HISTORY
INTENT:
At St Mark’s it is our intention to provide a high-quality History curriculum to enable pupils to gain knowledge and understanding of our past and that of the wider world. We strive to inspire pupils’ curiosity, so they gain a coherent knowledge and understanding about the past, through a topic-based approach with hands-on experiences whenever possible. We aim to bring History ‘to life’ by immersing the children in realistic experiences both in school and on exciting educational visits. We intend to develop historical knowledge with a high focus on developing historical skills. Our aim is to equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, analyse evidence and develop their own informed judgements.
Through our varied teaching approaches, we enable pupils to understand that History is about real people who lived, and real events which happened in the past. We aim to enable children to develop a knowledge of chronology, so that they can organise their understanding of events from the past. Also, to equip children with historical knowledge which they can retrieve and communicate to show what they have learned about the past.
At St Mark’s, we believe History plays an essential role in determining how we live and work in our world today. History gives each of us a sense of identity. For these reasons, we endeavour to help pupils understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and the relationships between different groups in the challenging world we live in today.
IMPLEMENTATION:
The History curriculum at St Mark’s uses the objectives from the National Curriculum as the basis for planning. In Key Stage 1 and 2 History is taught for the first half term each term, one session per week. In the Foundation Stage History skills are taught constantly through play, provision and topic teaching.
Planning is chronological, progressive and begins with the basic skills which are applied in a range of contexts through challenging and inspiring topics. We teach lessons that captivate students' imaginations, making history come alive through storytelling, artefacts, and interactive activities.
An enquiry-based approach is used, with time set aside for discussions, debate and questions, thus developing independent learning and critical thinking We actively involve the local community and heritage in our curriculum allowing students to connect with their own history and identity.
Regular formative and summative assessments are used to monitor progress and adapt teaching methods to meet individual needs. At the end of each unit, the teacher makes a summary judgement about each pupil’s work in relation to the skills outlined in the National Curriculum. These are recorded in our school’s assessment tracker for History, and form the basis for assessing the progress of each child.
IMPACT:
Our History Curriculum aims to produce confident, empathetic, and knowledgeable young historians who are equipped with the skills, understanding, and ambition to make a positive impact on their future. We measure the impact through academic achievement, students' ability to engage in meaningful historical discussions, and the raised aspirations and confidence levels of our students.
At St Mark’s, our history curriculum is not just a subject; it's a journey that empowers our children to explore the past, understand the present, and shape the future. Through this curriculum, we aspire to transform lives, create informed citizens, and contribute to the development of a more inclusive and enlightened society.