History at Katesgrove and Southcote Primary school

Intent:

At the Kennet Federation, we aim to develop a passion for history and enthusiastic engagement in learning across all year groups. Through an ambitious yet carefully sequenced curriculum, our pupils explore the past using accurate historical facts; develop their own historical curiosity and an understanding of why the past can be interpreted in different ways. They will enjoy learning about a range of periods from history, gaining an understanding of a variety of historical concepts and processes. They will do this through appropriate and accurate historical enquiry, using a range of sources, including quality teaching, visits, museum boxes and experienceology.

The aims of teaching history in our school are:

• To inspire pupils’ curiosity to discover more about the past and to develop an understanding that enables them to enjoy all that history has to offer.
• Construct and sequence the past and have a chronologically secure knowledge.
• Acquire knowledge of who we are and where we come from. To help children understand society and their place within it, so that they develop a sense of their cultural heritage.
• To understand how Britain is part of a wider European culture and to study some aspects of European history.
• To have some knowledge and understanding of historical development in the wider world.
• Not viewing historical knowledge as isolated pockets, but develop webs of interrelated schema by exploring substantive concepts such as ‘Cultural legacy’, ‘Democracy’ and ‘Invasion’, which can appear again and again as they progress through the school.

Implementation:

As soon as the children start in EYFS, we encourage children to recount simple events they have experienced in order to understand and distinguish past from present. They develop awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time such as ‘yesterday’, ‘last week’. Building on this foundation, in key stage 1, children begin to understand that past events can be sequenced in chronological order. They understand some of the ways in which we can find out about the past such as looking at photographs, artefacts or historical books. They also study the lives of significant individuals who contributed to national and international achievements.

In key stage 2, they use and understand more complex time terms, such as BC/AD; period labels; and words and phrases relating to the passage of time including 'last century', '1950s', '1960s' and 'decade' etc. They plan and carry out historical enquiry by asking valid questions for enquiries and answer using a number of sources. They understand where there is no clear evidence, gaps are filled using assumptions and interpretation.  There is a subtle difference between thinking like a historian and understanding how historians think. Therefore, at the Kennet Federation we provide opportunity for pupils to make connections, analyse trends, weigh evidence, sift arguments, develop perspective but above all understand that historians work towards careful and often provisional interpretation of what was happening and why. 

Intended impact:

• By the end of key stage 2, children will have a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past.
• Children develop love and enthusiasm for the subject and the past.
• They develop a better understanding of the world and their place in it.
• It helps them to determine how to approach the future allowing them to learn from the past mistakes.
• History gives children the tools to become decent citizens by understanding their role in the community and becoming effective members of any type of society.