History
“The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”
Theodore Roosevelt
At Elmridge, our intent is to develop curious, critical and knowledgeable historians who are inspired to explore and understand the world around them and the reasons why it has become that. Through a challenging and engaging curriculum, children build secure historical knowledge alongside the skills needed to articulate, work historically and ask thought provoking questions about the key events of history that have shaped and sculpted our world we live in today.
Our History curriculum is carefully planned to ensure children develop secure sequential understanding. Throughout EYFS, History is planned through provision to show objectives linked to ‘Past and Present’. This is to ensure the is a firm grasp that history is what has already happened and that things can change or stay the same. In Key Stage 1, children learn about the important events and significant individuals that have contributed to global and local changes. Throughout Key Stage 2, topics are taught in chronological order to recognise key events with cause and effects which impact change for future units. We want pupils to develop a deep understanding of three key golden threads that are woven through the topics – technology, monarchy and invasion & settlement.
History at Elmridge promotes inquisitiveness, enquiry line thinking and exploration of theories. Through exploration of sources and fact, debates and enrichment opportunities, children learn to think and work like historians by looking closely, making connections, posing questions and explaining while using specific historical vocabulary.
Our curriculum reflects our values of Challenge, Care and Collaboration by encouraging children to persevere, question deeply and work collaboratively when exploring historical ideas. Children will also be beginning to empathise with how the events over change had impacted emotionally and explain the reasons to why they have happened. Through high expectations and adaptive teaching, all pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, are supported to access and succeed within the full history curriculum and use a variety of recording strategies remove barriers to learning.
History at Elmridge is taught on a fortnight on rotation with Geography. This was chosen instead of half termly units so children have less of a gap between the taught content in the aim that children can recall prior information quicker. The curriculum has been designed and tailored using Key Stage History for KS1 and KS2 with local history units planned and created due to demographic and significant events and individuals in the area. In EYFS, History is implemented from the Past and Present ELG where children have opportunities in main inputs and through provision. They look at how History is firstly personal and what patterns are repeated (such as birthdays, religious holidays etc.) before looking at wider events that impact the class and school.
All lessons provide interactive, knowledge-rich learning experiences that build children’s understanding progressively over time. Lessons are carefully sequenced to build on both substantive historic knowledge and disciplinary knowledge across local, British and global history.
Teachers use explicit instruction, modelling and purposeful questioning to support children in developing secure historical understanding and vocabulary. Subject specific language is introduced, revisited and embedded regularly so that pupils can explain their thinking, justify conclusions and communicate and articulate ideas clearly and accurately.
Learning is enriched through several trips outdoor learning throughout year groups. educational visits and online events with historians and meaningful links to the wider curriculum. These experiences help children understand the relevance of where history is within the world around them and encourage aspiration towards future learning and careers linked to history.
Adaptive teaching strategies ensure all pupils can access ambitious history learning. Appropriate scaffolds, challenge and support are used to enable every child to succeed whilst maintaining high expectations for all learners.
At Elmridge, we are committed to developing curious, critical and knowledgeable historians who understand the how the development of technology, the monarchy’s impact and influence changes through invasion and settlements. Children’s responses and learning is tailored due to questioning and end of unit quizzes to see how much new learning has been retained. Objectives are also highlighted on Insight to help with tracking more long term.
The impact of our history curriculum can be seen through the following key outcomes:
- Enquiry and posing questions linked through thinking critically
Children are confident to question the sources and information taught about it is validity and are able to explain how it has changed their thinking or secured it further. Critical thinking also is displayed by continuing the dialogue to pose follow up questions from their findings and understanding.
- Historical Understanding
Children will have coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and the wider world. This will be shown through the exploration and understanding of different civilisations and monarchy reigns and being aware of what external factors are included to influence what happened at the time.
- Cause and Effect
Children will articulate the link between what has happened and why. They can explain that events happened for reasons and the impact it has had both long and short term. They will be able to explain how and why change has happened due to this.
- Chronological Understanding
Children can sequence their historical learning through the natural progressions through the 3 golden threads- monarchy, technology and invasion and settlement. They can explain the difference between prehistoric times and ancient civilisations and how they feed into more modern history. In relation to local history, they will articulate how, why and when the local area has developed over time.
- Curiosity about the past
Children most importantly will want to find out more about what has happened in the past from their learning. This will help them to self-motivate themselves to apply their learning with a volitional approach. By doing this, it in turn will help them to become more secure in their literacy-based skills through a history lense.
Wilton Drive, Hale Barns
Altrincham, Cheshire WA15 0JF
Call us: 0161 980 4941
Link takes you to our Instagram page ElmridgePrimarySchool
