History
Pupils to develop a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Our practical, cross-curricular learning inspires pupils to know more about history and how different periods have shaped the world we live in today.
To ensure pupils acquire the knowledge and skills to engage with and enjoy history, we cover the National History Curriculum in a six-year cycle following the topic areas of our creative curriculum with all the cross-curricular benefits it offers us. We explore a range of history, from Ancient Egyptians to World War II – and throughout our teaching, we listen to pupils’ interests and incorporate these to further their curiosity and engagement. The fundamental historical skills and concepts that we revisit throughout different units are:
- Historical Interpretations
- Historical Investigations
- Chronological Understanding
- Knowledge and Understanding of Events, People, and Changes in the Past
- Presenting, Organising, and Communicating.
The school uses a variety of teaching and learning styles in history lessons, which helps to enrich their understanding and immerse pupils fully into the period they are studying. To supplement their classwork, pupils will engage with offsite trips, in-school workshops, and themed days throughout the year. These extra-curricular activities provide opportunities to compare their lives with those of the past and develop pupils’ understanding and perspectives.
Intent
We aim to deliver a history curriculum that pupils can access at all stages of primary, regardless of where they are when they start with us. Our teaching of history will help pupils gain a secure knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. We have a 6-year topic cycle and repeat focus areas every 3 years to ensure that pupils can catch up with lost learning, deepen their understanding and ensure that all areas of history can be accessed, even if pupils begin with us later in their primary schooling. The curriculum is structured in a way that allows for children to make links between current and previous learning. Our history curriculum allows Muntham House School pupils to develop a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Our practical, cross-curricular learning inspires pupils to know more about history and how different periods have shaped the world we live in today.
We aim to enable pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. It is important for children to develop a sense of identity through learning about the past and we want them to know how history has shaped their own lives. This is why the local area is fully utilised to achieve the curriculum outcomes. At Muntham house, our intent, when teaching history, is to stimulate the children’s curiosity for them to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding.
Implementation
Teachers use a variety of teaching and learning styles in their history lessons to develop pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding in history. Through these lessons, we intend to inspire pupils and practitioners to develop a love of history and see how it has shaped the world they live in. It is important for pupils to understand that the past influences the present and the future. We want to encourage children to learn that they can’t change history but what they can do is learn about it and learn from it then use this information to help shape a better future. We recognise that there are pupils of differing abilities in all our classes, and so we provide suitable learning opportunities for all pupils. We achieve this through a range of strategies which are differentiated by expected outcome and support from peers or adults.
We use curriculum days to inspire pupils and fully engage them with key areas of the history curriculum. Our history days are an exciting opportunity to bring history to life for pupils and enable them to develop questions and make links with their learning. Throughout their time with us pupils develop their research and enquiry skills and are supported to develop critical thinking and questioning skills. Our history curriculum is supported by cross curricula learning to ensure greater understanding and to give pupils the opportunity to apply the skills that they have learnt.
Foundation subjects are assessed throughout the year stating whether pupils are working towards, at or exceeding age-related expectations. This is then used to make sure all pupils are continuing to make progress and any pupils whose levels drop, or increase can be addressed accordingly.
Impact
Through our history teaching will ensure that pupils develop a passion for history to engage in learning, which develops their sense of curiosity about the past and their understanding of how and why people interpret the past in different ways. Our teaching ensures that regardless of what class pupils are in they are able to develop skills relevant to their ability and make progression within this. Our work will show that a range of themes are being covered, concepts are revisited, and cross curricular links are made where possible.
Our aim is to offer an inclusive curriculum that is relevant and adapted to the needs and abilities of all pupils. We ensure inclusive opportunities for raising self-esteem and celebrating success so that all pupils can reach their true full potential. Our pupils will all develop the key historical skills; historical perspective, understanding of historical concepts and methods of historical enquiry and an understanding of British and Worldwide history.