Intent

At Heskin Pemberton’s, our curriculum is designed to help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. We aim to spark curiosity about the past and the aspiration to independently develop enquiries, through the desire to further their own knowledge and understanding.  Teaching will equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. We believe learning in History helps pupils to understand the complexity of peoples’ lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time. The History curriculum makes full use of resources within the immediate and wider local area enabling children to develop a deep understanding of the rich history of their locality.

As with all curriculum areas, we intend for Heskin Pemberton’s pupils to have a thirst for knowledge, a toolkit of skills which links all of the curriculum and an aspirational approach to the future, all of which are underpinned by our Gospel Values.

Implementation

Subject specific concepts are used so that the children are able to attach their knowledge and skills to concepts and these act like collection baskets for knowledge. The four golden concept threads have been selected based on the National Curriculum. Themes are also informed by the National Curriculum as well as the context of the local area. The History curriculum is carefully planned and structured to ensure that current learning is linked to previous learning and that the school’s approaches are informed by evidence based pedagogy.

History is taught in half termly blocks throughout the year, so that children achieve depth in their learning. Key knowledge and skills are identified for each theme. Subject concepts provide the coat-hangers for new learning and knowledge, which allow further depth and understanding to be gained. These concepts allow children the opportunity to begin to study knowledge and skills specific to this discipline. Children begin to ‘think like a historian’.

Within our knowledge-rich approach, the children will create their own knowledge organiser. This not only ties the History unit together, highlighting the learning, but also allows the children to have an idea, thought or memory to hold and to move forward with. Furthermore, the children will have an awareness of the impact that the past has had and lessons that have or may not have been learned. This will support the children to answer the overarching enquiry lesson at the end of the unit, which will provide assessment material.

By the end of KS2, children will have a chronological understanding of British History from the Stone Age through to the present day. They are able to draw comparisons and make connections between different time periods, and their own lives, as well as having a true understanding of the concepts that they have studied their topic through.

The local area is also fully utilised to achieve the desired outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice. Vocabulary, knowledge and opportunities for discussion, debate, questioning are all pivotal in our pursuit to deepen and enrich children’s learning. Outcomes of work are regularly monitored to ensure that they reflect a sound understanding of the key identified knowledge.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) follows the ‘Development Matters in the EYFS’ guidance which aims for all children in Reception to have an ‘Understanding of the World; People and Communities, The World and Technology’ by the end of the academic year. It is in the Early Years that children begin to develop the concept of ‘past’ and begin to be curious about events and people that are relevant to them and the local community. Children are introduced to the four golden concept threads in EYFS, for the first time.

The curriculum is designed in such a way that children are involved in ongoing dialogue and evaluation about the quality of their outcomes and the improvements they want to make. Pupils evaluate their own learning in each History unit through peer and self-assessment. Observations of pupil progress within each lesson are used to plan subsequent teaching. Summative assessments are made at the end of each termly topic and reported to parents in the annual school report. It is the subject leader’s responsibility to monitor provision in History and to analyse assessment data. The subject leader will use the information gleaned from monitoring activities to complete an action plan annually to inform the SLT of attainment, progression and future actions.

Spirituality is woven into the teaching of History as our children embark on a journey through the rich tapestry of human experiences. History lessons provide a platform for exploring diverse cultures, traditions and belief systems, enabling our children to develop an understanding of the spiritual dimensions that have shaped societies throughout time. Through the study of historical figures, events and civilizations, our children may reflect on the moral and ethical aspects of human behaviour, fostering a sense of empathy and interconnectedness with the past. Our History curriculum is a gateway for our children to ponder their own spiritual identities and values. By connecting with the stories of people from different periods, our children cultivate a broader perspective on spirituality and develop a deeper appreciation for the shared human quest for meaning and purpose across time.

Impact

At Heskin Pemberton’s C of E Primary School, our pupils will have:

• Become increasingly critical and analytical with their thinking, developing the skills to make informed and balanced judgements based on their knowledge of the past.
• Become increasingly aware of how historical events have shaped the world that they currently live in.
• Gained from meaningful, memorable opportunities that last a life time.
• Encountered or participated in high-quality visits/visitors to further appreciate the impact of History.
• A richer vocabulary which will enable them to articulate their understanding of taught concepts.
• High aspirations, which will see them through to further study, work and a successful adult life.