History
Intent
Our history curriculum has been designed to be both knowledge rich and coherently organised. At Broadfield, children’s historical understanding is centred around three main substantive themes: significance, civilisation and invasion. For our children, we want knowledge to not only mean understanding the core knowledge of historical events, dates and people in the past but also understanding the disciplinary historical concepts such as cause and consequence, similarity and difference, historical interpretation and historical significance. These interwoven strands of history will underpin all children’s ability to ask and answer the big questions.
The core knowledge taught in the curriculum has been carefully chosen and sequenced using a chronological approach. Understanding in history requires an understanding of causation. Children will be able to understand the causes of significant national and global events, (such as World War II), when they have some background knowledge of what happened before (such as the consequences of the end of World War One).
The themes are split across phases with core and facilitating knowledge sequenced to ensure that knowledge is built on over time and our key historical concepts are explicitly explored in every year to help them broaden their understanding.
Implementation
Teachers' high expectations are maintained throughout all the carefully planned and creative lessons. A range of historical vocabulary is discreetly taught and children are given the opportunity to revisit prior knowledge from both earlier in the year and previous years and expand their new learning. Key concepts and skills are retained as pupils move up through the school. Pre and post unit assessments are carried out to assess pupil understanding and identify any gaps or misconceptions in learning. Book monitoring and learning walks also contribute to the pupils' successful progression. Children are exposed to a range of sources, encouraged to think critically by being asked open questions and challenged to compare events and people from the past to their lives today. This is achieved through visits, practical activities within lessons and in depth discussion where they challenge their own thinking and that of others.
Impact
Children will talk with excitement and interest about the subject and concepts, engaging in discussions and debates where they demonstrate a real sense of critical thinking to find out about the world and people who came before them. Every child will be able to confidently explain at least three core knowledge facts learnt from each unit. They will also demonstrate the skills necessary to an historian: to critically discuss sources; compare their lives with lives of people from the past; understand why events and people are important; why they happen and what happens afterwards. Pupils will leave BPA confident, critical thinkers, as well as inquisitive historians, able to discuss what it means to be a global citizen in today’s society.
Mission Statement:
BPA-Mission-Statement-Learning-in-History.pdf
Curriculum Overview:
BPA-Curriculum-Overview-History.pdf
Progression:
Knowledge Organisers:
History-Y1-Knowledge-Organiser.pdf
History-Y2-Knowledge-Organiser.pdf
History-Y3-Knowledge-Organiser.pdf
History-Y4-Knowledge-Organiser.pdf