History

History at Leven CE Primary School is led by our Humanities Team - Mrs Lee and Mrs Waterhouse. 

Intent

At Leven CE Primary School we aim to deliver a history curriculum that is accessible to all and that will maximise the outcomes for every child so that they know more, remember more and understand more. Our teaching of history will help pupils gain a secure knowledge and understanding of Britain's past and that of the wider world. The curriculum is structured in a way that allows for children to make links between current and previous learning. Teachers use the Curriculm Skills and Progression Map for History to make comparisons between historical periods previously taught, developing children's chronological knowledge and understanding from the Stone Age to the present day. 

We want children to be curious to know more about the past and to have the skills required to explore their own interests. History lessons focus on working as historians and developing historical skills and there are many opportunities for the curriculum to be enriched through historical visits. 

We aim to enable children to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgement. It is important for children to develop a sense of identity through learning about the past and we want them to know how history has shaped their own lives. This is why the local area is utilised to achieve the curriculum outcomes. 

 

Implementation

Teachers use a variety of teaching and learning styles in their history lessons to develop pupils' knowledge, skills and understanding in history. 

We believe children learn best when:

  • They have access to, and are able to handle artefacts
  • They go on visits to museums and places of interest
  • They have access to secondary sources such as books and photograph
  • Visitors talk about personal experiences of the past
  • They listen to and interact with stories from the past
  • They undertake fieldwork by interviewing family and older friends about changes in their own and other people's lives
  • They use drama to act out historical events
  • They are shown, or use independently, resources from the internet and videos
  • They are able to use non-fiction books for research
  • They are provided with opportunities to work independently or collaboratively, to ask as well as answer historical questions

We recognise that there are children of differing abilities in all our classes, and so we provide suitable learning opportunities for all children. We achieve this through a range of strategies which are differentiated by expected outcome and support from peers or adults. 

The History Skills and Progression Map maps out the skills and themes covered each term for each year group, as well as defining what we teach and where links to prior learning can be built on. Specific vocabulary is included to inform teacher's planning. When and where appropriate, opportunities will be encouraged to promote historical learning across the curriculum. 

Assessment in history is an ongoing process. Teachers will make informal judgements about pupil's progress and attainment as they observe them throughout lessons and mark their work. 

At the end of each term, teachers will decide on a pupil's level of attainment noting which children are:

  • Working towards the expected standard
  • Working at the expected standard
  • Working at greater depth within the expected standard

Each classroom has access to the internet through a Clevertouch board and children have access to tablets. Educational visits are planned to enhance learning and give hands on activities. People with an interest, or expertise, in a particular topic or area of history are invited into school to work with the children. These might be parents, grandparents, or other family members, neighbours or representatives of the local community. 

The Humanities Subject Leader Team will monitor teaching and learning in history across school. Monitoring takes place in a variety of ways. This includes a scrutiny of children's work, discussions with children and learning walks. 

Click to Download History Progression Map [pdf 232KB] Click to Download

Impact

  • Children are engaged, curious and resilient in history lessons and relish the challenge and opportunities for fun that the subject offers. 
  • Children are critical and analytical in their thinking, making informed and balanced judgements based on their knowledge of the past. 
  • Children are aware of how historical events have shaped the world today, including history at a local level. 
  • Children develop enquiry skills to pursue and investigate their own interests within a topic. 
  • Children visit historically relevant sites and museums and learn from visitors to enhance their learning in history and create positive memories. 
  • Children retain learning and explicitly make connections between what they have previously learned and what they are currently learning. 
  • Children are able to articulate what they have learned in history and can describe significant periods, events and people from the past. 
  • Children remember more, know more and can do more.