Intent
During their time at Gusford Primary School, it is our intent that children will experience a rich and varied History curriculum that allows them to understand the complexity and diversity of past societies and how their changes and achievements have shaped the world around us now. Our children will acquire subject knowledge about key historical time periods in Britain and the wider world, as well as subject skills to ‘work historically’, principally, chronology, continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity and difference, significance and interpretation.
Implementation
History at Gusford gives children the opportunity to discover and develop their skills as historians in their history-led enquiries and throughout their learning in other subjects by exploring significant figures and events. Key concepts are incorporated into each topic to encourage children to compare different historical periods as they progress through the years to develop their historical skills. Key vocabulary is expanded in each year group and children show their learning in an increasing number of ways to support and include all learners. Each year group enlivens and deepens their historical learning with visits and experiences that bring the past to life.
EYFS & Key Stage 1
Our History learning begins in EYFS with children learning to talk about the lives of people around them and understand they have different roles in society. Children will recognise similarities and differences between things in the past and now by using their own experiences, those of people around them and class reading. Storytelling and class reading will allow children to understand the past through characters, settings and events. In Key Stage 1, children begin to build their subject skills to work historically across their history-led topics including using memories of living people to compare the recent past to now. In addition, children develop their subject knowledge by exploring key events and historical periods in Britain’s history that are beyond living memory. Children start to create a chronology of Britain’s history and discover different ways of showing their understanding. Children learn and use key vocabulary to explain their understanding, particularly concerning time. Across other subjects such as science and geography, children expand their knowledge and skills by finding out about significant figures and localities including local people and places.
Key Stage 2
In Key Stage 2, children continue to use history-led topics to expand their chronology of British history as well as civilisations from across the world. This includes finding out about a range of significant figures and events fromacross the world and important to the local area. Throughout their learning, children expand their subject skills and the range of ways they can demonstrate them whilst becoming more secure with their subject knowledge. Extending their historical vocabulary continues throughout Key Stage 2, supported by knowledge organisers and display walls. As children explore more historical periods and civilisations, they will build on their understanding of key concepts such as locality, legacy and empire, and be able to make meaningful connections between their learning throughout their time at school and with current events.
Cross Curricular links
History learning is continued during other foundation subject focused topics through understanding on chronology, the study of significant individuals or places relevant to the topic, the use of material culture and changes over time in the specific subject, such as scientific inventions or discoveries. Throughout the year, awareness of different historical periods is built on in the core subjects through reading texts and writing units that involve historical elements. Including music, art and technology within history learning deepens understanding. This provides a continual development in the children’s learning of history.