History

Respectful, resilient, responsible learners. 

History Policy

Subject lead: Mr A Muzyka

Policy Updated: June 2021

Policy Review: June 2022

Abingdon Primary School Geography Intent:

At Abingdon, we understand the importance of learning from the past. History is all around us. We know enables children to develop a context for their growing sense of identity and a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people. At Abingdon, we believe that studying history allows our children to see how and why our community, our country and the world have changed over time. We believe that what children learn through history can influence their values and attitudes. At Abingdon our main intent, when teaching our broad and ambitious history curriculum is to allow our children to develop their knowledge, understanding and skills while stimulating their curiosity of the wider world.

Implementation

We teach the National Curriculum, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression which has been shared with all the teachers. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children. It is important that the children develop progressive skills of a historian throughout their time at Abingdon Primary School and do not just learn a series of facts about the past. To do this successfully, as historians, they need to be able to research, interpret evidence, including primary and secondary sources, and have the necessary skills to argue for their point of view; skills that will help them in their adult life.

Planning

The progression map sets out the history knowledge including subject specific vocabulary which is to be taught throughout each year group and ensures that the requirements of the National Curriculum are fully met. This is monitored by the history subject lead. Specific teaching cycles for mixed age classes has been planned and communicated by phase leaders. This is also monitored by the history lead to ensure full coverage is met. The progression grid also outlines the progression of skills across the year groups.

Impact

By the time the children at Abingdon leave our school they should have developed:

• A secure knowledge and understanding of people, events and contexts from the historical periods covered.
• The ability to think critically about history and communicate confidently in styles appropriate to a range of audiences.
• The ability to consistently support, evaluate and challenge their own and others’ views using detailed, appropriate and accurate historical evidence derived from a range of sources.
• The ability to think, reflect, debate, discuss and evaluate the past, forming and refining questions and lines of enquiry.
• A passion for history and an enthusiastic engagement in learning, which develops their sense of curiosity about the past and their understanding of how and why people interpret the past in different ways.
• A respect for historical evidence and the ability to make robust and critical use of it to support their explanations and judgements.
• A desire to embrace challenging activities, including opportunities to undertake high-quality research across a range of history topics.

We believe that having these skills will make our children into better citizens in the future - they will have a better understanding of modern life, why some events occurred and what we can do to prevent others.

How the subject is monitored and evaluated 

All teachers are responsible for monitoring standards but the subject leader, under the direction of the head teacher, takes a lead in this. Monitoring activities are continuous and fall in with the subject co-ordinator’s action plan. In summary these are:

The subject leader to analyse teachers’ medium term planning to monitor the coverage and balance of the curriculum planned.

Monitor history learnt – by interviewing pupils, looking at samples of work and/or by observing lessons.

A staff meeting held to feed back to staff the results of the monitoring process and to decide on improvements needed in the teaching of history.

To maintain a good knowledge of history through research and CPD.

 SEND and Inclusion.

Using the SEND code of Practice, Local and National guidance to inform our curriculum structure, our curriculum enables personalisation and equitable delivery of learning for all children regardless of need.

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