History

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”

Marcus Garvey (Jamaican political activist, publisher, journalist)

At Milton St John’s Primary School we have a clear and simple vision: The children are historians. They should confidently research, investigate, understand chronology and recognise the impact of significant events, people and eras. We want all of our pupils to have an understanding of the past and how history will shape their future.

The historically literate children at Milton St John’s will…

• Use historical vocabulary to engage in dialogue and show understanding.
• Respect and celebrate the history of all cultures.
• Gain an understanding of their own identity within a social, political, cultural and economic background.
• Develop their interest in the past, arousing their curiosity and motivation to learn.
• Know and remember significant facts from history.
• Reflect on historical knowledge to understand other contexts and make comparisons.
• Build resilience in the search for evidence to make historical claims.

Our curriculum drivers underpin all we do and are an essential part of our learning. The drivers help our children to ‘RISE’ up and play a vital role in their community; locally, nationally and globally. They are listed below:

• Respect for the opinions and beliefs of others
• Independence & Resilience
• Spirituality
• Engagement & Curiosity

Intent

At Milton St John’s CE Primary School it is our intent to offer a History curriculum which is accessible for every child and will result in all pupils knowing more, remembering more and understanding more. It is our intent to offer a high-quality history education that will enable pupils to gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past and gain an understanding of why their life is the way it is. Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups. It also helps pupils gain a sense of their own identity within a social, political, cultural and economic background.

When planning and teaching History at Milton St John’s, topics are informed by the national curriculum and are sensitive to pupil’s interests, as well as the context of the local area. The history curriculum is carefully planned and structured to ensure that current learning is linked to previous learning and that the school’s approaches are informed by current pedagogy. Because of this, we feel it is important for the subject to be taught discretely as well as incorporated within other curriculum subjects such as English and Art, in order for pupils to develop their knowledge and skills. We want pupils to enjoy and love learning about history by gaining knowledge and skills, not just through experiences in the classroom, but also with the use of fieldwork and educational visits.

Implementation

History is taught in blocks throughout the year, so that pupils achieve depth in their learning. Teachers have identified the key knowledge and skills of each topic and consideration has been given to ensure progression across topics throughout each year group across the school. By the end of year 6, children will have a chronological understanding of British history from the Stone Age to the present day. They are able to draw comparisons and make connections between different time periods and their own lives. Interlinked with this are studies of world history, such as the ancient civilisations of Greece and the Mayans.

Cross curricular outcomes in history are specifically planned for, with strong links between the history curriculum and morning English lessons enabling further contextual learning. The local area is also utilised to achieve the desired outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice. Key vocabulary is also taught across the school to enable pupils’ to explain their historical knowledge.

Planning is informed by and aligned with the national curriculum. Consideration is given to how greater depth will be taught, learnt and demonstrated within each lesson, as well as how learners will be supported in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion. Outcomes of work are regularly monitored to ensure that they reflect a sound understanding of the key identified knowledge. Within our knowledge-rich approach, there is a strong emphasis on people and the community of our local area.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) follows the ‘EYFS Framework’ and 'Development Matters' guidance which aims for all children in Reception to have an ‘Understanding of the World; people and communities, the world and technology’ by the end of the academic year.

Impact

The Impact of how history is taught at Milton St John’s is that every pupil will leave school as a historian. They will be equipped with historical skills and knowledge that will enable them to be ready for the curriculum at Key Stage 3 and for life as an adult in the wider world. We want the pupils to have thoroughly enjoyed learning about history, therefore encouraging them to undertake new life experiences now and in the future.

Our curriculum will mean that each pupil will be able to compare their knowledge at the start of a historical topic with their knowledge at the end to show progress. Pupils will have the skills to reflect on historical knowledge, make comparisons between different time periods both in Britain and the wider world, and use their knowledge and historical vocabulary to support opinions and reasoning.  They will have developed resilience and curiosity about the world around them and will show respect and understanding of the history of all cultures studied.

 Click here to view our History Progression Map.