History

Intent

We want to inspire children by introducing pupils to the wide breadth of human experience by studying past societies and help them to gain a greater understanding of the world we live in today. We do this by encouraging vital skills such as knowledge and understanding; explaining and analysing key information; evaluating different interpretations of the past; reaching judgements to be able to form arguments; and by doing research so they may communicate clearly their points of view as individuals and independent learners. This is achieved by focusing on the significance of different events, cause and effect, change and continuity and the use of source evidence to help with historical enquiries.

Through the range of topics taught, whether British, European or wider world history, we seek to celebrate achievements and personal excellence and shine a light on the suffering of diverse peoples and cultures and recognise the British values as they have evolved of mutual respect, tolerance, diversity, freedom of speech and peace.

Implementation

In Key Stage 2, History is taught via one lesson per week and there is generally one topic per term. This provides a foundation of knowledge and skills for pupils to understand key events from the past and through these schemes of work we can help to develop literacy skills using strategies from the school’s reading focus such as modelling reading through reading aloud and breaking texts into smaller chunks and by discussing key vocabulary. We begin to make use of source analysis and looking at different historical perspectives. In Year 5 we study the Stone Age, The Vikings, Early Islamic civilisations and the Victorians focusing in particular on the impact of the Industrial Revolution.

In Year 6 we study Ancient Greeks, Tudor exploration, WWI Trenchlife and a local History study.

As we move into Key Stage 3 Year 7 also have one lesson per week but there is more depth to the study as we look at a single period of British history but through a number of different aspects. We study Medieval Realms starting with the Norman Conquest in 1066, then study aspects of Medieval life such as the Black Death and it’s impact and the consequences of the Peasants’ Revolt; the relationship between the Church and the Monarchy and ending with the Power of the Church and the Crusades.

In Year 8 there are two lessons a week in which we cover the religious divisions in Britain during the Tudor and Stuart period and moving on to the Slave Trade and how this leads to the Civil Rights movement and links to the Black Lives Matter movement.

We teach through a variety of activities in order to support different learning styles with differentiation and extension in all lessons. We aim to make lessons interesting and engaging, and through the resources and material we provide, a learning environment which will enable all pupils to make progress. Lessons and resources are shared across the teaching team and we look to make cross-curricular links e.g. the WWI unit in Year 6 aims to give a background knowledge for the study of WWI poetry in Year 7 English.

Impact

Pupils in KS2 are given assessments which allow them to demonstrate their learning in the topic – their knowledge and understanding of key events and people; their recognition of different time periods and use of dates and key subject vocabulary; the impact of these societies and start to make links to the modern world in which they live.

At KS3 pupils are given assessments which will help them to imbed the skills they have learnt to a higher level in preparation for their move to upper school and the skills which they will need for their GCSE curriculum. These skills include the recall of core knowledge, use of primary and secondary sources as evidence to support points of view, analysis of evidence for reliability and links or themes between topics. The study of History helps to give pupils a greater sense of their cultural past and how we have reached the position of the world as it is today.

Curriculum Overview

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Skills

Year 5

Year 6

Year 7

Year 8

I understand chronology and how the past is divided into periods of time.

I can pick out some similarities and differences between periods of time I have studied.

I can make some use of significant dates.

I can remember the events, people and their actions for the topic I am studying.

I can give reasons for what happened in the past for the topic I am studying.

I can suggest reasons for the different ways in which the past is shown.

I am beginning to recognise that the past can be seen in different ways.

I am beginning to see how to use evidence to support what I have said.

I can use information from a range of sources.

I am beginning to use the information to write in a more structured way.

I can understand there are similarities and differences between periods of time and can use relevant dates.

I am beginning to make connections between features of different periods of time.

I can use my knowledge of the topic I have studied to describe key features.

I can describe the main events and what happened as a result for the topic I am studying.

I can recognise that the past can be seen in different ways by different people.

I am starting to decide whether a source is reliable and useful as evidence.

I can use some sources as evidence to support what I have said.

I can use relevant information from a range of sources.

I can use information in a structured way including dates and key terms.

I can confidently identify similarities and differences between periods of time and know many significant dates.

I am starting to compare and contrast past periods of time.

I can recognise trends or patterns of change over time.

I can use my knowledge of the topic to describe key features and relate them to other time periods.

I can describe the main events and what happened as a result, making links between different periods of time, for the topic I am studying.

I can recognise that the past can be seen in different ways by different people and why they might have different opinions.

I can use some sources of evidence and suggest whether it is reliable.

I can select and use relevant information in my work from a range of sources for the period I am studying.

I can produce an extended piece of writing making appropriate use of important dates and key terms.

I can make links between the key features of periods of time.

I can use my knowledge of historical events/people to reflect on how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world.

I can compare and contrast past periods of time.

I am starting to explain trends or patterns of change over time.

