History
Intent
The History curriculum at Marlcliffe is designed to provide our children with a broad understanding of the past, fostering their curiosity and developing key historical skills. They are challenged to enquire about the past relating to Britain, the wider world and locally. The curriculum is sequenced to build key historical knowledge and embed core skills and concepts. Children develop a chronological framework into which they can place significant historical events and people to enable them to make links between the past and how it has shaped the world today. They also develop an understanding of what societies were like and how beliefs and cultures influence people’s actions.
Implementation
In EYFS and KS1, children focus on the world around them and history within living memory before moving onto history beyond living memory.
In KS2 children learn about history over time including prehistory. They build knowledge of past events and people to enable them to make connections relating to different historical events and the present day.
Our curriculum aims to develop children’s substantive knowledge to include information about people, events, dates, states of affairs and places. We aim to develop understanding of the key concepts which appear through time including:
- society (rich, poor, religion, significant people)
- civilisation (beliefs, culture, art)
- trade (discovery, industry)
- power (hierarchy, democracy, monarchy)
- invasion (war, peace, resistance, military, surrender)
As children progress through school, they have repeated exposure to these concepts thus deepening their understanding and ability to make connections.
Throughout KS2, children build disciplinary knowledge to inform them how historians learn about and construct accounts of the past. This is taught in context. These key concepts we deliver are:
- cause and consequence
- similarity and difference
- historical significance
- historical interpretation
- change and continuity
- sources and evidence
History is taught using a variety of exciting teaching styles and cross curricular activities. We are also keen to expose children to history through hosting visitors, field trips and use of multi-media.
Impact
Children learn through an enquiry-based approach. Their work is evidenced through written work in History books. They are encouraged to recall previous learning through retrieval opportunities during history lessons. Our programme of subject enquiry enables children to develop an appreciation of diversity, understanding different cultures and how society has been shaped today. We are developing a framework whereby a consistent assessment approach is implemented across key stages. This is in addition to ongoing learning walks, lesson visits, work scrutiny, pupil and staff voice. Through the teaching of History, children at Marlcliffe will develop a secure knowledge of people and events from the historical periods covered to set them up for KS3 History learning.