Medlock Primary School
Embracing Learning, Realising Potential
T: 0161 273 1830
History Curriculum
We aim to provide children the opportunity to develop, build and master their skills, knowledge and understanding of Britain and the wider World. We will enable children to make links to their own lives and other curriculum subjects providing opportunity for oral discussions.
Overall Approach
Our history curriculum covers the full entitlement set out in the National Curriculum NC HIST and is made accessible to all children, whatever their particular needs. We follow a knowledge engaged curriculum. We structure our learning in history to recognise that the acquisition of knowledge, and the development of skills, to make sense of that knowledge are complementary aspects of children’s growing understanding. Whilst we scaffold many opportunities for knowledge and skills to be developed in tandem, in history in particular, we ensure that children are provided with the necessary knowledge before they are then supported in developing skills that best demonstrate their growing confidence and fluency. With a focus on developing historical enquiry and investigation. To research people and events, ask questions, look at views and arguments and develop own ideas
We have re-structured our curriculum with greater emphasis on key concepts that we believe children need to be able to unlock other pieces of knowledge so that our children know more and remember more and they can, as they progress through school make further connections or find differences between the various periods studied.
These concepts or strands are: Chronology; Legacy, the impact the historical period studied had on the periods that followed. For example, Ancient Greece and The Industrial Revolution; Religion and Beliefs; Daily life and poverty and wealth; Conflict; Geography/borders/land use, this examines the impact of geography on the success of civilisation or how civilisations can impact on human geography;Leadership and rule. For example, children in year 5 will explore poverty within the Victorian Period which will then be reexamined in year 6 as part of work on Crime and Punishment.
In order to support children to move from a basic understanding to a deeper, more advanced understanding, our lessons aim to build on prior knowledge, linking backwards and forwards and across other subjects to help embed pupils’ developing knowledge and conceptual understanding from one year to another.
History is typically taught as part of a wider inter-connected theme and is supported by the specific inclusion of non-fiction texts about the period being studied, as well as rich fictional texts set in the time. They also use a range of historical sources including paintings in order to deepen their understanding.
The curriculum is further enriched by a range of trips to museums and places of historical interest. For example, in Year 1 children visit Staircase House in Stockport; in Year 3 they have the opportunity to look at Ancient Egyptian artefacts and see the Roman legacy in Northern England; while in Year 5 children take part in a range of field trips looking at how Greater Manchester was shaped during the Victorian era.
Our Curriculum Framework
Our teachers plan lessons from knowledge of children’s prior starting points with each session intended to build up to a more challenging end point. We have recently implemented a question-led approach within each topic to support progression.
Each topic begins by introducing children to specific vocabulary and concepts that they will meet. Concept and vocabulary mats are also sent home with an emphasis on pre-learning of the most important vocabulary as well as stimulating learning conversations at home.Conversations are scaffolded by teachers to get the children to think about what they already know; what they want to find out and also start to begin their own learning. We have also begun to use these throughout the topic and at the end of a topic as an assessment tool to support what has been learnt and for children to see. This assessment sits alongside low stake questioning, discussion and quizzing and the opportunity for children in Key Stage 2 to write end of topic units where appropriate. These outcomes are used to inform teachers’ judgements of history in terms of knowing more, remembering more and being able to do more at the end of the academic year and whether children have met age related expectations for that year.
