History

‘A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.’ Marcus Garvey

Aims and Objectives

History is the study of people in the past and how their actions have influenced our lives today. History can help children to make sense of the world in which they live and can help them to develop a sense of identity. Our aim is that the children should understand that the society, in which we live, has been shaped by developments in the past. They will learn about the role of individuals, events and movements that have played in moulding modern society. By studying historical source material, the children will be encouraged to ask questions, deduce information and solve problems through an investigative approach. Pupils will also be trained to evaluate short and long term consequences and will be informed about how source material might not always be reliable or may be subject to bias, propaganda or censorship.

Teaching and Learning

Our intent

At Bretherton Endowed we believe that high-quality history lessons inspire children to want to know more about the past, and to think and act as historians. Children have opportunities to investigate and interpret the past, develop their chronological understanding, and build an overview of their local area’s history, Britain’s past as well as that of the wider world, and to be able to communicate historically.

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We aim to develop children with the following key characteristics to help them become historians:

A sense of curiosity about the past and how and why people interpret it in different ways;
A wide knowledge and understanding of people, events and contexts from a range of historical
periods, including significant events in Britain’s past;
To think critically about history and communicate their ideas confidently in a range of ways and to
different audiences;
The ability to use historical evidence from a range of sources to support, evaluate and question
their own and others’ view;
To understand people’s lives, the diversity of societies and the relationships between different groups;
To focus on significant people and their influence today;
The ability to think, reflect on, debate, discuss and evaluate the past by forming perceptive
questions and lines of enquiry;
To develop pupils’ understanding of chronology and ability to make links with different periods of time and important people and events within;
To develop pupils’ knowledge of our school and Bretherton, Preston and Lancashire area, and how it’s changed over time.
A respect for historical evidence and the ability to make use of it to support their learning.

Implementation

At Bretherton Endowed, we follow the National Curriculum Programme of Study document, which lays down a variety of approaches applicable to each unit of study. In this way all skills are covered and developed according to the requirements and it is left to the teacher to identify his/her area of focus and to consider how best to deliver these sessions; taking into account all types of learning models. Our timetable offers children 2 or 3 historical studies each year on a 2 year cycle where their skills and knowledge are built on throughout our 4 classes. Some year groups might choose to teach this as a block or as an afternoon activity as it allows for greater in-depth study. In some cases, Year groups have chosen to study History in alternative terms, alternating with Geography. Discrete History lessons are taught to ensure that the skills, specific to the subject are delivered.

At Bretherton Endowed we approach History not just by teaching facts, dates and historical events but by encouraging children to be History detectives. By teaching History through a range of exciting and explorative ways, we foster genuine interest in the past. Using a wide range of resources, artefacts, experiences and visits allows us to enhance learning and children tell us how much they enjoy History lessons! Children have the opportunity to visit places of interest to further develop their understanding of the past and enjoy recreating and finding out how those lived. Throughout school, history enables children to understand what happenned in the past and how it shaped the world we live in today.

The emphasis in our teaching of History in Foundation is on integrated learning; linking the subject with many other areas of the curriculum; notably RE, Art, Geography and Literacy.

At both Key Stages the emphasis is upon developing investigative skills through the study of a particular period, event or famous person. Links are made with other subjects: this is encouraged but only where this benefits learning in both subjects. We include a local historical enquiry in each class.

Chronology, continuity and change, cause and consequence , difference and significance and historical enquiry are woven through our curriculum.

Our substantive concepts at Bretherton are

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Impact

By the time the children at Bretherton Endowed leave our school they should have developed:

A secure knowledge and understanding of people, events and contexts from the historical periods covered.
The ability to think critically about history and communicate 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, forming 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 judgements.
A desire to embrace challenging activities, including opportunities to undertake high-quality research across a range of history topics

How EYFS education support National Curriculum for History?

Knowledge and Understanding of the world

Three and Four-Year-Olds Understanding the World

•Begin to make sense of their own life-story and family’s history.

Reception Understanding the World

• Comment on images of familiar situations in the past.
• Compare and contrast characters from stories, including figures from the past.

