Introduction

“The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Elveden C of E Primary Academy is committed to providing all children with high quality educational experiences and learning opportunities to engage in History. Our curriculum is determined and underpinned by the school’s Christian vision, mission statement, physical and mental wellbeing and Building Learning Power.

Intent

History is about real people who lived and real events which happened in the past. It is concerned with sequence, time and chronology and is the study of evidence about the past. At Elveden C of E Primary Academy, history fires the children’s curiosity about the past in Britain and the wider world and plays an essential part in preparing us for living in the contemporary world. We have shaped our rich and diverse history curriculum to inspire a curiosity within our children to discover more about their past and consider how the past influences the present, what past societies were like, how these societies organised their politics, and what beliefs and cultures influenced people’s actions. As they do this, children develop a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people. They see the diversity of human experience, and understand more about themselves as individuals and members of society. There is also a huge emphasis on our local history and the key events that have shaped the history of our school. We want our children to develop an appreciation for the people and events that are part of our local, national and international history. What they learn can influence their decisions about personal choices, attitudes and values. In history, children find evidence, weigh it up and reach their own conclusions. They develop their critical thinking skills to be able to analyse evidence, appreciate different viewpoints and argue for their point of view to become well-informed historians – skills that are prized in adult life.

The aims of history are:

-To instil in the children a curiosity and understanding of events, places and people in a variety of times and environments.

 -To develop an interest in the past and an appreciation of human achievements and aspirations

 -To understand the values of our society

-To learn about the major issues and events in the history of our own country and of the world and how these events may have influenced one another

-To develop knowledge of chronology within which the children can organise their understanding of the past

-To understand how the past was different from the present and that people of other times and places may have had different values and attitudes from ours

-To understand the nature of evidence by emphasising the process of enquiry and by developing the range of skills required to interpret primary and secondary source materials

-To distinguish between historical facts and the interpretation of those facts

-To understand that events have a multiplicity of causes and that historical explanation is provisional, debatable and sometimes controversial

Wherever possible we aim to link these to our school values, respect, trust, forgiveness and hope.

Implementation

At Elveden C of E Primary Academy, we encourage the children to let their light shine as we deepen their historical understanding. Our pupils have participated in many exciting opportunities, including our unforgettable visit to the Tutankhamun Exhibition in London. A visit from some fascinating Vikings and Anglo-Saxons, re-enacting the lives of Victorian children at the Ancient House Museum and an interactive talk with Cambridge Polar Museum.  Elveden C of E Primary Academy implements the National Curriculum through creative and practical lessons which are inclusive to all children.

Our history curriculum provides the children with chronological understanding, knowledge of significant individuals and events, and how the past impacts our lives in the present. Furthermore, we have an excellent link with Ancient House Museum in Thetford and work with them closely to make the history of the local area come alive for the children and that the children have sessions delivered by historical experts.

History curriculum planning at Elveden C of E Academy is taught through a topic approach alongside Design & Technology, Geography and Art. Our curriculum is carefully planned over a two year cycle in KS1 and KS2, to engage and excite all our learners. Our Knowledge and Skills progression mapping sets out the skills and themes covered each term for each key stage. These plans define what we will teach and ensure an appropriate balance and distribution of work across each term. The school uses a variety of teaching and learning styles in history lessons. Our principal aim is to develop the children’s knowledge, skills and understanding in history and we use a variety of teaching and learning styles in our history lessons. We believe in whole-class teaching methods and combine these with enquiry-based research activities. We believe children learn best when:

-They have the chance to visit Saatchi museum, London.

-They meet and talk to people who have lived through important moments in history (eg. Thetford Museum, Windrush Project)

-They explore local museums to develop a stronger link to topics being studied (Thetford Museum)

-They have opportunities to handle historical artefacts and draw their own inferences and conclusions from them.

-They experience what life was like in the more distant past through trips, themed days and (where possible) residential visits (eg. Southwold, Stone Age,)

-They meet professional historians and talk to them about how they piece together clues to form a more complete picture of the past.

-They are exposed to diversity opportunities (Black History Month, Rosa Parks/Mary Seacole etc)

We recognise the fact that we have children of differing ability in all our classes, and so we provide suitable learning opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child. We achieve this through a range of strategies which are differentiated by task, expected outcome and/or support from peers or adults.

Impact

The children undertake a broad and balanced programme that takes account of abilities, aptitudes and physical, emotional and intellectual development. Through history the children learn a range of skills, concepts, attitudes and methods of working. We use a range of strategies to assess what skills and knowledge the children have attained each term including the follow:

• Book looks

• Pupil voice

• Regular feedback during each lesson

• Staff CPD

At Elveden C of E Academy assessment is an integral part of the teaching process. Assessment is used to inform planning and to facilitate differentiation. The assessment of children’s work is on-going to ensure that understanding is being achieved and that progress is being made. Feedback is given to the children as soon as possible, and marking work will be guided by the school’s Marking Policy. Attainment is assessed summatively at the end of each unit of work against the requirements of the National Curriculum. This is reported to the next teacher. Pupil’s achievements in the subject are reported to parents on the end of year report.