History
At The Holy Spirit, our rich and varied History curriculum has been carefully designed to engage, challenge and inspire curiosity about Britain’s past and the wider world. We want children to be able to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence and sift arguments. These skills will enable our learners to develop their perspectives and judgement as historians. Through our history curriculum we aim to teach children the importance of enquiry, research and analysis; and teach an understanding of the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups. In understanding periods, events and people from the past, our children will gain cultural capital and have a greater appreciation of today’s world and their place within it. We utilise our local area to bring various aspects of the subject to life.
These aims are achieved by providing:
- Challenging, motivating and relevant History lessons
- First-hand experiences, placing an emphasis on enquiry through examining historical artefacts and photographs, amongst other primary and secondary sources.
- Visits to places of historical interest especially in the local area
- Visitors to come into the school and talk about their experiences of events in the past
- Question and answer sessions, discussions and debates about historical issues
- Presentations, role play and storytelling.
- Opportunities to record/showcase ideas in a variety of ways.
The Holy Spirit uses the National Curriculum scheme of work as the basis for our curriculum planning, relating this to the local context and enriching it through the use of the Historical Association. History runs on a two-year rolling programme in both key stages and is delivered termly, ensuring coverage of the National Curriculum strands.
We carry out curriculum planning in history including long term and medium term plans. The long term plan highlights the history topics studied in each term during each key stage; this is devised in conjunction with the geography subject leader to ensure that the humanities complement each other throughout the year. Class teacher’s complete medium term plans with the help of the History overview to sequence learning and to ensure knowledge and skills across a topic are built upon to form a fully cohesive unit of learning.
The Historical Association provides staff with high quality planning, suggested resources and training opportunities ensuring teachers have the professional knowledge and tools to deliver exciting and progressive History lessons. At The Holy Spirit we have adapted The Historical Association scheme to suit the needs of our children.
Impact
The impact of our history curriculum is measured in various ways. Assessment is recorded against key statements for which pupils attain at or below the expectations for the year group. Assessment is used to inform future planning and to provide information about our pupils throughout the key stages at The Holy Spirit our methods include:
- Teachers observations of pupils
- Teacher/pupil discussions
- Teacher questioning
- Examples of work
- Self-evaluation
- Photographs
- Termly assessment against key objectives for a unit of work
Teachers begin units of work with a recap of prior learning and assess the first and final history lessons to show progression across the unit. All lessons begin with recall questions based on a previous lesson/lessons and there will be opportunities throughout the unit of work to carry out low stake testing for example quizzes. At the end of the topic, teachers assess key knowledge and skills based on whether children have demonstrated through their work that they have met the National Curriculum objectives and progression guidance for their phase. This helps the History Coordinator to monitor progress and attainment in history across the school.
Monitoring of the standards of children's work and of the quality of teaching in History is the responsibility of the History Coordinator and SMT. The work of the subject leader also involves supporting colleagues in the teaching of History, being informed about current developments in the subject, and providing a strategic lead and direction for the subject in the school. The History Coordinator has specially-allocated, regular management time in order to review evidence of the children's work and undertake lesson observations of History teaching across the school. The History Coordinator monitors the quality of teaching and learning, progress and attainment in History through; staff voice, lesson observations, recordings of lessons and analysis of the data which is completed on the relevant assessment grid at the end of each topic. The History Coordinator will write an annual action plan in which she will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses in the subject and indicate areas for further improvement.
