Rationale - What has informed our curriculum design in history?
It is our belief, that at the Calstock and Stoke Climsland Federation, the history curriculum should enable children to have a better understanding of the present by engaging with and questioning the past: It should empower learners to develop their own opinions based on a respect for evidence. We want our history curriculum to draw upon, and make full use of, the immediate and wider local area with the aim of enabling children to develop a deep understanding of the rich history of their locality. We also want to encourage children to be outward looking and therefore want our curriculum to promote an understanding of global history through the comparison of different civilisations.
Intent - What are our aims?
We aim to equip our pupils with the knowledge and skills needed to:
Interpret the past through an awareness that understanding the past comes from an interpretation of the available evidence Develop an appreciation of the characteristic features of the past and an understanding that life is different for different sections of society Cultivate an understanding of how to chart the passing of time and how some aspects of history were happening at similar times in different places Use historical vocabulary and techniques to convey information about the past Our history curriculum is designed to develop both historical knowledge and historical skills which are progressive, as well as transferable, throughout their learning journey at school and beyond. We also aim to equip pupils with a clear understanding of what it means to be working as a historian and the skills that this entails.
Across the curriculum at Calstock and Stoke Climsland, we aim to develop children’s cultural capital and local knowledge. In history, as well as learning about the local area and a variety of places around the world we also place importance on learning about key events and people with the aim that children learn about the impact of individuals, groups of people and their actions, as well as the changes in society across the arts, design, sciences, engineering and social sciences.
Impact: How will we know this?
As a result of our history provision across the federation, children will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to investigate the world around them, resulting in learners who are keen and motivated to work as historians. In our historians, we expect to see:
An excellent knowledge and understanding of people, events, and contexts from a range of historical periods and of historical concepts and processes. The ability to think critically about history and communicate ideas very confidently in styles appropriate to a range of audiences. The ability to consistently support, evaluate and challenge their own and others’ views using detailed, appropriate and accurate historical evidence derived from a range of sources. The ability to think, reflect, debate, discuss and evaluate the past, formulating and refining questions and lines of enquiry. A passion for history and an enthusiastic engagement in learning, which develops their sense of curiosity about the past and their understanding of how and why people interpret the past in different ways. A respect for historical evidence and the ability to make robust and critical use of it to support their explanations and judgments. A desire to embrace challenging activities, including opportunities to undertake high-quality research across a range of history topics.
The impact of the curriculum in geography is monitored through a range of assessment (see federation assessment framework). These include:
Learning conversations – pupils are able to talk confidently about their learning in geography to adults and to each other. Low stakes assessment - children show good recall of key concepts taught in previous lessons and terms e.g. quizzes, using visuals, true and false questions etc. Reflection and review of work in books, displays and pupil response within lessons. Images and videos of the children’s practical learning. Lesson visits Additional assessment opportunities may also include:
self-assessment, peer-assessment, group assessment and targeted questioning.
