Intent, Implementation and Impact Statement
Intent:
At St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary School, we aim to stimulate children’s interest and understanding about the life of people who lived in the past and ways in which it differs from the present. We believe that learning about the past helps children to make sense of the world in which they live and to develop analytical thinking.
We believe that the study of history makes a valuable contribution to their understanding of all aspects of life giving a sense of identity and heritage. Therefore, we aim for a highquality history curriculum that has been carefully designed and sequenced to equip our children with a secure, coherent knowledge of British, local and world history. Our curriculum content is knowledge and vocabulary rich, in a sequenced chronological order, allowing children to develop their understanding of abstract concepts as they move through school.
We intend to inspire pupils to develop a broad historical and cultural awareness by:
- Developing an interest in the past and an appreciation of human achievements and aspirations;
- Understanding the values of our society;
- Learning about the major issues and events in the history of our own country and of the world and how these events may have influenced one another;
- Developing knowledge of chronology within which the children can organise their understanding of the past;
- Enabling children to know about significant events in British history and to appreciate how things have changed over time.
- Enabling children to communicate their view points in a variety of ways using appropriate vocabulary.
- Developing a range of skills and abilities - particularly those related to finding out about the past, explaining what happened and what people then and now think about what happened. Fostering enjoyment, empathy and curiosity for finding out about the past.
- Children develop a range of skills and abilities - particularly those related to finding out about the past, explaining what happened and what people then and now think about what happened.
Implementation:
At St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary School, the teaching and learning of history focuses on enabling children to think as historians.
We have used the best research to create a well sequenced and progressive curriculum map containing the key concepts children need to be procedurally fluent in, to work, think and write like historians.
The key concepts in history we plan a progression for are as follows:
- Historical interpretation
- Knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past
- Chronological understanding
- Historical understanding
At St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary School, we enable children to find out about the past from a range of sources – using primary and secondary sources, handling artefacts, making use of local area and visits to museums and sites of historical significance.
We develop children’s understanding and skills in looking at and interpreting evidence including recognising that the past can be represented in different ways.
We teach children to identify why people did things, the main characteristics of different societies at different times including links between times studied.
At St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary School, teachers are responsible for including the four key elements of history into their topics.
Teaching Styles
History is taught through a cross-curricular thematic approach in Key Stage 1 and we link history to as many subjects ensuring no tenuous link is made. In Key Stage 2 history is taught as a discrete subject.
At St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary School, history contributes significantly to the teaching of English in our school by actively promoting the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening.
By the end of year 6, children will have a chronological understanding of British history from the Stone Age to the present day. They will be able to draw comparisons and make connections between different time periods and their own lives. Interlinked with this are studies of world history, such as the ancient civilisations of Greece and the Egyptians.
Impact:
At St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary School, we use both formative and summative assessment information in every history lesson. Staff use this information to inform their planning and to plan interventions. This helps us provide the best possible support for all of our pupils, including the more able. Our staff use history formative assessment to systematically assess what the children know as the topic progresses and inform their future planning.
Assessment information is collected at the end of the academic year. In addition to this, a comprehensive monitoring cycle is developed at the beginning of each academic year. This identifies when monitoring is undertaken. Monitoring in history includes: book scrutinies, environment and learning walks and pupil voice.
All of this information is gathered and reviewed. It is used to inform further curriculum developments and provision is adapted accordingly.
We believe that if children have become knowledgeable historians, then they will be able to articulate their understanding with confidence. The work produced by our children and the discussions they have, should demonstrate that they are equipped with the historical skills and knowledge that will enable them to be ready for the secondary curriculum and for life as an adult.
