History

Our History Coordinator is Mr M. Ali

Why do we teach what we teach? (Our intent)

At St Mary's, we intend for our history curriculum to promote children to work as historians while having opportunities to gain a coherent knowledge and understanding about the past and present within our locality, Britain and the wider world. We have designed a curriculum where children learn about the complexity of peoples’ lives, the diversity of societies and the relationships between different groups of people in the past.

History will allow students to develop the ability to ask relevant questions about the past, to investigate issues critically and to make valid historical claims by using a range of sources in their historical context.

History will empower students to continuously question why the world is the way it is and understand the mistakes that have been made in the past. It will spark a curiosity and help them to see that understanding the past will enable them to shape the future.

History lessons will support students in developing an awareness of why people, events and developments have been accorded historical significance and how and why different interpretations have been constructed about them.

History lessons will seek to engage children in historical enquiry, to develop them as independent learners and as critical and reflective thinkers.

How do we teach it? (Our implementation)

The golden threads for history at St Mary's are:

Worship & Belief
Power & Monarchy
Transport & Travel
Empire & Trade
Migration & Immigration

The History curriculum has been created to explore enquiry questions, linking the student’s knowledge and learning across the curriculum and across the key stages. These golden threads are interwoven through all our History units to create engaging and enriching learning experiences which allow the students to investigate history as historians do.

Each unit has a focus on chronology to allow children to explore the place in time of the period they are studying and make comparisons in other parts of the world. Children will develop their awareness of the past in Key stage 1 and will know where people and events fit chronologically. This will support children in building a ‘mental timeline’ they can refer to throughout their learning in Key stage 2 and identifying connections, contrasts and trends over time.

Units are organised around an enquiry-based question and children are encouraged to follow the enquiry cycle (Question, Investigate, Interpret, Evaluate and conclude, Communicate) when answering historical questions.

Over the course of their time at St Mary’s, children develop their understanding of the following key disciplinary concepts:

• Change and continuity.

• Cause and consequence.

• Similarities and differences.

• Historical significance.

• Historical interpretations.

• Sources of evidence.

What is the difference that this makes? (Our impact)

Children become experts in their area of history developing research, speaking and listening skills whilst embedding key historical vocabulary. Engaging in historical re-enactments, drama and analysis helps them identify problems or issues they may have studied in the past and consider alternative solutions. History embeds an understanding of how we can solve issues by making changes.