History
Intent:
At Cupernham Infant School we value history as a key tool in stimulating children’s natural curiosity of their own world and the world around them. History is taught through topics that highlight significant events and people and their influence on our lives today. History teaching should ensure that children develop an awareness of the past allowing them to understand where the people and events fit chronologically. Children should identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different time periods and the present day using appropriate questioning and exploring different ways we can find out about the past.
Aims:
The National Curriculum for History aims to ensure that all pupils know and understand the history of these islands in a coherent, chronological narrative: how people’s lives have been shaped by this nation and by the wider world. Children should understand historical concepts such as cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance to make connections and frame historically-valid questions. An emphasis should also be placed on methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used to make historical claims.
At Cupernham Infant School our aims for every child are:
- To develop an enthusiasm and love for history based on their own curiosities and interests.
- To provide a progressive curriculum which enables children to develop their competence in historical skills and make connections to other people and historical events.
- To ensure learning is high quality, relevant and enjoyable.
- To question the world around them and problem solve.
- To develop the key historical skills needed to question, investigate and conclude personal fieldwork study, with growing independence.
- To inspire children for their own futures.
Implementation:
To ensure consistency and high standards of teaching and learning throughout the History curriculum at Cupernham Infant School, we implement a progressive curriculum that allows for the building of skills throughout the whole school. History is taught as part of specific topics using cross-curricular links to other areas of the curriculum fully immersing the children in the topic and ensuring that the topic is always relevant to the children. We believe it is crucial for children to develop their sense of time and begin to understand where their life fits within the wider picture.
This journey begins within the Early Years Foundation Stage in the Area of Learning called Understanding the World where children learn about their own history by exploring the lifeline of their own life and then expanding this knowledge through family members in order to explore the changes that have occurred within living memory. The children begin to develop their language of talking about the recent past, like ‘yesterday’ and ‘last week’. Children begin to explore the history of relevant systems and people that help us in everyday life, for example fire fighters.
The concept of time is then developed within Key Stage 1 as children revisit their own history whilst also expanding their wider historical knowledge. Children engage with the history of their local area, significant individuals and the wider world through Hampshire’s recommended ‘Six Step Enquiry’ approach. This encourages children to ask questions and become critical of historical evidence they are presented with.
The curriculum is further enriched by giving the children opportunities to visit museums and historical buildings as trips, listen to visiting speakers, use books, video clips, old documents, photographs and artefacts to deepen and enhance their understanding. In Early Years Foundation Stage, children often dress up and engage in role play to enhance their learning.
Impact:
At Cupernham Infant School, we care about the development of each child as a whole. Our History curriculum and learning environments aim to excite children through relevant learning hooks creating awe and wonder encouraging children to be creative problem solvers, open minded thinkers and reflective on our place in the world based on the past.
The skills they acquire during their historical learning should allow children to offer informed, valuable contributions to class discussions and offer strong foundations for them to ask key questions about the constantly evolving world around them. We aspire to promote children’s independence and for all children to take responsibility for their own learning.
Throughout Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage One, children will be assessed by their teachers through formative assessment, images and videos of children’s learning, books and pupil voice to establish children’s successes and identify their next steps in their learning journey.
History Subject Overview:
History Subject Progression: