Curriculum - History
At Bridgtown Primary school, we believe that children should be given the opportunity to be historians. We are curious to learn about the past so that we can understand the world today. It is our aim that children gain a good understanding of chronology through asking questions and developing thinking further. Children are encouraged to think critically and evaluate evidence.
Curriculum Rationale
At Bridgtown Primary school our school vision is ‘Hand in Hand-Building for the future’. Pupils will develop a knowledge and chronological understanding of the past and the impact that this can have on their future. We want pupils to feel empowered to ask questions, research and analyse evidence, draw conclusions and communicate their findings confidently.
At Bridgtown our intent, whilst teaching History, is to stimulate a curiosity in order for our children to develop knowledge, skills, and understanding of this subject. This will be through the teaching of History and experiences given.
The core of our History curriculum is the National Curriculum.
Our skills progression grids cover the four key areas of History:
- Time
- Everyday life
- Sources and evidence
- Historical change
The teaching of these four key areas will be supported by the following aims of the National Curriculum:
- Understanding chronology of events and the impact this has had
- Understanding significant impacts of the history of the wider world
- Understanding historical concepts
- Develop understanding of historical enquiry
- How to place growing knowledge into different contexts
- Improving awareness and using historical vocabulary
We aim for all of our pupils to have gained a curiosity and passion for history through new knowledge of people, events and historical periods. Pupils will be able to talk enthusiastically and articulate through reflection, discussion and debate using historical questioning and key vocabulary.
History in EYFS
The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum supports children’s understanding of History through the planning and teaching of ‘Understanding the World’. This aspect is about how children find out about past and present events in their own lives, their families and other people they know. Children are encouraged to develop a sense of change over time and are given opportunities to differentiate between past and present by observing routines throughout the day, growing plants, observing the passing of seasons and time and looking at photographs of their life and of others. Practitioners encourage investigative behaviour and raise questions such as, ‘What do you think?’, ‘Tell me more about?’, ‘What will happen if..?’, ‘What else could we try?’, ‘What could it be used for?’ and ‘How might it work?’ Use of language relating to time is used in daily routines and conversations with children for example, ‘yesterday’, ‘old’, ‘past’, ‘now’ and ‘then’.
What does History look like in EYFS?
History in KS1 & KS2
Our History curriculum is designed:
- to enable our children to become independent, respectful and successful adults in terms of being able to find employment in the future and to be moral citizens
- to provide a relevant, progressive and well-structured History curriculum which enables children to develop and master a broad knowledge and wide range of skills
Our History curriculum is structured providing for each key stage and year group:
- A clear list of end points
- Progressive knowledge and skills which will shape children as historians
- A clear list of vocabulary both appropriate to History and progressive through the key stages
- Provide a variety of enrichment opportunities including visitors into school, local area visits and visits to different places
