Red Oak Primary School, Lowestoft

History off the Page

History at Red Oak Primary School

Intent

We intend for our children to learn through a high-quality History education that inspires in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the past and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. At Red Oak our History topics form our half termly topics, consisting of 6-8 sessions per half term, during the other half term Geography is taught. We offer a high-quality history education that will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as understanding their own identity and the challenges of their time.

Implementation.

Key Stage 1

Pupils should develop an awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time. They should know where the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods. They should use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms. They should ask and answer questions, choosing and using parts of stories and other sources to show that they know and understand key features of events. They should understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.

Key Stage 2

Pupils should continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study. They should note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms. They should regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance. They should construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information. They should understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.

Curriculum

Aims

The national curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils:

know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind
gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’
understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses
understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed
gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short-term and long-term timescales.

At Red Oak Primary School; Key Stage 1 children cover History once in a half-termly topic which is based either on a national event, or on famous people. Furthermore, children in Key Stage 2 engage with a History topic once termly. Additionally, at Red Oak teachers deliver cross-curricular approaches to ensure that the historical skills are continually developed.

See the attached PDF table (on the website) which details subject coverage in each year group over the academic year:

Assessment

At Red Oak Primary School we use the Target Tracker assessment system, along with the National Curriculum materials and teachers’ own individual records to assess each pupil’s achievement at the end of each term and to monitor progress. The system gives children targets (in form of ‘I can’ statements) that teachers and pupils can assess their progress against. These encourage children to take ownership of their learning and find areas they wish to improve on. The assessments inform us whether each child is below expected, at expected or above expected for their year group.

Impact

Pupils learn how to apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study. Pupils are able to talk, discuss, write, explain and debate about; continuity and change across different time periods, cause and consequence, similarities and differences between different time periods. They have a cohesive and chronological narrative about the History of the British Isles, as well as comprehensive knowledge of wider world history. Children at Red Oak have the language skills to be able to express themselves as Historians. At Red Oak teachers assess children at the end of the topic unit, this is reviewed and monitored on a termly basis by the subject leader who also carries out regular learning walks, book scrutinies and lesson observations.

Targets

To ensure the History curriculum continues to exceed the expectations of the national curriculum.
Continue to develop the Oracy skills of all children within their History lessons.
To ensure all children are being accurately assessed in History lessons and that these assessments are used by class teachers to inform future planning addresses any misconceptions, and therefore drives forward progress.

Improvements to date April 2022

Knowledge organisers have been improved and the domain specific language is now evident on each one, as well as prior and future learning.
Enquiry questions are being used to lead the learning in lessons
Recap questions start every unit so that children can bank knowledge in their long- term memory
Artefacts are used frequently in lessons now.

Below is a table that shows subject coverage in each year group over the academic year:

For a larger version, please on the PDF below: