Robert Piggott Subject Overview: History

Curriculum Intent:

Key Stage 1:

• Develop an awareness of the past
• Know where people and events fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods
• Use a wide vocabulary of historical terms
• Understand how we find out about the past, and the different ways that it is represented

Key Stage 2:

• Continue to develop a chronological knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history
• Note connections, contrasts and trends over time
• Ask and answer questions about change, cause, similarity, difference and significance
• Select and organise relevant historical information, understanding that our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.

Implementation

Our pedological approach to teaching this subject in the Robert Piggott CE Schools:

Where appropriate, we link history to other subjects, aiming for children to develop an understanding of how past events influence how we live today.

Children are encouraged to enquire, and to use a range of different sources to find answers to their questions. They are helped to develop their questioning and understanding through classroom and personal enquiry, research and discussion.  

In Key Stage One we investigate our own family history, timelines, dinosaurs, the Great Fire of London and several important historical figures.

In Key Stage Two:

Phase 1: the focus is on the Stone Age, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Egyptians and a local study.  

Phase 2: we investigate the Victorians, World War 2, Ancient Greece, the Mayans and Crime and Punishment through the ages.

Across the schools we encourage the children to identify the differences between historical eras and practices compared to those today and consider why they might have changed. As children are able, we support them in debating how and why attitudes and life have changed.

Impact

Our History curriculum is a rigorous approach to teaching the subject.  Our children develop a sound overview of the past and the ability to analyse it with a critical mind.

Our class work shows how our enquiry-based approach gives real purpose and focus to each topic; each lesson planned carefully to address our overall question. Our rigorous curriculum map shows a whole school curriculum that has been planned carefully to teach the main historical concepts through a range of contexts in a way that creates links between periods and events. Children will be able to make links to previously studied topics and make comparisons. Children will be enthused by their History topics, through our cross-curricular approach and enrichment activities which immerses them in the period; creating intrigue and enjoyment.

Assessments and monitoring allow us to see the impact of our teaching, guide future planning and ensure that our standards of teaching are high.