History Intent Document

History

At St. John’s we shape our history curriculum to ensure it is fully inclusive to every child. Our aims are to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum for History; providing a broad, balanced and differentiated curriculum that encompasses the British Values throughout; ensuring the progressive development of historical concepts, knowledge and skills and

for the children to study life in the past.

Intent

At St John’s, we aim for a high quality history curriculum which should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Our teaching equips pupils with knowledge about the history of Britain and how it has influenced and been influenced by the wider world; know and understand about significant aspects of the history of the wider world like ancient civilisations and empires; changes in living memory and beyond living memory; learn about the lives of significant people of the past; understand the methods of historical enquiry and be able to ask and answer questions. We want 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 fieldwork and educational visits.

St.John's History Curriculum ensures children:

Know and understand the history of Britain as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind
Gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’
Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame questions
And create their own structured accounts, including written narratives.
Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed
Gain historical perspective understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

Implementation

In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in history, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. History is taught as part of a half-termly topic, focusing on knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum. At St John’s, we feel this is important in enabling all children to gain ‘real-life’ experiences. For example, handling artefacts in class, re-enacting historical events and bringing our locality into our topics where possible to make it more relevant to the pupils.

The subject leader and teachers:

• Plan: each lesson is judiciously planned to identify the different types of knowledge that the lesson focusses on. It builds on pupils’ prior learning, drawing upon previously lessons and the prior learning as identified in the medium term plans.

• Teach: pupil are taught following the school’s history curriculum units of work.

• Assess: pupils are given enquiry-based composite tasks that enable pupils to demonstrate their understanding of the component knowledge.

• Intervene and re-teach: composite tasks identify knowledge components that are not secure. These are re-taught before moving on to avoid future gaps from emerging.

Adapting the curriculum for pupils with SEND in history

• Adaptive teaching takes place.

• For sensory or physically impaired pupils, history learning may necessitate enlarging texts, using clear fonts, using visual overlays, or audio description of images.

• Dyslexic pupils may benefit from well-spaced print.

• Teachers identify and break down the components of the subject curriculum into manageable chunks for pupils who find learning more difficult, particularly those with cognition and learning needs. These may be smaller ‘steps’ than those taken by other pupils to avoid overloading the working memory.

• A variety of additional scaffolds may be used in lessons, such vocabulary banks, additional visual stimuli or adult support.

Teaching approach:

Check prior learning has been retained through the starter.
‘Front-load’ any possible misconceptions so that these are not formed and built on with new learning.
Introduce the learning outcome of the lesson, making links to both the wider learning journey and the real world. Ensure that the lesson is understood within a wider appreciation of chronology, drawing upon prior learning and timelines as required.
Model and develop key substantive concepts using the “I do, we do, you do” pedagogical structure, ensuring that teacher modelling is built around appropriate success criteria.
Maximise engagement, learning and progress through regular use of teaching strategies such as Cold Call, Turn and Talk, Everybody Writes and Show Call.
Build in regular checks for understanding during lessons, including through assertive monitoring and targeted questioning, addressing misconceptions quickly and remodelling where necessary.
Check priority knowledge has been retained in the working memory at the end of every lesson, including through the use of Exit Tickets.
Develop knowledge and understanding of the key features and characteristics of the periods studied.
Ensure that substantive knowledge is developed alongside disciplinary knowledge within meaningful historical enquiry, so they develop as independent learners and as critical and reflective thinkers, with opportunities for extended writing.
Analyse and evaluate historical sources independently.
Ensure pupils take pride in their written work, continually focus on their handwriting and quality of diagrams, and provide clear evidence in their books of responding to written and verbal teacher feedback.
Provide opportunities for subject-specific enrichment both inside and outside of school.

Impact

The impact and measure of this is to ensure that children at St John’s are equipped with 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.

We want the children to have thoroughly enjoyed learning about history, therefore encouraging them to undertake new life experiences now and in the future