History

The teaching and learning of History enriches children’s natural enquiry skills. History allows children to foster a keen appreciation of the world that has gone before them.  It not only broadens the children’s knowledge and understanding about the past, but it also enhances and supports their learning in other curriculum areas.

The drivers at the heart of our curriculum are Creativity, Possibilities and Diversity. These underpin our History curriculum and ensure we give our pupils a range of appropriate and ambitious curriculum opportunities. The historical aspects we have chosen for study reflect these drivers.

Curriculum Intent

At Kimberley Primary School, our intent is to:

• Provide a high-quality, broad and balanced history curriculum.
• Stimulate pupils’ curiosity about the past and how and why people interpret the past in different ways.   
• 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.
• Provide opportunities for pupils to develop skills of enquiry, investigation and analysis.
• Equip pupils with not only the minimum statutory requirements of the history National Curriculum but to prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

Curriculum Implementation

At Kimberley Primary School:

• Units of Study are blocked and taught over a term or half term.
• At the start of each Unit of Work children will review previous learning and will have the opportunity to share what they already know.
• Every year group will build upon the learning from prior year groups therefore developing depth of understanding and progression of skills (chronological understanding, knowledge and interpretation, and  historical enquiry.
• In order to support children in their ability to ‘know more and remember more’ there are regular opportunities to review the learning taken place in previous topics as well as previous lessons through retrieval quizzes at the start of lessons.
• Pupils will have access to quality artefacts, sources and resources.
• Pupils will ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement.
• Consideration is given to how greater depth children will be stretched within each lesson, as well as how learners will be supported in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion.
• Evidence of pupil work is recorded in pupils blue curriculum books (KS1 and KS2). This book also contains geography work.
• Outcomes of work are regularly monitored to ensure that they reflect a sound understanding of the key identified knowledge.
• Assessment is informed by observations during lessons, verbal feedback, pupil voice and work scrutiny.

• Summative judgements (Working Below/Working Towards/Expected Standard/Greater Depth) are recorded in end of year reports for all KS1 and KS2 pupils (EYFS profile assessment - ELG Understanding the World).   

• Effective CPD opportunities are available to staff, on a 3 year cycle when History is in the spotlight, to ensure high levels of confidence and knowledge are maintained. These are done through regular discussions with the history lead, whole school moderation and staff meetings.
• Effective use of educational visits and visitors are planned to enrich and provide first-hand learning experiences for pupils.
• Cross-curricular links are planned for and allow children to deepen their understand across the curriculum, including the use of geography, mathematics and science.  

Curriculum Impact

At Kimberley Primary School, our pupils will have:

• Become increasingly critical and analytical with their thinking, developing the skills to make informed and balanced judgements based on their knowledge of the past.
• Become increasingly aware of how historical events have shaped the world that they currently live in.
• Gained from meaningful, memorable opportunities that last a lifetime.   
• Encountered or participated in high-quality visits/visitors to further appreciate the impact of history.
• A richer vocabulary which will enable to articulate their understanding of taught concepts.
• High aspirations, which will see them through to further study, work and a successful adult life.