A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.
National Curriculum 2014
History is planned using the National Curriculum programmes of study and implemented by using Plan Bee History units. Our history curriculum ensures that children have a secure understanding of historical enquiry, historical understanding and chronological understanding, with the key disciplinary concepts (continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarities and differences and historical significance) being taught through the units. These are planned to be progressive through each of the classes. The history units have been arranged chronologically in each cycle to help children to have a secure chronological understanding of different events and periods within history.
In Key Stage 1 history work involves developing a sense of time and using vocabulary connected to this. There is an emphasis on recent history and changes within living memory, e.g. the lives of grandparents, which can be easily related to. Other topics include significant world events or the study of famous individuals.
These skills are further developed in Key Stage 2 where the children develop questioning skills and make comparisons between historical events. The study units help to give them an understanding of aspects of local, British and world history.
Assessment in history is through teacher observation during lessons and the marking of written work.