Intent

'Let us learn from the past to profit by the present and from the present to live a better future'

Wordsworth

At St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, it is our ambition that learning in our history curriculum generates knowledge, understanding about the past, connecting this to the present and potential future.  Out intention is that pupils:-

• Gain knowledge and understanding of the past in Britain and the wider world
• Understand how our world and its people have changed over time.
• Show curiosity about people and events in the past that have shaped the way our world is today
• 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.  

Implementation

At St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, classes have 3 units of history each academic year.  Skeleton slides for these units with lesson descriptions are provided to teachers to support them in their planning.

The units from Years 1 - 6 follow the Kapow history scheme of learning.  These units include cohesive and progressive lessons that allow learning to build over time.  The Kay Stage 1 curriculum builds disciplinary knowledge through a focus on developing subject specific concepts, like evidence and decision making.  As they move into Key Stage 2, children become ready to engage with more substantive knowledge.  Our teaching of history is relevant, engaging and cohesive.  They also develop understanding of and make use of a range of vocabulary relevant to history as a domain as well as vocabulary relevant to periods and events studied.

Outcomes and assessment in history

In Kapow history units, pupils complete learning in their books based on provided slides.  Teachers explore their learning and outcomes throughout lessons and provide live feedback and marking opportunities where possible. All books and outcomes should be explored and marked by teachers prior to the next lesson.

At the start of each lesson, teachers revisit prior learning to aid retention and connect prior learning with new learning.  Kapow provides end of unit assessments appropriate for each key stage based on the units of study.  Teachers should make use of the outcomes to inform teaching feedback and planning.

Impact

As a result of learning history at St. Joseph's pupils:-

• Understand that studying history is learning about people and events of the past and connecting this to today's world.
• Understand and use timelines that represent the periods studied.
• Understand, discuss and compare a range of historical sources.
• Develop historical knowledge and skills in line with curriculum offered, making progress and succeedidng in their learning.
• Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance.
• Develop a lifelong curiosity and interest in history as a subject.
• Understand elements of local historical events and people of historical significance in the local area.
• Are ready to move to the next stage of their education in history.