History

"Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves."

Romans 12:10

Intent

History is a highly valued foundation subject at Aspull Church Primary School. Our History curriculum is designed and sequences to ensure that we pupils develop the necessary progression of skills and knowledge to allow them access a range of history sources and develop a love for learning about the past. We intend for all our pupils to develop enquiring minds and ask questions, linking the events of the past with their own lives. Through our carefully crafted curriculum, that is designed to engage and develop all learner with exciting class topics, we aim to develop pupils who flourish as resilient and independent learners. We create opportunities through educational visits and visitors to enhance pupils’ knowledge and love for history, as well as bring the subject more to life for them. We also encourage our children to express their thoughts effectively and to listen and learn from each other. Children build on their chronological knowledge and skills previously learnt when beginning a new topic. 


Our curriculum aims to ensure that all learners: 

 

  • Know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world.
  • Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind.
  • Gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’.
  • Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses.
  • Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed.
  • Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.


Implementation

History is embedded in our school curriculum and features highly in each academic year group. Weekly discreet lessons ensure that history curriculum objectives are met. We offer challenging learning experiences and engaging lessons that allow pupils to learn, love and shine in their history lessons. 

History is taught in the EYFS as part of their learning about understanding the world.  Year 1 and 2 pupils develop an awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time. They begin 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. Pupils use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms. They ask and answer questions, choosing and using parts of stories and other sources to show that they know and understand key features of events. Finally, pupils begin to understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented. Children begin by learning about History within the past 60-70 years and then move onto historical events further back in time. They also learn about significant events and individuals. 

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 make connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms. Pupils regularly address and in year 5 and 6 create historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance. They have the opportunity to construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information. Children understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources. 

Throughout all year groups lessons are planned so that they are progressive and build on knowledge previously learnt. Children also begin units in Key Stage 2 investigating where the topic fits with the chronology of other topics taught previously. All classes are encouraged to take part in historical educational visits and visitors linked to the topic of study, often these involve dressing up and getting into role, such as an evacuee during World War Two or as a Victorian child. Through the use of history displays in classes we aim to create a learning environment that creates a love of learning and curiosity in the past.   

Annually, we remember and commemorate ‘Remembrance Day’ learning about the poppies and why we have a two minutes silence every year. We hold a range of activities looking in the history of Remembrance Day and have a bugler who comes into school to support with the two minutes’ silence. School also teaches about the history and celebrates other events as they happen throughout the year, such as VE Day, the Olympic Games and Royal Weddings. During the year every class holds a celebration when parents/grandparents are invited into school to take part in activities alongside the child and the children have a chance to share the knowledge and skills they have learnt. Additionally, we have History champions who help raise the profile of our subject and share their passion for history together.  

Impact

The impact of history is measured in numerous different ways. Our assessment approach means that we can track pupil attainment regularly. Weekly history lessons provide teachers with the opportunity to track pupils learning from week to week and over the course of the unit, via the use of questioning and work produced. Planned assessment tasks carried out at the end of each unit of work enable staff carry out more formal assessments of pupils’ historical knowledge. Teachers use the statements on our school tracking system to access against the objectives. 


The overall impact of history at Aspull Church Primary School is evident from talking to children who enthusiastically speak about educational visits and interesting facts they have learnt during history lessons. Past pupils who return to visit often reminisce about visits they went on, especially when they got to go in role or lessons they particularly enjoyed. Our children enjoy learning about the lives of those in the past, their local history and how things have changed compared to life today.