I can explain the causes and consequences of an event, making links between the different causes.

I can understand why there are different views about the past and I am starting to evaluate these opinions.

I can use a variety of sources as evidence for the arguments I have described.

I can assess historical sources of information for reliability, making a comparison of more than one source.

I can produce a well-structured piece of extended writing, including my own opinion.

Knowledge

Year 5

Autumn Term:

First Half Term

Autumn Term:

Second Half Term

Spring Term:

First Half Term

Spring Term:

Second Half Term

Summer Term:

First Half Term

Summer Term:

Second Half Term

Topic: The Vikings 8^th-11^th century

Knowledge: To investigate whether the Vikings deserve the reputation they have; the raids on Lindisfarne; do the Vikings take over England?

Vocabulary: Lindisfarne, invaders, raiders, trade, bias, monks

Topic: The Vikings 8^th-11^th century

Knowledge: Research different aspects of Vikings life; Look at the way in which Vikings settled in England and the impact e.g. place names. How should the Vikings be remembered?

Vocabulary: settlers, Danegeld, trade, bias, sagas, religion.

Topic: Tudor Explorers 16^th century

Knowledge: Reasons why people would leave the country to sail the world and life on board ship.

Vocabulary: Religion, trade, piracy, adventure, persecution, discipline.

Topic: Tudor Explorers 16^th century

Knowledge: The impact of exploration on the colonies.

Vocabulary: Roanoke, settlement, native people, technology, trade, perspective.

Topic: Victorians 1837-1901

Knowledge: Impact of the industrial revolution.

Vocabulary: Factories, countryside, migration, urbanisation, child labour.

Topic: Victorians 1837-1901

Knowledge: Impact of the Industrial Revolution

Vocabulary: education, railways, causes, comparison

Year 6

Autumn Term:

First Half Term

Autumn Term:

Second Half Term

Spring Term:

First Half Term

Spring Term:

Second Half Term

Summer Term:

First Half Term

Summer Term:

Second Half Term

Topic: Ancient Greeks 1200BCE-200BCE

Knowledge: To understand the importance of pottery as evidence about Ancient Greece, the role of women in Greek society, comparison between city states of Athens and Sparta, perspectives on the Battle of Marathon.

Vocabulary: Evidence, city states, perspectives, bias.

Topic: Ancient Greeks 1200BCE-200BCE

Knowledge: Comparison of Ancient and modern Olympics, analysis of a Greek Legend, Greek thinkers, legacy of Ancient Greeks.

Vocabulary: religion, festival, exaggeration, evidence, democracy, jury, architecture

Topic: Early Islamic Society 8^th-14^th century

Knowledge: How was the Islamic Empire able to spread, what scientific knowledge did they have, what was the Golden Age like.

Vocabulary: Evidence, interpretation, causes, mosques, canals.

Topic: Early Islamic Society 8^th -14^th century

Knowledge: What made Baghdad special, Comparison with Cordoba, the Mongol invasion and the sacking of Baghdad.

Vocabulary: Caliph, House of Wisdom,

Topic: WWI 1914-18 – Trench life

Knowledge: To understand how the war started, what it was like for soldiers to be fighting in the trenches.

Vocabulary: Nationalism, Imperialism, alliances, power, colonies, allegiance, neutrality, trench foot, duck boards, shell shock

Topic: Local History

Knowledge: To understand and highlight the historic features of the town. The history of our school.

Vocabulary: Market Cross, All Saints church, poor house, LMS, Grand Union canal, alms houses, The Swan Hotel, Golden Bell.

Year 7

Autumn Term:

First Half Term

Autumn Term:

Second Half Term

Spring Term:

First Half Term

Spring Term:

Second Half Term

Summer Term:

First Half Term

Summer Term:

Second Half Term

Topic: The Norman Conquest 1066

Knowledge: Why did William win the Battle of Hastings?

Vocabulary: Medieval, conqueror, housecarl, fyrd, Norman, Viking, Saxon, cavalry, Bayeux tapestry.

Topic: Consequences of the Norman Conquest 11^th century

Knowledge: The feudal system, evolution of castles.

Vocabulary: Feudal, peasants, barons, Motte and Bailey, Stone Keep, Concentric castle, fortified manor house.

Topic: Medieval life

Knowledge: the impact of the Black Death. 1348-50

Vocabulary: Bubonic, pneumonic, plague, buboe, symptoms, consequences, rebellion, work service.

Topic: Medieval Life

Knowledge: The Peasants’ Revolt (1381). The relationship between the King and the people

Vocabulary: Evidence, bias, origin, audience, purpose.

Topic: Relationship between the monarchy and church

Knowledge: The murder of Thomas Becket (1170).

Vocabulary: Bias, power, influence, responsibility, reasoning.

