GREAT CHART PRIMARY SCHOOL HISTORY POLICY July 2018
Our visin is t create a schl cmmunity where children participate, succeed and are prud f their achievements. We strive t actively prmte British values and prepare ur children t becme rle mdels, thus preparing them fr life in mdern Britain. It is ur belief that children cme t t be happy, successful and t be the best they can be. Our cre values are: Respect, Aspiratin, Respnsibility, Resilience, Independence and Kindness. The Imprtance f histry A high-quality histry educatin will help pupils gain a cherent knwledge and understanding f Britain s past and that f the wider wrld. It shuld inspire pupils curisity t knw mre abut the past. Teaching shuld equip pupils t ask perceptive questins, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develp perspective and judgement. Histry helps pupils t understand the cmplexity f peple s lives, the prcess f change, the diversity f scieties and relatinships between different grups, as well as their wn identity and the challenges f their time. (frm Natinal Curriculum in England: Histry Prgrammes f Study, DfE, 2013) Aims and Objectives This plicy utlines the teaching, rganisatin and management f histry taught and learnt at. Aims The aims f histry teaching at are t: Fire pupils' curisity abut the past in Britain and the wider wrld. Encurage thinking abut hw the past influences the present, especially develping an understanding f the influence f Britain and als its influence n the wider wrld - including shrt- and lng-term implicatins. Appreciate achievements as well as 'mistakes' f mankind in the past. Help students develp a chrnlgical framewrk fr their knwledge f significant events and peple.
Fster a sense f identity and an increased understanding f pupils' wn psitin in their wn cmmunity and the wrld. Develp a range f histrical enquiry skills and abilities - particularly thse related t finding ut abut the past, explaining what happened and what peple then and nw think abut what happened. Aid children in grasping an understanding f abstract histrical terms and cncepts. Allw children t expand their wn histrical perspective by applying their understanding t new cntexts. Thrugh histry we can als: Imprve pupils' skills in English, mathematics and Cmputing. Develp pupils' thinking skills Prmte pupils' awareness and understanding f gender, cultural, spiritual and mral issues. Develp pupils as active citizens. In learning histry pupils will: Use a range f surces such as peple, the lcal envirnment, sites, phtgraphs, prtraits, artefacts, written materials, ICT based materials, data, TV / vide extracts. Investigate significant issues abut the past. Wrk in a variety f cntexts - individually, in grups and as a whle class. Present their knwledge and understanding in a variety f ways such as thrugh drama, art, mdels, varius writing styles/genre, cllage, timelines, sketches, maps. As they grw in cnfidence, begin t pse and investigate their wn questins abut the past. When teaching histry we: Develp prgressin in the key elements f the subject; Ensure that apprpriate pprtunities are taken t develp the majr crss-curricular skills including English, mathematics and cmputing skills; Make sure the study f each histrical perid is in sufficient depth t btain genuine insights int life in the past;
Encurage the effective use f a range f histrical surces including artefacts, dcuments, bks, pictures, phtgraphs, statistical data, audi-visual materials, I.C.T. sftware and websites t find ut abut the past; Cnsistently use a variety f interesting, engaging and challenging appraches t learning, including pprtunities t engage in bservatin and recrding, written and ral questining, class and grup discussin, different styles f writing and cmmunicatin tgether with drama and rle play; Prmte cnstructive and regular use f visits t histrical sites and museums; Fster an awareness that there are different interpretatins f the past and that histrical evidence may be partial r incmplete; Emphasise and encurage pupils t investigate the past by asking a range f histrical questins, by respnding in a variety f frms and by making judgements abut histrical issues; Enable pupils t start t develp the cnceptual framewrk which helps them t make sense f histry including an understanding f chrnlgy, change, causatin, links and cnnectins. British Values Children learn abut British values thrugh lessns n peple and places, rights, respnsibilities, decisin and cnsequences, duties and freedms, gvernment laws, justice, demcracy and ttalitarianism as well as studying mral and ethical issue. Pupils explre diverse beliefs, cultures and identities and the values we share as UK and glbal citizens. These values are als encuraged and rewarded in ur day-t-day teaching, shwing that tlerance, mutual respect, teamwrk and resilience are valued as we aim t build pupils self-esteem. This includes, fr example, respecting each ther and fllwing the rules as well as adhering t the spirit f fair play when taking part in quizzes and ther cmpetitins in lessns. Objectives The bjectives f histry teaching in the schl are based n the requirements f the Natinal Curriculum Prgrammes f Study fr Key Stages 1 and 2. The histry curriculum f the schl will therefre help pupils t experience a range f histrical events and perids f time.
Key stage 1 Within Key Stage 1, pupils are expected t: Develp an awareness f the past, using apprpriate vcabulary relating t chrnlgical timelines and histrical terms. Chrnlgically rder imprtant peple and events they study. Identify similarities and differences between ways f life in different perids. Ask and answer questins. Select and use aspects f stries and surces t secure and shw their knwledge and understanding f key events they have learned abut. Understand sme f the ways in which we find ut abut the past and identify different ways in which it is represented. Pupils will learn abut: Changes within living memry where apprpriate, these shuld be used t reveal aspects f change in natinal life Events beynd living memry that are significant natinally r glbally [fr example, the Great Fire f Lndn, the first aerplane flight r events cmmemrated thrugh festivals r anniversaries] The lives f significant individuals in the past wh have cntributed t natinal and internatinal achievements, sme shuld be used t cmpare aspects f life in different perids [fr example, Elizabeth I and Queen Victria, Christpher Clumbus and Neil Armstrng, William Caxtn and Tim Berners-Lee, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and LS Lwry, Rsa Parks and Emily Davisn, Mary Seacle and/r Flrence Nightingale and Edith Cavell] Significant histrical events, peple and places in their wn lcality Key stage 2 Thrughut Key Stage 2 children at will cntinue t develp their understanding and knwledge f a wide range f British, lcal and wrld histry, as well as a secure awareness f chrnlgical rder f events.
