Curriculum intent

At Bidbury Junior School, we aim to ensure that our history curriculum is broad and ambitious for all pupils.  We believe that is essential to provide a knowledge-rich history curriculum which secures progression.

We aim to ensure that children:

• gain a coherent knowledge of Britain’s past and that of the wider world
• are inspired to know more about the past
• are equipped to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgement
• understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.

We believe that every child deserves to see themselves reflected in the history taught in our school.  Through our local history studies, we aim to show how national history is intertwined with our own family histories and help children to make sense of the country we live in today.

History learning is carefully mapped out throughout Key Stage 2. 

• Our historians will develop an awareness of the past through the study of significant individuals who have achieved nationally and internationally.
• They will also study significant events linked to the local area as well as studying changes within living memory and those events beyond living memory that have had a significant impact nationally or globally.
• Pupils will develop a secure understanding of local, British and world history, making connections and contrasts over time.
• Chronology is taught explicitly as we aim that our historians grow a coherent, chronological narrative of the past. We aim to develop their understanding that periods studied are not linear through identifying the duration, overlap and concurrence of areas studied on timelines.

Our History curriculum recognises knowledge as having two main branches:

1. Substantive knowledge: the facts about the past that we teach
2. Disciplinary knowledge: working as a historian to make use of those facts in order to draw conclusions

In order to provide children with a greater perspective of the past, we use focused enquiry questions to facilitate the teaching and development of both substantive and disciplinary knowledge.

The children will be exposed to a wide range of historical sources and artefacts.  They will have opportunities to explore, examine and evaluate these to enable them to  respond to the enquiry question. Children will be encouraged to use historical terms accurately in their communication of ideas and judgements. 

Although History is taught discreetly, the children will select and apply their knowledge and skills from other subjects in order to draw conclusions and communicate their findings. 

We recognise the value of rich historical experiences, visits and visitors to allow the children to connect with the past in a more meaningful way.  Through involvement in anniversaries and commemorations, the children will grow a sense of social responsibility, respect for diversity and a willingness to engage with local and current issues.  

National curriculum for history

Purpose of study

A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.

Aims

The national curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils:

• know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
• know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind
• gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’
• understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses
• understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed
• gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

Subject content for history in key stage 2

Pupils should continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study. They should note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms. They should regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance. They should construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information. They should understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources. In planning to ensure the progression described above through teaching the British, local and world history outlined below, teachers should combine overview and depth studies to help pupils understand both the long arc of development and the complexity of specific aspects of the content.

Pupils should be taught about:

• changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age
• the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain

• Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots
• the Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the time of Edward the Confessor
• a local history study 
• a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066
• the achievements of the earliest civilizations – an overview of where and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth study of one of the following: Ancient Sumer; The Indus Valley; Ancient Egypt; The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China
• Ancient Greece – a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world
• a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history – one study chosen from: early Islamic civilization, including a study of Baghdad c. AD 900; Mayan civilization c. AD 900; Benin (West Africa) c. AD 900-1300.

Attainment targets

By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.

Curriculum intent

At Bidbury Junior School, we aim to ensure that our history curriculum is broad and ambitious for all pupils.  We believe that is essential to provide a knowledge-rich history curriculum which secures progression.

We aim to ensure that children:

• gain a coherent knowledge of Britain’s past and that of the wider world
• are inspired to know more about the past
• are equipped to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgement
• understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.

We believe that every child deserves to see themselves reflected in the history taught in our school.  Through our local history studies, we aim to show how national history is intertwined with our own family histories and help children to make sense of the country we live in today.

History learning is carefully mapped out throughout Key Stage 2. 

• Our historians will develop an awareness of the past through the study of significant individuals who have achieved nationally and internationally.
• They will also study significant events linked to the local area as well as studying changes within living memory and those events beyond living memory that have had a significant impact nationally or globally.
• Pupils will develop a secure understanding of local, British and world history, making connections and contrasts over time.
• Chronology is taught explicitly as we aim that our historians grow a coherent, chronological narrative of the past. We aim to develop their understanding that periods studied are not linear through identifying the duration, overlap and concurrence of areas studied on timelines.

Our History curriculum recognises knowledge as having two main branches:

1. Substantive knowledge: the facts about the past that we teach
2. Disciplinary knowledge: working as a historian to make use of those facts in order to draw conclusions

In order to provide children with a greater perspective of the past, we use focused enquiry questions to facilitate the teaching and development of both substantive and disciplinary knowledge.

The children will be exposed to a wide range of historical sources and artefacts.  They will have opportunities to explore, examine and evaluate these to enable them to  respond to the enquiry question. Children will be encouraged to use historical terms accurately in their communication of ideas and judgements. 

Although History is taught discreetly, the children will select and apply their knowledge and skills from other subjects in order to draw conclusions and communicate their findings. 

We recognise the value of rich historical experiences, visits and visitors to allow the children to connect with the past in a more meaningful way.  Through involvement in anniversaries and commemorations, the children will grow a sense of social responsibility, respect for diversity and a willingness to engage with local and current issues.  

National curriculum for history

Purpose of study

A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.

Aims

The national curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils:

• know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
• know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind
• gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’
• understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses
• understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed
• gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

Subject content for history in key stage 2

Pupils should continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study. They should note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms. They should regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance. They should construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information. They should understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources. In planning to ensure the progression described above through teaching the British, local and world history outlined below, teachers should combine overview and depth studies to help pupils understand both the long arc of development and the complexity of specific aspects of the content.

Pupils should be taught about:

• changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age
• the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain

• Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots
• the Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the time of Edward the Confessor
• a local history study 
• a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066
• the achievements of the earliest civilizations – an overview of where and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth study of one of the following: Ancient Sumer; The Indus Valley; Ancient Egypt; The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China
• Ancient Greece – a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world
• a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history – one study chosen from: early Islamic civilization, including a study of Baghdad c. AD 900; Mayan civilization c. AD 900; Benin (West Africa) c. AD 900-1300.

Attainment targets

By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.