HISTORY
BORROW WOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL
Intent, Implementation and Impact Statement for History
Intent
At Borrow Wood we want children to develop an appreciation and understanding of the past, evaluating a range of primary and secondary resources. We want them to be able to explain clearly how these sources give us an insight about how people around the world used to live and how these interpretations may differ. We want children to show curiosity and, not only make links and comparisons between these areas of learning, but also meaningful links and comparisons to the present day. We also want children to possess a secure understanding of subject specific vocabulary as well as the chronology of important periods of history. By the time they leave Primary School our children will have developed skills for life, including being reflective and analytical thinkers, able to form their own opinions and interpretation of different events.
Implementation
In the Foundation Stage, children are taught history through the key areas of learning set out within the EYFS Statutory Framework, supported by Development Matters.
Through a broad range of teacher led, child-initiated and learning through continuous provision children will be taught to:
- Understand how life has changed over time for members of their family
- Place events in chronological order
- Comment on similarities and differences between the past and the present e.g. compare modern objects and objects from the past, transport from the past and present day transport
In Key Stages and One and Two, the National Curriculum history programmes of study are used for the basis of learning and teaching. It is taught over a rolling two-year cycle, where weekly lessons enable children to build knowledge and skills over time. History lessons are planned using planning aids which outline the core knowledge and skills to be taught, as well as subject specific vocabulary and key concepts. The planned progression built into the planning aids means that the children are increasingly challenged as they move through the school.
Careful consideration has been given to the organisation and order of topics across the school, so that children have the opportunity to revisit learning, make links and apply their learning across different themes.
Towards the end of each unit of work, following a series of well-sequenced lessons, teachers build in time for pupils to answer a ‘Mastery Question’. Mastery questions require children to think more deeply and apply their knowledge e.g. ‘What was the lasting effect of the Anglo Saxons on our society?’
Knowledge Organisers linked to each History topic are devised by staff which set out the important knowledge we want every child to know by the end of the unit of work, as well as key vocabulary. In class, staff regularly refer to the Knowledge Organisers and build in regular retrieval practice through, for example, low stakes quizzes.
Our history curriculum is further enhanced by visits to places of interest, visitors to school and
hands-on experiences.
Impact
At Borrow Wood, we measure the impact of our history curriculum through pupil interviews, learning walks and end of unit summative assessments matching statements taken directly from our planning aids. At the end of each unit of work, we identify children who have met, exceeded or are working towards objectives set. This also provides information for the subject leader and is used to track and monitor achievement and progress and the impact this has had.
Children will:
- Be able to speak with knowledge and enthusiasm about the different periods of history studied.
- Know and use key vocabulary linked to units of learning.
- Know how to look for evidence from a range of sources and use it to answer questions about the past.
- Be able to use timelines to explain their understanding of chronology.
- Be able to think critically, forming their own opinions and interpretation of different historical events.
- Have an understanding of how past events have shaped the present day.