“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”
Marcus Garvey
Aims
History shapes who we are. It is in every family story, every building, every painting, map or new archaeological discovery. Understanding history give us a better understanding of the world, of ourselves, of different places and people.
Through the teaching of history at Ladbrooke, we aim to inspire in our children a life-long interest in, and love for the past, which encourages them to further study and find enjoyment in the subject as they grow.
The teaching of history at Ladbrooke encourages the children to become history detectives by learning in a practical way. They have first-hand experience of life in the past through role play and educational visits. Additionally, we aim to foster wider links within the community, by asking friends and family to visit the school and talk to the children about their life in different eras. This inspires their curiosity, encourages them to ask questions and gives them a better understanding of the world in which they live.
Implementation
In our EYFS, children begin to develop their sense of chronology by talking about their own life story and the life story of family members. They are supported to communicate in the past tense when talking about things that have happened. Our children explore images of the past and make comparisons with the present
Through our History scheme, skills, knowledge and understanding in history progress through Year 1 to Year 6, being taught, developed and applied throughout the schemes of work. A range of opportunities are provided to enable all pupils to communicate their knowledge and understanding of the subject. Links are made within and across units to support pupils in making connections and in developing a strong overview of chronology, breadth and local to global history.
Within each unit there is time for the pupils to think deeply about an area of learning in a topic before they move on to the next one. They will have many opportunities to ask questions, discuss, communicate understanding and revise their ideas. This approach has led to the selection of some areas of knowledge in more depth within an area of study rather than trying to cover everything at a surface level.
Within each unit there is a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ chronological understanding. The introductory lessons include activities using timelines to locate the period, person or event and to consider it in relation to other periods studied and the present day. Pupils will be required to consider other events, people and societies occurring at the same time locally, nationally and globally.
The pictures below show the children enjoying their history both in school and on out of school trips. The use of interactive display boards relating to their topic prompts them to ask questions - all part of being a History Detective!
Impact
The impact of our curriculum is evidenced throught h epupil's use and understandign fo the koweldge, skills, concepts and specialist vocabulary. It is evidenced by the use and outcomes of the varied activities, assessments and quizzes provided. The broad range of approaches for pupils to communicate their knowledge ensures that everyone can demonstrate progression and impact.
In particular, it is evidenced by the pupil's ability, willingness and confidence in addressing and discussing each unit's key questions, giving a response focusing on historical vcabulary, skills and conspets. Pupils understand and can clarify to others what history is and the importance and value of studying the subject.
“Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Winston Churchill