History

Our school definition of History: 

History – The study of events and people in the past.

3 I'S Statement

Intent Statement - History 

At St Joseph’s, we are historians! We aim for our children to develop a love of history. We desire for our children to have no limits to their ambitions for their futures, growing up wanting to be archaeologists, museum curators, archivists or research analysts. Our Commando Joe topics are often based around famous historians and inspirational people from the past. 

We aim to ensure that, through the teaching of History, we stimulate all children’s interest and understanding about the life of people who lived in the past. Our Commando Joe’s scheme allows our children to become immersed in the past, and it allows them to imagine the feelings of a range of people who they study. Children are taught to develop a sense of chronology, in order to develop a sense of identity and a cultural understanding based on their historical heritage. This results in children being able to respect, value and appreciate both their own and other people’s cultures in modern multicultural Britain. Children develop an awareness of the actions of important people in history, and they understand a range of significant events in British history, whilst appreciating how things have changed over time. History also ensures children develop their understanding of the development of Britain as a society whilst also contributing to their understanding of their country of residence. Additionally, our children are taught to develop their awareness of aspects of local, British and ancient history. This also ensures children have knowledge of historical development in the wider world. 

We believe that by allowing the children to understand the importance and enjoyment of History through different opportunities, they will become enthused learners in History. 

Children become historians themselves, using their skills of enquiry, investigation, analysis and evaluation whilst also being prepared to question the reliability of sources of information they analyse. 

Implementation Statement - History 

At St Josephs, History is taught in every year group through the ‘Commando Joe’ schemes of work. This means particular topics are weighted towards History with specific focuses on historical people.  

• Topics are blocked in termly ‘Commando Joe’ units to ensure children have the opportunity to study historical periods in greater depth, developing their knowledge and understanding of these. Other opportunities are given within other topics throughout the year to ensure historical skills are taught and comprehensively covered. 
• The school uses a ‘Rainbow Continuum’ of skills objectives to ensure that there is a progression of skills for children to develop within each year group. 
• The National Curriculum objectives have been carefully tracked across the Commando Joe scheme at each Key Stage to ensure coverage is thoroughly implemented through the teaching of specific units within each year group. The tracking of this can be seen below on our subject progression document for History.  
• In order to support children in their ability to know more and remember more, there are regular opportunities to review the learning and skills that have taken place in previous topics as well as previous lessons 

• Medium term planning for all units will cover key historical concepts: Chronological understanding, Historical knowledge, Historical interpretation, Historical enquiry and organisation and communication. 
• Children are given opportunities, where possible, to study artefacts leading to enquiry, investigation, analysis, interpretation, evaluation and presentation. 
• We plan for effective use of educational visits and visitors, to enrich and enhance the pupil’s learning experience and the History curriculum.  
• Work is evidenced within topic books with greater depth shown by ‘Going Deeper’ challenges. 
• Practise/Deepen opportunities are provided for children to review learning and access further challenges around this. 

• Topic homework is given to allow children to continue their learning around their topics at home. 
• Teachers use highly effective Assessment for Learning at different points in each lesson to ensure misconceptions are highlighted and addressed 
• Children are able to recall their previous learning through quizzes at the beginning of lessons as well as demonstrating their understanding through quizzes at the end of lessons. 
• Effective modelling by teachers ensures that children are able to achieve their learning intentions, with misconceptions addressed within it. 
• Through using a range of assessment tools, differentiation is facilitated by teachers, to ensure that each pupil can access the History curriculum. 

• Educational, immersive displays that answer key questions help to create a rich learning environment for each History focus. Each display has a focus on key vocabulary for the topic being taught.  
• Teacher assessments are completed each term to decide whether children are working at age-related expectations, below this or whether they above. 

EYFS 

The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum supports children’s understanding of History through the planning and teaching of ‘Understanding the World’. This aspect is about how children find out about past and present events in their own lives, their families and other people they know. Children are encouraged to develop a sense of change over time and are given opportunities to differentiate between past and present by observing routines throughout the day, growing plants, observing the passing of seasons and time and looking at photographs of their life and of others. Practitioners encourage investigative behaviour and raise questions such as, ‘What do you think?', ‘Tell me more about?', 'What will happen if..?', ‘What else could we try?', ‘What could it be used for?' and ‘How might it work?' Use of language relating to time is used in daily routines and conversations with children for example, ‘yesterday', ‘old', ‘past', ‘now' and ‘then'. 

Impact Statement - History 

The impact of our curriculum design will enable the children of St Joseph's to show progress throughout their time in school and within each key stage, relative to a child’s individual starting point and their progression of skills. Our History curriculum, built around the Commando Joe Scheme, will also lead pupils to be enthusiastic History learners and develop a love and enjoyment of the subject, evidenced by what they do, in a range of ways, including within their topic books, photos and pupil voice.