ELG Understanding the World Past and Present

• Talk about the lives of people around them and their roles in society.
• Know some similarities and differences between things in the past and now, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class.
• Understand the past through settings, characters and events encountered in books read in class and storytelling.

Assessment and Recording

History may be recorded in a variety of ways and will typically reflect examples of all four strands (chronological awareness, knowledge and understanding, historical concepts and organise, evaluate and communicate information). Some of the evidence will involve photographic evidence or teacher’s notes where the activity has been one of discussion or drama.

Teachers assess children’s knowledge, understanding and skills in History by making observations within class and by analysis of their written evidence. As part of our assessment for learning process (and in line with our school’s assessment policy), children will receive both verbal and written feedback as a means of development. Children are also encouraged to be critical of their own work, highlighting their own next steps. Twice a year, Foundation subject assessment grids are completed by class teachers, showing children’s attainment in the four strands as previously detailed. The school’s banding system is used to do this and many of the requirements are aligned to the topics being studied. The Curriculum Leader will then analyse this data and provide feedback to the History Leader in order to inform and improve future practice.

Inclusion

Lessons and activities are planned in include all children by using a range of approaches. This includes: questioning, use of source material, and mixed ability grouping to enable children to offer peer support. Lessons are planned to facilitate the best possible outcome for all children within the class.

Identifying children working at greater depth in History

These children often show particular skill at inference and deduction. They synthesise information well and draw inferences and conclusions from a range of sources of evidence and will use subject-specific vocabulary confidently. They will establish and follow a line of enquiry, posing informed questions and making links with other curriculum areas and/or previous learning.

Enrichment activities for those working at Deeper Depth

It will be important to provide learning that challenges children through: cognitive conflict – using debate to question the children’s thinking; providing problem solving activities and designing investigative tasks which stimulate and encourage analytical discussion, higher order deductive skills and implicit inference.

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and British Values

By studying different aspects of social history and by questioning aspects of morality that is a part of Historical discussion, the children will establish a deeper understanding of how people’s lives have changed and developed over the centuries. Examining different cultures and how they have contributed in historical terms will also give children an awareness of our own multi-cultural identity.

Democracy

This subject can be approached in a variety of ways, looking at the History of England back as far as the Magna Carta. It will also become prominent when studying the Maafi, slavery. As part of the Ancient Greece study, children will also question how democratic the system really was.

Rule of Law

A study of the Magna Charter and the implications shows how England’s past is entrenched
in the Rule of Law. Discussion about how criminal law and industrial law has impacted upon the rights of individuals is found in the study of Victorian England and is also introduced when studying the kings of the Anglo-Saxons; in particular King Alfred.

Individual Liberty

Revolution and the Conscientious objectors in WW1. It will also look at the Slave Trade , The Feudal System, the role of slaves in Egypt and Ancient Greece. It will study the injustices of class division as starkly shown in Maafi and the impact of war on the lives of women and their liberty.

Mutual Respect

Looking at the tolerance of other’s beliefs and values. This area of study can be particularly sensitive when studying aspects of the British Empire and the impact of immigration on Great Britain. The Maffi topic looks at the large number of people arriving in GB in search for a better life. Throughout our history England has been invaded many times which has taught us to become a more transient and tolerant nation. This needs to be reflected when we study aspects of Viking, Anglo Saxon and Roman history. In some instances, we have studied the division between church and state and have looked at how this split with Rome has been the cause of much conflict. This knowledge brings with it an understanding for the many problems we have recently experienced (Northern Ireland, Hitler’s reaction towards the Jewish Religion).

History Areas of Focus for 2023 2024

To further develop the assessment at end of topic to ensure maximum learning for all children. Reflect on impact and check whether explicit assessment sheet required or will it limit creativity and variety in learning
Further develop chronology through school – timelines referred to regularly in all subjects
To further develop the new English scheme for books that offer diversity and history as children learn best through narrative. Once identified, to look at a key text per topic if we have not already identified.
To monitor the teaching and learning of the increasing understanding of vocab and that work recorded represents learning well.