Pupils are expected t: Identify cnnectins, similarities, differences and develpments ver a perid f time. Use the apprpriate histrical terms. Recgnise and investigate histrically valid questins, as well as develp reasnable respnses t such questins thrugh enquiry. Understand that a range f surces are used t aid cnstructin f ur knwledge f histry. T enable children t prgress their histrical knwledge thrugh Key Stage 2, teachers will develp thrugh a range f histrical perids and the cmplexity f tasks and studies will develp. Pupils will learn abut: changes in Britain frm the Stne Age t the Irn Age the Rman Empire and its impact n Britain Britain s settlement by Angl-Saxns and Scts the Viking and Angl-Saxn struggle fr the Kingdm f England t the time f Edward the Cnfessr cnducting a lcal histry study an aspect r theme in British histry that extends their chrnlgical knwledge beynd 1066 the achievements f the earliest civilizatins an verview f where and when the first civilizatins appeared and a depth study f ne f the fllwing: Ancient Sumer, The Indus Valley, Ancient Egypt, The Shang Dynasty f Ancient China Ancient Greece a study f Greek life and achievements and their influence n the western wrld a nn-eurpean sciety that prvides cntrasts with British histry ne study chsen frm: early Islamic civilizatin, including a study f Baghdad c. AD 900; Mayan civilizatin c. AD 900; Benin (West Africa) c. AD 900-1300 Meeting the needs f individuals and different grups f pupils
A wide variety f strategies can be used t ensure that teaching meets the needs f different grups f pupils, including students with special educatinal needs, the gifted and talented and pupils frm different ethnic r gender grups. These include; a) Differentiating lessns using differentiated resurces; prviding differentiated tasks, including stepped tasks; differentiating thrugh the way grups are cnstructed and fstering peer grup supprt; differentiating thrugh varying the level f teacher and supprt teacher interventin; Differentiating by utcme. b) Develping cre skills: using clear strategies t help students t acquire cre cmmunicatin, numeracy and ICT skills; Using apprpriate levels f spken and written language. c) Effective lessn planning and management: setting clear bjectives that are understd by each pupil; presenting wrk in small and achievable steps; planning varied activities that mtivate pupils and prviding alternative activities where needed; creating an atmsphere f encuragement and prviding pprtunities fr pupils t achieve success; identifying the mst suitable pace fr each student in rder t prvide sufficient individual challenge whilst fstering enthusiasm and facilitating cncentratin; invlving pupils in taking respnsibility fr their wn learning and encuraging them t develp effective study skills; Prviding extensin wrk fr mre able students. d) The apprpriate deplyment f resurces:
analysing the suitability f resurces and develping additinal resurces where necessary; ensuring that supprt teachers are effectively deplyed; Cnsidering hw specialist equipment, including I.C.T., can be f help t pupils. e) Careful assessment and mnitring: using pupils recrds t infrm planning; carefully mnitring pupils prgress t ensure that small advances can be built upn; Prviding regular feedback t pupils n prgress and actively invlving pupils in assessment f their wrk. T teach histry we have a range f resurces: See Audit f Resurces. Assessment f histry at. T assess pupils' prgress in histry we: Gather evidence f what individual pupils knw, understand and can d in histry by bserving them at wrk, listening t and discussing with them, and evaluating any wrk they prduce. Make peridic and end f key stage judgements. Reprt annually t parents n hw well the pupil has achieved, what s/he des well and what is needed t bring further imprvements. The management, c-rdinatin and planning f the subject, including appraches t staff develpment, mnitring, evaluatin and review a) The rle f the subject c-rdinatr The histry c-rdinatr will be respnsible fr: prducing an agreed histry plicy and key stage plans which are cmpatible with the schl s verall curricular aims and which meet the statutry requirements;
prviding advice t teachers n apprpriate resurces, teaching strategies and appraches t assessment; develping an verview f the histry curriculum in the schl t ensure that pupils experience a sufficient variety f key entitlement experiences and that the subject plicy is put int practice; c-rdinating the purchase, rganisatin and strage f apprpriate histry resurces; cllecting a prtfli f pupils wrk in the subject t ensure cnsistency f standards and mnitring appraches t assessment t ensure that there are a sufficient variety f tasks; assisting with the regular evaluatin and mnitring f the quality f prvisin in the subject, participating in the identificatin f agreed develpment tasks each year and reviewing the histry plicy and key stage plans as apprpriate; Keeping abreast f recent develpments in the subject, attending relevant in-service curses and participating in the planning and delivery f schl based INSET and discussins. b) The rle f class teachers Class teachers will be respnsible fr: participating in the cllabrative develpment f histry schemes f wrk and lessn plans which meet the criteria agreed by the schl and which ensure that pupils encunter a range f key entitlement experiences; develping an apprpriate number f learning tasks which can be used fr assessment purpses and recrding the utcmes f these using the system agreed by the schl; reprting t parents n pupils prgress in histry; Participating in the cllabrative review f the effectiveness f schemes f wrk and lessn plans.