Intent
Here at Lydgate we want all our pupils to have an understanding of the past and how history shapes our present. As a whole school, we value the development of pupils’ critical thinking, their ability to weigh evidence and generate arguments, develop chronological understanding and allow children to develop their sense of perspective. Over and above this we want to inspire our pupils so that they are passionate about the history of Britain and the wider world so they become curious learners who ask why and want to research further.
We aim to provide a high quality history education which will inspire our pupils for the rest of their lives. We want to equip pupils with a historical understanding of the world and make connections between the past and the present.
We teach them key disciplinary knowledge in order to support this.
We follow the National Curriculum for History establishing cross-curricular links where appropriate.
History is taught regularly throughout the school, beginning in Reception, and these lessons build up their knowledge. Through these lessons, the children are able to learn about the UK and the wider world and develop their historical understanding. There is a class timeline that captures learning in previous years and is used to place current learning in context.
Reception
In Reception, history is covered under the area of learning Understanding the World which includes learning about the Past and Present. They learn about themselves and their families and where they come from in All About Me. They learn about how there has been change over time for e.g. technology or transport (from horse and cart to steam trains). In addition, listening to a broad selection of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems will foster pupils understanding of our world. The Lydgate Reception Long term plan ensures that history skills outlined in the Early Learning Goals document (ELGs) are revisited many times over the year and is specifically tailored towards the interests of our school’s children.
Reception - Understanding the World
History is taught in a two year cycle in KS1, Lower KS2 and Upper KS2.
Key Stage 1 - In Key stage 1, pupils build on their learning that took place in Reception and continue to develop their historical understanding of the world. They learn about events such as the Great Fire of London; significant individuals including Neil Armstrong and Rosa Parks and changes over time including nursing and healthcare.
Key stage 2 – We build on the knowledge and skills taught in Key Stage 1. Through the LKS2 units on the Stone Age, Ancient Egypt and the Romans and UKS2 units on Ancient Greece and the Mayans, we cover ancient history. Children learn about the Anglo Saxons and the Vikings in LKS2. We cover modern history in UKS2 through the units on the Victorian Age and the Second World War. Children also study about settlements over time (Batley from the Victorian Age to present times) and the creation of the British Empire.
We organise visits to enrich the curriculum including to Eden Camp (Second World War), Coal Mining Museum (Victorian Age), Bagshaw Museum (Ancient Egypt) and Skelton Grange (Stone Age). We also invite the school nurse to talk to the KS1 children about changes in nursing over time.
Implementation
Humanities is timetabled weekly and history is taught usually three half terms a year by the class teacher. In every lesson, the sequence of lessons is established, prior knowledge recapped and key vocabulary shared. The key knowledge and skills for the lessons are identified in the planning and progression established.
The history units are well resourced and where possible, relevant artefacts are procured for the units.
Assembly - We use whole school assembly opportunities to discuss history related topics including information on countries and landmarks. We mark Remembrance Day and Martin Luther King Day every year.
Monitoring - Every year, the subject lead conducts a work scrutiny to ensure parity and progression. Regular pupil interviews are conducted to evaluate learning against intent. The subject lead also observes a sample of lessons through school. Through the monitoring process, next steps are identified and shared in staff meetings. Examples of work across school are collected by the subject lead in order to support with modelling and have evidence to show progression.
Impact
At the end of every unit, staff assess the children for the unit covered and the data updated every half term onto a tracker. This is accessible to all staff including the Subject Lead. In KS1, assessment of the unit is done in groups while in KS2, end of unit quizzes are administered and learning assessed. Quizzes for SEND children are appropriately differentiated.
Lessons show a clear progression of skills and knowledge as laid out in the progression document.
Pupil interviews show that the children are able to remember their learning and use subject specific vocabulary. Pupils are usually picked by the subject lead based on the assessment tracker.
Lesson observations show that staff are confident in delivering the curriculum and next steps actioned.
Children understand how historians use their skills to find out more about our past to better understand our present.