world and know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world including the nature of ancient civilisations.
The five main threads throughout our history curriculum that children study in different topics in Key Stage 1, Lower Key Stage 2 and Upper Key Stage 2 are:
Changing Civilisations
Invasion, Migration and Settlement
Technological Advancement
Society, laws and beliefs
Significant Individuals
These threads are made explicit to children throughout their topic, to show how it links with previous learning.