History
History Intent
At Walworth School we aim to ‘significantly improve the quality of all our children’s lives’ the intent has been written with significant importance being placed around the individual learning needs of our pupils.
At Walworth School our main intention is for our pupils to be fully prepared for the next stages in and for future life by having;
- An awareness of how to be a successful learner.
- The appropriate knowledge and skills to develop independence.
- A good understanding of being a responsible citizen.
We aim to achieve this by providing a history curriculum that is committed to meeting the requirements of the primary National Curriculum whilst recognising the need to develop our children in the curriculum drivers we have identified:
- Knowledge and Skills
- Emotional awareness
- Citizenship
- Independence
- Life experiences and Understanding
Our curriculum drivers shape our curriculum breadth. They have been developed from an exploration of the backgrounds of our pupils, our beliefs about high-quality education and our values. They are used to ensure we give our pupils appropriate and ambitious curriculum opportunities. We recognise that many of our children have had limited exposure to history. We therefore plan to offer them the opportunity to develop their cultural capital through the study of history. Cultural capital gives our pupils the vital background knowledge required to be informed and thoughtful members of our community who understand and believe in British values. This has a direct impact on ensuring that our children are prepared for adulthood. It gives them an understanding of how history contributes to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
At Walworth Primary School we believe that a high quality History Curriculum will inspire children to want to know about the past. The History curriculum is a well-planned and clearly sequenced curriculum. It recognises a child’s prior learning and builds upon this. The curriculum plan has been developed in accordance with the National Curriculum and with the guidance and support of Durham Humanities team. At Walworth School we place mental health and wellbeing at the centre of school life our vision is that pupils can ‘Listen, Learn and Be Happy Together’ It is a subject in its own right, with ways of working communicating and thinking that are quite different to other areas of the curriculum.
We wish pupils to acquire skills for life, so that they are able to apply these and have a thirst for historical knowledge, through enjoyment of the broad and balanced history curriculum and by experiencing a wealth of meaningful historic opportunities. It also makes suggestions to give history a local flavour whilst ensuring that the wider cultural capital that history can support is developed. It is also recognised that historical teaching may make use of current news items that are relevant to the learning of the subject.
Every child in our school is recognised as individual and unique. The ability to learn is underpinned by the teaching of knowledge, basic skills, concepts and vocabulary. We provide pupils with rich learning experiences including historic educational visits. We want children to have fun at school by providing positive experiences of education. We want to develop the children with essential characteristics to become historians. To have:
- An excellent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world
- Be able to ask perceptive questions,
- Be able to think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement.
- To understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.
History Implementation
At Walworth Primary School the History Curriculum has been carefully planned to provide core knowledge and skills that are clearly sequenced across year groups and teaching cycles. The curriculum content was carefully planned working alongside the Local Authority History advisor with the ambition to keep it in line with the National Curriculum requirements adapted to our school community. Membership to the Historical Association has been obtained to help staff with subject knowledge and planning lessons. The subject lead also actively engages in History network meetings so that shared knowledge around subject developments can be embedded across the school.
There are a range of learning opportunities for each year group with clear learning objectives and focused questions to provide assessment related tasks. The long-term plan includes a rationale for each topic and how it links to prior knowledge across both key stages. It provides clear knowledge / skills pupils are to acquire; which key concepts are to be analysed; which primary sources can be used and what interpretations of history are covered. It gives advice on possible interpretations or representations of the past and key vocabulary to consider when planning. It provides opportunities for meaningful encounters with the historic environment and can be accompanied by high quality non-fiction reading books identified in our school library.
History Impact
At Walworth the history curriculum is a clearly sequenced and well-planned curriculum. This results in fun, engaging and high quality historical education. It gives opportunities for children to revisit prior learning and recall sticky knowledge of previous taught learning. The quality of children’s learning is evidence by work in history books, displays, photos of visits and of talking to the children.
Lessons are designed to give pupils a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. By focusing on first order concepts such as thinking critically and evaluating and challenging views it will equip pupils for further learning for example in secondary school or the future workplace.
We use lesson visits to see if the pedagogical style (from scaffold instruction to discovery learning) matches our depth expectations. Formative assessment is used to help teachers plan challenge in each lesson and to adapt teaching / resources to meet the individual needs of children. Teachers also use IASEND internal assessment tracking tool to assess children’s progress and attainment as they move across the school. IASEND provides opportunity for small step progress so teachers are confident that children understand the depth of learning as we as the ‘new learning as they move across the year group. It helps teachers to explore next steps of learning opportunities with an accurate planning focus that puts the child at the heart of the assessment.
This in conjunction with work scrutiny, lesson visits and talking directly to the children will enable the subject lead to action plan, monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of our curriculum.
Following our History curriculum will offer pupils the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills whilst enhancing their cultural capital, creativeness and emotional well – being. It will help them to broaden their horizons and pursue a wider range of interests into their adult lives.
