Calder Vale St John C of E Primary School
Grow, Achieve, Explore
Intent
The Bowland Federation of schools believe that History should be an investigative subject that puts the child in the centre of their learning, immersing them in the period of time they are studying. Our schools aim to deliver a History curriculum that inspires curiosity and creativity. We want children to be enthused and eager to learn more about the people, places and events that have shaped our lives today through.
Implementation
Our curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure children revisit and deepen their understanding and application of substantive concepts and disciplinary skills. As a federation, we aim to ensure children are not just recipients of historical knowledge but that they are given the chance to discover it for themselves through artefact studies, source analysis, independent enquiry and exploration.
In EYFS, children become familiar with historical vocabulary such as ‘present’ and ‘past’ and start their journey as a historian. They explore photographs, stories and take part in historical visits with our KS1 children to enthuse them about the what, why, when and how of history. In KS1 and KS2, children are introduced to their topics with an artefact study that sparks curiosity about what they could be learning. When they discover the time in history they are exploring, they are given their historical enquiry question that they will formulate an answer to by piecing together the knowledge and skills they gain throughout the unit. Each child is given the opportunity to showcase their skills and knowledge at various points throughout a unit through discussion, cross-curricular writing, claim and support lessons, independent and group projects and teacher formative assessment.
Impact
As a result of our history curriculum, children are engaged and curious about the past and are happy to discuss what they know and how they know it. Children within our federation know, remember and do more with their knowledge and showcase this in their work in school as well as in their interest in the subject at home, completing home learning challenges and conducting their own research. When our children leave us, they can discuss chronology of history, important people and key events and think about what their significance means for us in the present.