Intent

At Slyne-with-Hest Primary School, our intent, when teaching history, is to stimulate the children’s curiosity in order for them to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding of the world around them. We encourage the children from the earliest age to ask questions such as ‘how’ and ‘why’ and support them in finding out the answers in an appropriate way for their age. We want children to become immersed in the topics through use of drama, artefacts and educational visits.

We have based our History curriculum on the National Curriculum for History and Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. 

We believe that the study of history ignites children’s curiosity about the past in Britain and the wider world. Through finding out about how and why the world, our country, culture and local community have developed over time, children understand how the past influences the present. History enables 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 history can influence their decisions about personal choices, attitudes and values.

 Implementation 

At Slyne-with-Hest, we use the History Curriculum to plan and deliver the teaching of History in a systematic and progressive way. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year on year and maximises the learning for all children. We are focused, not just learning facts about the past, but more on developing historical skills such as historical enquiry, cause and consequence, evidence and interpretation and chronology which will enable the children to make sense of the world around them. By using pictures, photographs, film clips, key vocabulary and historical evidence as a starting point, children are encouraged to discuss and reason with curiosity what they are presented with and how this can be interpreted. The children are then encouraged to react to History and use this knowledge to discuss, present, debate and write from different historical perspectives. This embeds and consolidates pupils’ understanding of History and its impact on society. In the wider, broad and balanced curriculum, pupils are exposed to a range of stories and poems from different historical periods with the intention of deepening their knowledge of History further.

We provide a variety of curriculum enrichment experiences through educational visits, trips and workshops linked to the topics covered, for each year group. This enables our children to experience a rich variety of 'hands-on' learning, access to heritage sites and expert historians.

Impact

Pupil voice shows that pupils are confident and able to talk about what they have learnt in history using subject specific vocabulary. Pupil voice also demonstrates that pupils enjoy history and are able to recall their learning over time. Pupils work demonstrates that history is taught at an age appropriate standard across each year group with opportunities planned in for pupils working at greater depth. Work is of good quality and demonstrates pupils are acquiring knowledge, skills and vocabulary in an appropriate sequence.

By the time children in Year 6 leave us, they have a secure knowledge of the chronology of British and World history and are able to make links between main events, situations and changes within and across different periods/societies. They can recognise how British life and culture have been shaped over time by a huge range of influences from all over the world and know ways that humans in the past have contributed to innovation for society and exploration of the world. The children show an understanding of the similarities and differences between British and wider world history and have had the opportunity to take part in a variety of trips, visits and experiences.