History

Intent

We believe that a high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past and also aid in increasing a tolerant and inclusive understanding of the values and attitudes of others. Our pupils will enjoy and love learning about history by gaining knowledge and skills, not just through experiences in the classroom, but also with the use of fieldwork and educational visits.

The curriculum at Seer Green CE School aims to ensure that all children:

develop knowledge of how significant events and people fit into a chronological framework.
develop a greater understanding of our world and its people, of Britain’s past and that of the wider world which helps to engage children’s curiosity and prompts them to ask questions and seek the answers.
learn the skills of research, selecting and evaluating evidence, drawing conclusions and arguing their point of view.
begin to understand the complexity of people’s 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.
understand how the past influences the present and future.
understand how Britain is part of a wider European culture.
have some knowledge and understanding of historical development in the wider world.

Implementation

The history curriculum at Seer Green CE School is based upon the 2014 Primary National Curriculum in England and is delivered through engaging and exciting lessons appropriate to each Key Stage:

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children learn about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members. They know about similarities and differences between how they live and how people lived in the past
KS1 pupils develop an awareness of the past and the ways in which it was different from the present. They are taught about the lives and lifestyles of people in the recent past and about famous people and events in the more distant past. They begin to develop an understanding of changes over time
In KS2, pupils build on the work begun at KS1 and by the end of Year 6 they will have studied all required units from the NC programme of study and have a chronological understanding of British history, from the Stone Age to Roman Britain and on to the present day
Historical knowledge, skills and understanding are taught in units throughout the year, so that children can experience continuity and depth in their learning
Vocabulary and prior learning are revisited at the start of each lesson, equipping children with historical language and knowledge
Pupils are taught to draw comparisons and make connections between different time periods and their own lives
Wherever possible, cross curricular outcomes in history are specifically planned for, with strong links between the history curriculum and English lessons, enabling further contextual learning
The local area is fully utilised to support history topics
Knowledge grids for each unit of work are used to ensure key knowledge, skills and vocabulary for each unit of history are delivered

Impact

At Seer Green CE School, children will develop their historical thinking and enquiry skills; they will have developed their ability to investigate, reflect and review events by asking and answering challenging historical questions and being able to make links between events, underpinned by a clear understanding of chronology. Our children will demonstrate a sense of social responsibility and a respect for diversity through our choice of topics. They will be willing to engage in and comment on a range of events and issues from the past within the context of the time that they occurred. They will understand how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world.