Topic: Power of the church

Knowledge: the effect of the church on peasants’ lives, the Crusades.11^th-14^th Century

Vocabulary: Jerusalem, Saladin, pilgrimage, heaven, doom paintings, Christian, leadership.

Year 8

Autumn Term:

First Half Term

Autumn Term:

Second Half Term

Spring Term:

First Half Term

Spring Term:

Second Half Term

Summer Term:

First Half Term

Summer Term:

Second Half Term

Topic: The reformation and the religious impact in Tudor Britain. 16^th century

Knowledge: The cause of split in the church and whether Bloody Mary deserved her nickname.

Vocabulary: Reformation, Catholic, protestant, priest, Pope, monk, corruption, indulgence.

Topic: Causes of the English Civil War 1625-1642

Knowledge: The events which caused the breakdown in the relationship between the King and parliament.

Vocabulary: Power, Religion, Money, Divine right of Kings, Puritan, Cavalier, Roundhead, Naseby.

Topic: The Interregnum 1649-1660

Knowledge: Oliver Cromwell’s actions and whether it makes him a hero or a villain.

Vocabulary: execution, military, catholic, protestant, puritan, interpretations, Drogheda, dictatorship.

Topic: Witchcraft in the 17^th century

Knowledge: case study on the Pendle Witch Trial and the role of Matthew Hopkins as Witchfinder General

Vocabulary: familiar, cunning woman, religion, demonology, trial, Salem.

Topic: The Slave Trade 16^th-19^th century

Knowledge: The slave trade triangle, treatment of slaves via auction, the type of work undertaken, abolition and impact in the Caribbean.

Vocabulary: Middle passage, triangular trade, auction, plantation, emancipation, abolition.

Topic: Civil Rights movement in the 20^th century

Knowledge: the lasting impact of the slave trade and the struggle for equal rights in both America and Britain.

Vocabulary: racism, equality, rights, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Jim Crow laws.

British Values

The study of History helps to promote British Values through: the study of the political history we can see the development of British democracy from the Norman conquest onwards. Pupils learn about the tolerance and mutual respect for faiths and beliefs through the study of topics such as Greek Gods, the Reformation, Early Islamic civilisation and slavery. Pupils are encouraged to think about their own circumstances when making comparisons with the past. They are taught that there are a variety of perspectives and that they should value the right of others to hold a different opinion to their own. Diversity is considered through the continuity and change seen in the broad curriculum which pupils are taught.

Careers

Resilience

Communication

Leadership and management skills

Planning and research

Teamwork

History teaching allows pupils to reflect on events and people which have happened in the past, to make judgements about the actions taken and suggest ways in which they could have done things differently. Pupils will also be given the opportunity to reflect on assessments and use the feedback they have been given to improve - a key skill in any career.

Throughout the lessons in the history curriculum pupils are asked to develop their ability to put forward their ideas clearly, either verbally or in writing. They also learn to listen to others in order to assess the points which others are making.

Pupils have the opportunity with their learning partners, in group work and independently to show leadership ability and to manage their homework so that it is returned on the appropriate date.

Children are taught how to plan and structure their writing for assessed pieces of work but also through scaffolding and modelling of answers. They are regularly given opportunities to research information relevant to the topics being studied. This gives them the opportunity to learn key skills for the workplace such as seeking information from a variety of sources, analysis and interpretation of that information and reporting their findings.

Pupils learn to work co-operatively with each other such as pooling their information in their research for the local history topic in Year 6.

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (SMSC)

Spiritual	Moral	Social	Cultural
History is about curiosity about the past and pupils desire to know and understand more about how we as a people and as a country came to be where we are. The idea of truth is central to the study of History and is taught through their understanding of interpretations about the past. A good understanding of values and beliefs can be seen through pupils study in Year 7 of the beliefs which drove men to go on Crusades in the Middle Ages but also through the study of the Reformation in Year 8. The ability to be able to empathise with people from the past is something which is regularly encouraged. To see other points of view.	History lends itself to supporting moral education and the development of young people. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on their own personal values and the values of society which have changed over time. Moral decisions by individuals such as such as Oladah Equiano, by governments and societies are central to the study of the English Civil War and slavery.	Social issues and the needs of different groups are common themes in the study of History. They are explicitly recognised on a regular basis. The collective history of individual groups are explored during both KS2 and KS3. Examples would be the reputation of the Vikings (Y6); the role of women in Greek society (Y6); the role of the peasants in British society (Y7); and the study of the development of Black people in America (Y8).	Much of the History curriculum teaches pupils an appreciation of the influences which have shaped the cultural heritage of Britain and the wider world. For example, the building of the Parthenon and the influence that has had on architecture they can see within their school environment; the impact that the Islamic civilisation has had on such things as the development of the numeric system we still use today; and the development of the constitutional monarchy. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on their own cultural assumptions and values through the study of key events and individuals.