Coteford Infant School

The intent of our History curriculum is to deliver a curriculum which is accessible to all. We aim to stimulate the children’s interest and understanding about the life of people who lived in the past. We teach children a sense of chronology, and through this they develop a sense of identity and a cultural understanding based on their historical heritage. Thus, they learn to value their own and other people’s cultures in modern multicultural Britain and, by considering how people lived in the past, they are better able to make their own life choices today.

In our school, history makes a significant contribution to citizenship education by teaching about how Britain developed as a democratic society. We teach children to understand how events in the past have influenced our lives today; we also teach them to investigate these past events and, by so doing, to develop the skills of enquiry, analysis, interpretation and problem-solving.

Implementation:

Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of History involves the following:

• History will be planned for and taught in 3 blocks throughout the year, so that children can achieve depth in their learning
• Children are encouraged to ask their own questions and are provided with opportunities to use their skills to research the answers.
• Teachers have identified the key knowledge and skills of each blocked topic and consideration has been given to ensure progression across topics throughout each year group across the school.
• At the beginning of each topic, children are able to convey what they know already as well as what they would like to find out. This is to ensure that lessons reflect children’s different starting points, as well as children’s own interests.
• Greater depth is being considered in each lesson as well as supporting children with specific learning needs which is in line with our school’s inclusion policy.
• Cross curricular links are planned to ensure that objectives taught in English lessons are being reflected in history lessons (e.g. diary entry, letter writing etc).
• Teachers use precise questioning in class to assess their knowledge and skills, assess children regularly to identify those children with gaps in learning, so that all children achieve in History.
• We build upon previous learning and experiences that have taken place over previous years.
• Trips are carefully planned to reflect the learning objectives and enhance children’s learning.