Intent, Implementation and Impact Statement

Intent

Our History curriculum aims to inspire curiosity and fascination about the past in Britain and the wider world, whilst developing coherent chronological knowledge and an enquiring mind. Our teaching of chronology, helps to develop a sense of identity and a cultural understanding, based on their historical heritage. This enables our children to learn to value their own and other people’s cultures in modern multi-cultural Britain. We aim to provide the children with a rich and diverse history curriculum, equipping them with a coherent knowledge and understanding.

Our intention is to encourage children to think critically, ask questions, think and act as historians and evaluate evidence. This allows them to develop a broad understanding of the complexity of people’s lives and historic events. We aim for children to investigate and interpret the past, understand chronology, be able to communicate historically, whilst encompassing the British Values throughout. Local history is threaded throughout our history curriculum as we want our children to develop an appreciation for the people and events that are part of our local, national and international history.

Implementation

In History, we implement an inclusive curriculum that meets the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum whilst inspiring a love of the past.  Our curriculum is well-planned and structured and ensures progression and in-depth learning. We have identified the key knowledge and skills for each unit and consideration has been given to ensure progression across the topics throughout each year group across the school. Each unit in our History Curriculum is underpinned by rich, substantive knowledge and ambitious vocabulary, whilst also ensuring that children are developing their disciplinary knowledge (historical skills). Each unit of work is planned carefully to ensure concepts are taught chronologically to support children's understanding. As well as developing a breadth of historical knowledge, this allows children to become skilful historians. Each unit of work has an emphasis on historical enquiry, with an overall Enquiry Question, where children investigate historically framed questions whilst also developing historical enquiries of their own.

Key historical concepts sit at the core of our curriculum to ensure conceptual progression. We have identified a set of key historical concepts or ‘golden threads’, that children will repeatedly revisit throughout their school life. Our golden threads are: Society and Community, Power, Exploration and Invasion and Conflict and Disaster. Our secondary concepts are empire, monarchy, civilisation, trade, settlement and migration. Each unit will not include every 'thread', but over a year, children will visit each one more than once. For example, In EYFS children will be introduced to the theme of Conflict and Disaster when learning all about Guy Fawkes.  Children in Year 2, will revisit this theme as well as the concepts of Monarchy and civilization when studying the Great Fire of London. Then in Year 6 children will further revisit the theme of Conflict and Disaster and study the concepts Monarchy and Civilisation as they explore how the Battle of Britain was a turning point for the United Kingdom in WW2. This allows children to easily compare different topics and revisit their learning.

Our Curriculum is personalised by ensuing that local history is woven into our history curriculum so that links with larger historical themes are made. This is because we believe children should have a rich understanding of their local heritage. For example, in Year 5, children make links to Ainsdale and Formby when learning about the Anglo- Saxons and Vikings. When learning about Remembrance, we study what Southport was like in WW1 and the impact the war had on the town of Southport. Furthermore, we study local soldiers who lived or who were buried in Churchtown. In Year 6, children then revisit this knowledge and study what life was like in Southport in WW2. In Year 2, children complete a unit on Southport in the Sixties focusing what Southport was like when our school was first built.

In EYFS, children begin to talk about the lives of people around them and their role in society. They discuss some similarities and differences between things in the past and now, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class. Children begin to understand the past through settings, characters and events encountered in books and storytelling.

Across Key Stage 1, children begin to develop an awareness of the past using historical vocabulary. They study people and events and identify similarities and differences between different time periods. Children learn some of the ways in which we find out about the past and how events studied fit into the chronological framework.

Within Key Stage 2, children build on prior knowledge and continue to develop chronologically secure knowledge of British, local and world history. Children learn to develop historically valid questions, identifying contrasts and trends over time, and make connections. Children also learn how our knowledge of the past is constructed through a range of sources. A series of stimulating lessons are planned, with clear knowledge and skills-based learning objectives and subject-specific vocabulary. Teachers assess learning in history against knowledge, skills-based learning objectives and enquiry questions within unit overviews. Enrichment opportunities, such as inspirational visits, educational visits and events and themed days provide our children with rich experiences and enhance teaching, learning and knowledge.

All learning starts by revisiting prior knowledge. This will be scaffolded to support children to recall previous learning and make connections between topics. Staff will model explicitly the subject-specific vocabulary, knowledge and skills relevant to the learning to allow them to integrate new knowledge into larger concepts.

Our historians will be given a variety of enrichment and experiences both in and out of the classroom where appropriate to create memorable learning opportunities and to further support and develop their understanding. Our History curriculum promotes children’s Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development, ensuring that they are reflective and responsible citizens. Fundamental British Values are actively promoted in History lessons in order to prepare the children for life in Modern Britain.

Impact

Our history curriculum is high quality and ensures that children have a strong knowledge of historical events, a coherent understanding of chronology and an appreciation of the impact that history has on the modern world. Our children enjoy and love learning about history by gaining knowledge and skills, not just through learning in the classroom, but also through educational visits and themed days. Our children are confident and able to talk about what they have learnt in history using subject specific vocabulary and are able to recall their learning over time. Through the breadth and depth that our curriculum offers, our children become passionate historians, who are inspired by the subject, are curious to find out more about the past and have a love of history that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.

Black History Month

We had lots of fun celebrating Black History Month in October. The theme of Celebrating our Sisters emphasises the vital role black women have played in shaping history, inspiring change and building communities. 

Little Ireland

Children in Years 3 and 5 have been exploring some history linked to a project taking place in the local community. NW Heritage CIC is currently restoring the fogbell on Marshside Road as a community heritage asset. Once complete, it will be a micro museum dedicated to the history of life along our coast. Children enjoyed researching about ‘Little Ireland’ and finding out about the origins of St Patrick’s Church and School. Some of their work will be displayed within the micro museum.