History Intent:
At Haslemere we believe the main concepts in History are: to investigate and interpret the past, to build an overview of world history, to understand the chronology and the communicate with historical vocabulary and convey information about the past.
Through History we want our children to 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 and think critically. 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.
Implementation: We have recently taken on the ‘Curriculum Companions’ to enhance the implementation of History. During key stage 1, pupils develop an awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time. They are taught to know where the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods. They use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms, which is provided at the start of each new historical unit. Pupils are encouraged to ask and answer questions, making reference to the historical stories and/or stories used within the teaching.
In key stage 2 pupils continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study. They are encouraged to make connections between historical events and similarities between empires and civilisations over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms. Pupils will be supported and encouraged to devise historically valid questions to further their understanding of the period of history, as well as making links to the personal histories of the class and the significance to their current lives. Children are supported to consider the impact of historical events to living memory and how this influences their lives and those of their family and peers. Encouraging this level of discourse is of importance to support children in the development of their cultural capital. Across all stages of teaching and learning in history, we endeavour to create strong and appropriate links with other subjects to enhance the curriculum and learning experience.
Impact: Our teachers rely on a range of assessment tools to provide data on the knowledge and skills pupils have, their progress and their development points. This includes: assessment for learning, application tasks, enquiry tasks, standards of learning in books, end of unit questions and contributions in lessons. Throughout the course of the lesson the class teacher (and support staff where present) will move around the class, offering support/challenge where needed so that each child is receiving direct feedback during the lesson.
