Our History Vision (Intent)

At St Joseph’s, we aim to provide a curriculum which encourages our children to follow their own interests and which enthuses and inspires them to be inquisitive learners with skills that enable them to move into the world with a passion for life-long learning.

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Our History provision at St Joseph’s offers children the opportunity to develop a sense of identity through learning about the development of Britain, Europe and the world.

In school we will help all children to develop an understanding of time, place, people and events through the effective teaching and learning of the knowledge skills and understanding of history. We will use the National Curriculum History Guidelines as the basis for our scheme of work and we will make meaningful links with the other subjects of the curriculum. Our aim is to ignite a curiosity to learn about the past that will help children understand who they are and how their environment and the world has changed over time.

At St Joseph’s we aim:

1. To help all children develop a sense of the past and to develop a chronological framework for learning about life in past times.

2. To enable children to learn about famous people and their impact on our lives.

3. To develop children’s knowledge and understanding of the growth and development of our nation and its relationship with the rest of the world.

4. To develop children’s skills as historians to enable them to research and discover the past.

Our History Practice (Implementation)

Throughout school we use the National Curriculum to plan objectives. We then use Cornerstones Curriculum to plan lessons and activities, as well as using a wide range of teaching and learning resources. History is covered, and children are fully immersed, through topic based learning where appropriate:

At St Joseph’s, we believe that History is effective when:

1. We begin the teaching of history in Foundation Stage as the children begin developing their knowledge skills and understanding of the world by starting with the most recent past. We will use photographs, artefacts, visits out into the locality, and by talking to older people about ‘then and now’

2. The children move into Key Stage 1 they will build on their earlier work using ‘living memory’, eye-witness accounts’ and the immediate environment of the school as their starting point.

3. Strong links are made with the teaching of English. Stories, plays and poems set in different periods of history will be shared with the children.

4. History is a stimulus and a springboard for the development of oracy, writing and for the development of thinking and reasoning skills.

5. The children become older they will learn about at least one of the different periods of history set out in the history guidelines of the National Curriculum.

6. Art, design technology, drama are closely linked with history as children use these subjects to communicate what they have learnt.

7. On every appropriate occasion teachers will use first-hand experience, visits, visitors, artefacts, AVA and the local and wider environment to engage children’s interest and imagination.

8. The children are encouraged to develop their feelings and ‘empathy’ for others through their understanding of the past and of lives in different conditions.

9. Through their understanding of the past the children will be helped to develop an understanding of their identity as a British subject.

10. Children will learn about development of democracy, our government, the Monarchy, citizenship, and the Law. They will learn about rights and responsibilities, moral, social and environmental issues.

11. We use financial resources to build up an extensive collection of resources, artefacts and books to support the teaching of history.

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Our History Outcomes (Impact)

History will be fun. It will be used to promote excellence and enjoyment; it will have a strong presence in the ethos of the school through displays, performances, music, drama and assemblies. Parents and grand-parents will be encouraged to join in the teaching and learning of history. We will make Britain our classroom.

The History Subject Leader uses Management time to undertake sampling of planning, complete book looks and to interview pupils.  Assessments from each year group are collected and used to assess progression throughout the school at the end of each topic. Children have regular opportunities to revisit and consolidate prior skills and knowledge to help them become confident historians. 

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