AIMS

The national curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils:

• know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
• know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind
• gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’
• understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses
• understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed
• gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

Our aims:

The purpose of our history curriculum is to engage and enthuse learners through historical periods which engage and excite the pupils. We hope that our children will create links between the past and now and to recognise changes and similarities in concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance.

TEACHING METHODS

1. The chronological teaching of periods of history from EYFS to Year 6.
2. Historical periods which are relevant to the children, their backgrounds and the wider school community.
3. Lessons which don’t just teach subject knowledge but skills which can be used and applied beyond primary school.
4. The use of primary and secondary sources which can then be used and applied through writing, oral presentations and other methods of recording.
5. Drama, visitors and trips to engage pupils and excite them.

WHAT WILL CHILDREN BE ABLE TO DO?

History threshold concepts:

• Investigate and interpret the past

  This concept involves understanding that our understanding of the past comes from an interpretation of the available evidence.

• Build an overview of world history

  This concept involves an appreciation of the characteristic features of the past and an understanding that life is different for different sections of society.

• Understand chronology

  This concept involves an understanding of how to chart the passing of time and how some aspects of history studied were happening at similar times in different places.

• Communicate historically

  This concept involves using historical vocabulary and techniques to convey information about the past.

Essential characteristics of Wateringbury historians:

• An excellent knowledge and understanding of people, events, and contexts from a range of historical periods and of historical concepts and processes.

• The ability to think critically about history and communicate ideas very confidently in styles appropriate to a range of audiences.

• The ability to consistently support, evaluate and challenge their own and others’ views using detailed, appropriate and accurate historical evidence derived from a range of sources.

• The ability to think, reflect, debate, discuss and evaluate the past, formulating and refining questions and lines of enquiry. 

• A passion for history and an enthusiastic engagement 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. 

• A respect for historical evidence and the ability to make robust and critical use of it to support their explanations and judgments.

• A desire to embrace challenging activities, including opportunities to undertake high-quality research across a range of history topics.