“We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” Martin Luther King. Jr
At Gwladys Street we are determined that every pupil will have the opportunity to be a historian; we do not see background, needs or abilities as insurmountable barriers to learning. We want them to have no limits to what their ambitions are and grow up wanting to be archivists, museum curators, archaeologists or research analysts. The history curriculum has been structured so that our children develop their historical skills and knowledge (in line with National Curriculum milestones) by building upon prior learning. We want our children to remember their history lessons in our school, reaching learning milestones at key points in their school life. We want them to retain knowledge of key facts and vocabulary so that they have a foundation for their continued school life and life beyond school.
Intent
We would like to ensure all children leave with an enthusiasm for History, creating ways to inspire pupils to be curious and creative thinkers who develop a complex knowledge of local and national history and the history of the wider world. We want pupils to develop the confidence to think critically, ask questions, and be able to explain and analyse historical evidence. We aim to do this by:
- building an awareness of significant events and individuals;
- developing an understanding of British and local history and recognise how things have changed over time;
- supporting children to appreciate the complexity of people’s lives, the diversity of societies and the relationships between different groups;
- building an appreciation to the many reasons why people may behave in the way they do and developing empathy;
- providing an opportunity to learn from mankind’s past mistakes;
- building their understanding of chronology in and making connections over periods of time to developing a chronologically-secure knowledge of History.
Implementation
Through focused teaching, we ensure our historians show the following characteristics:
Taken from Kapow’s History Three_Is document 05.09.23
We empathise the importance of historical knowledge being shaped by disciplinary approaches, as shown in the diagram above. These strands are interwoven through all our History units to create engaging and enriching learning experiences which allow the children to investigate history as historians do;
- 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;
- exploring change and continuity;
- exploring cause and consequence;
- make comparisons between periods of time;
- explore and comment on significant events in history;
- have access to a range of sources of evidence;
Impact
Our aim is that children will have a clear understanding of the history of Britain, including how people’s lives shape this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world. Within History lessons, we aim to develop an understanding of the history of the wider world, including the achievements of mankind. Throughout our History units, children have the opportunities, as historians, to form an appreciation for significant individuals, interventions and events that impact or world both in history and from present day. Throughout learning, children will develop their skill to ask historically-valid questions throughout an enquiry-based approach to learning and explain how and why interpretations of the past have been constructed using evidence. Children will be able to make connections between historical concept and timescales.
Planning and teaching is reviewed termly by the subject lead through learning walks, book monitoring and pupil voice. Written marking in books allow teachers to either consolidate learning through tips or challenge the learner to explain, explore and delve deeper.
EYFS
Check out our lovely photos from Year 3’s Greek Day – as part of their Opening Worlds foundation curriculum. The children had a great time in costume and sampled some Greek food as part of their theme day.
Year 1 have been enjoying their visit to the history museum – learning about the history of toys and how they have developed over time – in line with their foundation curriculum learning.
A Historian at Gwladys Street can…
