History

History Intent

The history curriculum at Ridgeway Farm draws from and makes full use of the immediate and wider local area, enabling children to develop a deep understanding of the rich history of their locality.

• To provide our children with a broad range of experiences which enrich their knowledge and understanding of the world around them, identifying how the past contributes to the current day.
• To develop knowledge and understanding of key historical knowledge including Britain’s past and that of the wider world which helps to stimulate pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past;
• To develop the children's chronological framework to support them in building a picture of the past and how areas of study link.
• Begin to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.
• To develop enquiry skills through study of historical events using a range of sources.
• To encourage children to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement.

History Implementation

History gives us an understanding of who we are, and where we came from. Our aims are to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum for History, equipping pupils with knowledge about the history of Britain and how it has influenced and been influenced by the wider world. We ensure the progressive development of historical concepts, knowledge and skills through careful planning, and aim to inspire in all our pupils a curiosity and fascination about the Britain’s past and that of the wider world, including ancient civilisations and empires.

In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in history, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. In KS1, pupils are introduced to learning about changes in living memory and beyond living memory, by learning about the lives of significant people of the past, understand the methods of historical enquiry and beginning to ask and answer questions about the past. In Lower KS2, pupils learn about the history of Britain from the Stone Age to the Norman Conquest, creating a timeline into and around which a wider range of topics such as Ancient Greece and WWII are placed in Upper KS2.

History is taught as a half-termly or termly topic, focusing on knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum, to build an in-depth knowledge about a particular period in history, or understand how an aspect of life has changed through time. The History topics frequently form the core of our cross-curricular approach to teaching, support and engaging our pupils with work in many other subjects, including English, Art, Music and RE. In this way, children are able to gain a richer and deeper understanding of each particular period in time.

We aim for our children to enjoy and love learning about history by gaining this knowledge and skills, not just through experiences in the classroom, but also with the use of educational visits. This approach equips our pupils with the historical skills and knowledge that will enable them to be ready for the curriculum at Key Stage 3 and for life as an adult in the wider world.

History Impact

Children will enjoy History and historical experiences and will want to find out more.

The children will be encouraged to research independently to further their own enjoyment and fascination about the topic or subject (eg through homework activities or independent research).

Evidence of work will show secure knowledge and skill coverage and development, with cross-curriculum links and supported work where necessary.

As they progress through the school, children will have an increased understanding of key areas: chronology; similarity and difference; continuity and change.

Children will be able to use specific vocabulary relating to History.