History
Together, as one, we support each other to flourish and succeed
Intent
At South Crosland C.E. (A) Junior School, it is our aim to provide an engaging History curriculum that inspires our children in learning about the past, how it has shaped our present and its impact on our future. We aim to provide our children with the knowledge and understanding they need to successfully evaluate the significance of past events in order to flourish in the present and future.
History is all around us. As part of our History curriculum, children are given the opportunity to understand how the past influences the present through investigating how and why the local community, our country, different cultures and the world have developed over time.
The teaching of History enables our children to develop a context for their growing sense of identity and a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people. What they learn through our History Curriculum supports their decision making about personal choices, attitudes and values. Our History Curriculum also helps children gain a sense of their own identity within the social, political, cultural and economic background in which they live.
Implementation
At South Crosland C.E. (A) Junior School our planning covers the National Curriculum objectives for History (2014).
History is taught as a discrete subject in a two-year cycle to lower school (Year 3 and 4) and to upper school (Year 5 and 6) classes. This approach provides the opportunity for the children to progress in their understanding and implementation of key skills during History lessons so that they experience success in their learning. Within the second cycle, children will spend an additional ten hours with Year 3 and 4 focussing on pre-history from Stone Age to Iron Age and Year 5 and 6 focusing on The Luddites.
We endeavour to promote a passion for History by delivering a range of rich, well-planned historical learning experiences to provide stimulating, real-life contexts for our children. It is important that the children develop the progressive skills of a historian throughout their time here and do not just learn a series of facts about the past. In History, pupils will find and evaluate evidence and learn how to reach their own informed conclusions.
To do this successfully, as historians, they are taught to research, interpret evidence, including primary and secondary sources, and develop the necessary skills to argue for and defend their point of view; skills that will help them in their adult life.
Impact
By the time they leave South Crosland C.E.(A) Junior School, our children are passionate historical learners who enjoy understanding more about events from the past and how they have influenced the present. They have a secure knowledge and understanding of people, events and contexts from the wide range of historical periods covered. Because of this, they are able to successfully sequence significant moments within our country’s history and can establish clear links between the past and the present.
Furthermore, our children are able to think critically about different periods of history and communicate confidently in styles appropriate to a range of audiences. They also develop the ability to think, reflect, debate, discuss and evaluate the past, forming and refining questions and lines of enquiry. Together, they work enthusiastically to support, evaluate and challenge their own and others’ views, using detailed, appropriate and accurate historical evidence derived from a range of sources.
Assessment and Reporting
Key Activities have been built into each History lesson based on the developmental key skills map. Each lesson is planned to ensure all children have access to a variety of learning styles with quality first teaching and differentiated outcomes, ensuring each child has the opportunity to flourish and succeed.
The children are formatively assessed through; discussions with pupils and their responses; explanations and justification of thoughts linked to different historical periods and important figures; book looks and marking.
Summative assessment for History occurs at the end of each unit of work and Achievement and Attitude to Learning are reported on to Parents and Carers as part of School Reporting Calendar. All assessment information is gathered, analysed for individual pupils, cohorts and as a whole school. It also used to inform future planning and is shared with Senior Leaders.