St John Fisher Catholic Primary School

History: Curriculum Statement

Intent:

• Our principal aim is that children leave St. John Catholic Primary School with a wide range of happy memories in history.
• Enhance children’s awareness of their own abilities and strengths as a learner; thus ensuring that children see learning in history as an on-going process not a one-off event.
• Deliver a curriculum that allows for high quality education encapsulated by rich experiences, creative thinking, growth mindset, cultural knowledge and a wide breath of topics.
• Children will meet the National Curriculum expectations in history, which will be taught by enthusiastic staff who will inspire curiosity, enthusiasm and interest in the subject.
• Opportunities will exist for children of all ages to experience learning beyond the classroom. This will allow them to enrich their knowledge by, for example, visiting places they may not normally consider such as castles and museums or places of historical interest.
• Children will develop a deep understanding of the subjects they are studying. They will increasingly use their prior knowledge to solve problems and develop the sophistication of history.
• Children will understand how our Catholic values of wisdom, justice, faith, courage, hope, love and respect relate to history.
• Children will understand how British Values relate to history.
• Children will develop the skills to appropriately use research and sources to consider historical information and to develop a range and depth of historical knowledge and chronological understanding.
• Children will develop a real understanding and appreciation of the world learning thereby ensuring they are culturally literate individuals with social competence.

Implementation:

• Teachers are starting to implement the Kapow scheme when planning for History.
• History is taught in blocks throughout the year, so that children achieve depth in their learning. The key knowledge and skills that children acquire and develop throughout each block have been mapped to ensure progression between year groups throughout the school.
• At the beginning of each topic, children convey what they know. This informs the program of study. Marking ladders are used during every lesson to guide children to achieve their full potential and to aid the mastering of core skills.
• Teachers refer to classroom timelines to develop children’s understanding of chronology at the beginning each new topic.
• The history curriculum is planned and sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before, ensuring that children are masters of the core skills in history.
• The history curriculum is broad and creatively linked to other subjects, with an emphasis on English skills.
• Disadvantaged children with SEND are supported to access the same broad and challenging curriculum as all children.
• Teachers check children understanding effectively, identifying and correcting misunderstandings.
• Teachers use assessment effectively to check pupils’ understanding in order to inform their teaching and further planning.
• The discovery of learning is enabled through rich experiences and opportunities. It is important for children to fully immerse in all areas of history. School trips, outdoor activities and exploration of our local area enhances children’s understanding of the world beyond their locality.

Impact:

• Children are happy learners within history. They experience a wide range of learning challenges within the subject and know appropriate responses to them.
• Through history, children deepen their appreciation of their faith and fulfil their God-given talents.
• Visits within history have enriched the lives of the children and they are able to discuss how the experience impacted their knowledge and understanding.
• Children of all abilities and backgrounds achieve well in history reflected in outstanding progress that reveals a clear learning journey. Children talk enthusiastically about their learning in history and are eager to further their learning in the next stages of their education.
• Children’s progress is tracked through ongoing assessment for learning.

• Children will reflect on their learning, expressing opinions and coming to conclusions.
• Children develop a curiosity to find out more about the past.

• The impact of our curriculum is also measured through regular book scrutiny, lesson observations and pupil surveys.

The Leader for History is Niamh Chambers.