Lizzie Fitzpatrick

History Co-ordinator

lfitzpatrick@chaddlewoodschool.org.uk

 

'A Chaddlewood historian will have an enquiring and questioning mind and a knowledge and understanding of how historical periods affected those that came after them through a real understanding of chronology. They will have a deep understanding of the key concepts and features of taught historical periods and how they have influenced us today.'

How is history planned at Chaddlewood in KS1 and Year 6?

 History is planned to explore a main question or statement, which is developed from the subject content detailed in the National Curriculum as assigned to each key stage. Each lesson focuses on a key question or statement, which is designed to piece together the answer to the main question.

 Questions or statements are formed from the key concepts (disciplinary knowledge) and the substantive themes (substantive knowledge) that have been identified as integral to understanding history and are used as longitudinal threads to build substantive understanding across year groups and topics. Our teaching and curriculum design reflect the relationship between substantive and disciplinary knowledge. Learning activities have been developed collaboratively to ensure effective progression of knowledge. 

 Historical understanding is built into our lesson sequencing as a secure overview of knowledge of the past supports pupils to develop chronological knowledge into coherent narratives that are more memorable for them.

How do we ensure that the curriculum will reinforce disciplinary concepts so that pupils remember more in the long term? 

 Knowledge is taught to be remembered, not merely encountered; therefore, we begin each unit by exploring a main question or statement. We then use key questions or statements, which are explored in lessons, to develop the answer to the main question or statement.

How do we check that pupils have understood before we move on? 

 Assessments are made formatively and summatively in all year groups. Synoptic tasks are used in KS2 and in KS1, the pupils complete an end of unit assessment task.  These are a culmination of learning throughout each sequence.

How is History planned in KS2?

 In KS2 we use the Opening Worlds Humanities Scheme to teach geography, history and RE.

 The programme meets and substantially exceeds the demand of the National Curriculum for history and geography. The programme is characterised by strong vertical sequencing within subjects (so that pupils gain security in a rich, broad vocabulary through systematic introduction, sustained practice and deliberate revisiting) and by intricate horizontal and diagonal connections, thus creating a curriculum whose effects are far greater than the sum of their parts.

Our history curriculum is knowledge structured as a narrative over time. Just as in a novel, film or play, in our curriculum, pupils make sense of the later content through the work that the earlier content did on our memories, our expectations and our understanding. We have a knowledge-rich curriculum, not an information-rich curriculum as our knowledge is connected by rich accounts, fascinating analytic journeys, visibly emergent contrasts and recurring ideas.