History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.
Our History curriculum draws upon several powerful sources of knowledge:
- Substantive knowledge - this is the subject knowledge and explicit vocabulary used about the past.
- Disciplinary knowledge – this is the use of that knowledge and how children construct understanding through historical claims, arguments and accounts. We call it ‘Working Historically.’
- Historical analysis is developed through selecting, organising and integrating knowledge through reasoning and inference making in response to our structured questions and challenges. We call this ‘Thinking historically’
- Substantive concepts, such as invasion and civilisation are taught through explicit vocabulary instruction as well as through the direct content and context of the study.
Our History curriculum structure is built around the principles of advancing cumulative knowledge, chronology, change through cause and consequence, as well as making connections within and throughout periods of time studied.
Our substantiative concepts that underpin our History curriculum are:
- Community
- Knowledge
- Invasion
- Civilisation
- Power
- Democracy
Our disciplinary concepts that help our pupils to think like an historian are:
- Chronology
- Cause and Consequence
- Change and Continuity
- Similarity and Difference
- Evidence
- Significance
Spaced Retrieval Practice Approach
Spaced Retrieval Practice Approach
Our History is planned so that the retention of knowledge is much more than just ‘in the moment knowledge’. The cumulative nature of the curriculum is made memorable by the implementation of retrieval and spaced retrieval practice, word building and deliberate practice tasks. The effect of this cumulative model supports opportunities for children to associate and connect with significant periods of time, people, places and events.
Our History curriculum strategically incorporates a range of modules that revisit, elaborate and sophisticate key concepts, events, people and places.