THE INTENT, IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPACT OF THE
HISTORY CURRICULUM
Implementation
Our ambition for History is to provide children across the key stages with a wide ranging look into the past to enable them to be inspired for the future. History is carefully planned to ensure that there is a comprehensive coverage of the skills and concepts required in the Early Years Foundation Stage and the National Curriculum. From Early Years to Year 6 at Charlwood, we endeavour to make learning memorable in order to develop historical skills and concepts; so that this can be built upon as the children develop their understanding. We want to ensure the children can apply these skills to whatever period of history is being studied, through use of clear assessment of children’s understanding and effective use of resources within lessons. Our curriculum ensures that essential skills and concepts are revisited and developed further so that the children can improve their understanding and embed into their long-term memory. These key historical skills and concepts, which are revisited throughout different themes, include chronology, historical terms, historical enquiry, interpreting history, continuity and change, causes and consequences, similarities and differences and historical significance. Through this, we aim for the children to develop a passion for history through stimulating and challenging lessons delivered by teachers who have strong subject knowledge and ensure that there is clear progression for all children and that their skills are transferrable to other subjects across the curriculum.
Implementation
There is a structure to the lesson sequence whereby prior learning is always considered and opportunities for revision of facts and historical understanding are built into lessons. At Charlwood, we have a flexible approach to the learning and planning for history and adapt to our children’s learning needs, understanding and skills. This approach demonstrates good practice and helps develop a depth to the children’s historical understanding. Through revisiting and consolidating skills, our lesson plans and use of resources help children build on prior knowledge alongside introducing new skills and challenge. The revision and introduction of key vocabulary is an integral part of each lesson; this is a selection of key terms that are appropriate to each key stage and year. We provide children with the opportunity to develop confidence in key language and vocabulary. By embedding key vocabulary in each lesson, as well as it being displayed in classrooms, it supports understanding and gives children the confidence to use this terminology appropriately. High quality planning and current resources provide teachers with accurate historical subject knowledge, allows them to feel confident, and supported with the historical skills and knowledge that they are teaching. Our history lessons aim to motivate children to develop a love of history through enrichment of the subject and appreciate how it has shaped the world they live in.
How we show the core values in History
Confident - In learning about history they can be helped to make sense of the world they live in. By
comparing their lives to lives of people in the past , they are able to consider their own
lives in a new light.
Valued - Each child has an equal right to be heard.
Prepared - The study of history helps make sense of human kind. To help understand the things that
happen today and that may happen in the future.
Successful - Learning about different elements of our past makes for more rounded, well-versed
individuals.
Impact
Our clear, progressive history curriculum will develop pupil’s historical skills and knowledge throughout their school life. The profile of history at Charlwood is raised through a consistent learning environment with historical vocabulary displayed, spoken and used by all children, engaging displays and high quality resources to support learning. History will be valued and appreciated by children and teachers across school, inspiring them to continue building on their historical knowledge and understanding, now and in the future. The impact of our history curriculum will also be measured through key questioning skills built into lessons, child-led assessment such as success criteria and summative assessments aimed at targeting next steps in learning.
HISTORY CURRICULUM
Implementation
Our ambition for History is to provide children across the key stages with a wide ranging look into the past to enable them to be inspired for the future. History is carefully planned to ensure that there is a comprehensive coverage of the skills and concepts required in the Early Years Foundation Stage and the National Curriculum. From Early Years to Year 6 at Charlwood, we endeavour to make learning memorable in order to develop historical skills and concepts; so that this can be built upon as the children develop their understanding. We want to ensure the children can apply these skills to whatever period of history is being studied, through use of clear assessment of children’s understanding and effective use of resources within lessons. Our curriculum ensures that essential skills and concepts are revisited and developed further so that the children can improve their understanding and embed into their long-term memory. These key historical skills and concepts, which are revisited throughout different themes, include chronology, historical terms, historical enquiry, interpreting history, continuity and change, causes and consequences, similarities and differences and historical significance. Through this, we aim for the children to develop a passion for history through stimulating and challenging lessons delivered by teachers who have strong subject knowledge and ensure that there is clear progression for all children and that their skills are transferrable to other subjects across the curriculum.
Implementation
There is a structure to the lesson sequence whereby prior learning is always considered and opportunities for revision of facts and historical understanding are built into lessons. At Charlwood, we have a flexible approach to the learning and planning for history and adapt to our children’s learning needs, understanding and skills. This approach demonstrates good practice and helps develop a depth to the children’s historical understanding. Through revisiting and consolidating skills, our lesson plans and use of resources help children build on prior knowledge alongside introducing new skills and challenge. The revision and introduction of key vocabulary is an integral part of each lesson; this is a selection of key terms that are appropriate to each key stage and year. We provide children with the opportunity to develop confidence in key language and vocabulary. By embedding key vocabulary in each lesson, as well as it being displayed in classrooms, it supports understanding and gives children the confidence to use this terminology appropriately. High quality planning and current resources provide teachers with accurate historical subject knowledge, allows them to feel confident, and supported with the historical skills and knowledge that they are teaching. Our history lessons aim to motivate children to develop a love of history through enrichment of the subject and appreciate how it has shaped the world they live in.
How we show the core values in History
Confident - In learning about history they can be helped to make sense of the world they live in. By
comparing their lives to lives of people in the past , they are able to consider their own
lives in a new light.
Valued - Each child has an equal right to be heard.
Prepared - The study of history helps make sense of human kind. To help understand the things that
happen today and that may happen in the future.
Successful - Learning about different elements of our past makes for more rounded, well-versed
individuals.
Impact
Our clear, progressive history curriculum will develop pupil’s historical skills and knowledge throughout their school life. The profile of history at Charlwood is raised through a consistent learning environment with historical vocabulary displayed, spoken and used by all children, engaging displays and high quality resources to support learning. History will be valued and appreciated by children and teachers across school, inspiring them to continue building on their historical knowledge and understanding, now and in the future. The impact of our history curriculum will also be measured through key questioning skills built into lessons, child-led assessment such as success criteria and summative assessments aimed at targeting next steps in learning.
| Whole school History Progression of Skills |
| Whole School History Lesson Overview |
| History End of Key Stage 1 Expectations |
| History End of Key Stage 2 Expectations |
