Subject Statement – Intent, Implementation and Impact
Subject: History
Subject Lead: Miss Principe
Intent
Our intent at Victoria Junior school is to instil a love of History in all our children and teach them to be ‘Historical Detectives’ in order for them to be able to apply a range of knowledge and skills so that they can deduce authentic information about the past. We wish for our pupils to experience history as a coherent subject which develops their knowledge, thinking and understanding – including their chronological understanding. By the end of Year 6, pupils should be able to apply the skills independently through various medium that can demonstrate their learning in exciting and stimulating ways.
The topics taught are informed by the national curriculum as well as the context of the local area which, is rich in History. We want to ensure children gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world, which helps to incite pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. We want to equip our pupils to be able to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgement. The skills need to be transferable, and the children are to be taught to apply them in everyday situations and retain them in their long-term memory.
Implementation
We follow the Cornerstones Curriculum Maestro to carefully map our History curriculum. Our learning projects have been carefully chosen to prompt curiosity, ensure that each project builds on prior knowledge and that skills are progressively built upon through their journey at Key Stage 2. Opportunities to develop the children’s understanding of the past are also provided through the use of historical artefacts, historical documents, including reports, photographs and numerous written sources.
Pupils will develop a secure understanding of local, British and world History, making connections and contrasts over time, be able to use appropriate historical vocabulary and have a greater appreciation of chronology. Educational visits are another opportunity for children to put the past into a wider, real-world perspective and bring the subject to life.
The school provides various means to enhance pupils’ learning. This includes external support through the means of school visits and trips. The school has also had History Days and days dedicated to celebrating Black History Month and re-enactments of important periods of History.
Impact
Through the high quality teaching of History taking place, we will see the impact of the subject in different ways.
Through pupil voice, children are able to talk enthusiastically about the skills and knowledge they have acquired. They are highly engaged in their learning and motivated to find out more. Children will complete research independently through projects and home learning and to further their own enjoyment about their History Learning Project.
Books show that a range of History Projects are being covered, links within the connected curriculum are made where meaningful and engaging learning set as appropriate. The school environment will be history rich through displays, books and resources available.
Through development of disciplinary knowledge, children will learn to evaluate events from the past to influence the decisions they make in their lives in the future.
The Maestro assessment tool allows staff to regularly monitor the progress of pupils and provide evidence for robust monitoring of our curriculum.
