History
Intent
At St.Swithun’s School, the intent of our History curriculum is to inspire children’s curiosity, and to know more and remember more, about the past. Children will develop knowledge of Britain’s past and that of the wider world, with the intention to improve every child’s understanding of the world around them and their own heritage.
We have carefully designed our History curriculum so that children gain this knowledge as they progress through the school. Our curriculum provides children with opportunities to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement.
We intend for our children to learn about History in an active and creative way. Therefore visitors and trips form a fundamental part of our curriculum as well as using artefacts from the Museums of Oxford. Links to Geography and other subject areas are also explored.
Implementation
Through our History curriculum, children will explore key concepts, such as migration, civilisation and trade, as they move through the school. Our curriculum is laid out in such a way that the children will initially learn about their immediate history, that being their family and location, and significant people and events. This will be a starting block in EYFS and is built upon as they enter Key Stage 1. Once this is consolidated, they will gain a wider experience of global history. As a child moves through our school, their historical knowledge and understanding will deepen as it would have been built on the foundations laid in the previous years. The concepts that children explore are revisited in different units allowing children to apply new knowledge to the concept in order to prepare them for future learning.
Impact
By the time children leave St.Swithun’s School they will:
- Increase their understanding of the present in the context of the past.
- Develop and use their skills in enquiry, analysis, evaluation, and argument.
- Develop a sense of identity through learning about the past.
- Become increasingly critical and analytical thinkers.
- Have a clear understanding of the chronology of the British Isles and other areas of the world.
- Discover links and connections to the History they learn and the wider community and locality.
- Differentiate between source types and explain how interpretations of History may differ.
- Draw on similarities and differences within periods of history and across previously taught History.
- Enquire into historical themed questions and form their own opinions and interpretation of the past.
