History

Our History Lead is Mrs Cooper

Intent

Our intent at St Peter’s is that our History curriculum will help pupils to augment their cultural literacy and gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. We aim to inspire pupils’ curiosity about the past, teaching them to ask questions, think critically, understand, use and reflect on first hand and secondary evidence and develop an appreciation of where their lives fit in into the past as well as the future.

We teach children to have a deep understanding of chronology and the world’s historic timeline, understand the complexity of people’s lives in the past, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups. Our curriculum allows children to retain powerful knowledge and vocabulary. It is not merely a set of facts for children to learn and then forget. It is carefully designed and planned in such a way that knowledge will be stored in children’s long-term memories, so that they can build on it and use it later in life.

We ensure that all children gain a wealth of diverse experiences beyond learning facts in the classroom. We want our curriculum to inspire children to want to learn more, to provoke children’s intellectual curiosity and to create experiences of awe and wonder.

Implementation

Our carefully designed and progressive curriculum provides opportunities for enrichment and historical experiences that enhance our children’s history learning. The curriculum is sequenced to build on prior knowledge and skills. Links are deliberately made to previously taught topics and other subject areas.

Learning is blocked across the curriculum and subjects are taught discretely to aid teaching sequence, retention of knowledge and progression. Through our emphasis on enquiry, children are encouraged to think deeply and use their historical skills and knowledge to find answers using a range of sources and experiences.

We want children to experience history wherever possible through visits, visitors and trips. We visit our local museums as well as travel by coach to other historical places of interest around Kent.

Outcomes in books and evidence from pupil voice will demonstrate a broad and balanced history curriculum, showing children’s acquisition of identified key knowledge and skills. In history, knowledge can be recording in a variety of methods including posters and video recordings. Staff are used to act as scribes. History is about becoming curious and thinking critically so it is important to make learning accessible for all learners, including those with SEND.