History

"The more you know about your history the more liberated you are”

– Maya Angelou

Subject Lead: Mrs Doyle

History Progression

Intent

At St Joseph’s, we have designed a broad and balanced curriculum. As pupils progress, we intend our children to have an understanding of the world and an understanding for the what and why situations have happened through the years.

Our History curriculum aims to ensure that children:

• show a confidence as they make meaningful, purposeful links with other historical periods.
• develop resilience as they extend their historical language and knowledge
• understand about chronology of events over time and relationships between different groups, as well as how they too become part of history. This enables them to develop and master lifelong learning skills that can be applied to a 21st century Britain.
• Have self-belief believing they can do it!

Cultural Capital

The History curriculum, at St Joseph’s, will offer children the opportunities to draw upon skills, behaviours and knowledge. To be able to do this, all pupils are:

• given the opportunity to learn about key figures in history.
• provided with enrichment opportunities by visiting local museums.
• able to visit place of local interest
• taught a cross-curricular understanding of key historical figures. These people become part of each class’ timeline.

Implementation

At St Joseph’s, History topics are taught every term.  In order to aid children develop their historical understanding, make connections and deepen their understanding we have designed a broad and balanced curriculum which builds upon prior knowledge and develops new concepts.

Essential to effective teaching is the key question which teachers introduce at the start of the lesson, this key question begins the journey the children will take alongside the general and specific vocabulary they learn.

All lessons at St Joseph’s encourage children to make links to prior learning from the previous lesson, in their present year or from previous years. They develop their historical knowledge via open discussions. It provides children with the opportunity to develop why? and why not? questions.  Throughout the topic, children are given opportunities to discuss their historical thinking, using and further developing their historical vocabulary, with their partner and class. Throughout, and at the end of the topic, children have the opportunity to reflect upon their learning and make links about what happened before as well as an opportunity to ask what happens next?