History

“We are not makers of History. We are made by History.” Martin Luther King Jr.

At Loscoe, we aim to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum for History and base our teaching and planning on this. Through following the National Curriculum and shaping this to our own engaging topics we have ensured that the content of the curriculum has been covered by the time a pupil leaves Loscoe in Year 6. During these topics the pupils at Loscoe will learn about real people and real events in the past. They will consider how the past influences the present, what past societies were like, how these societies organised their politics, and what beliefs and cultures influenced people’s actions. As they do this, the pupils will develop a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people.

Intent

The study of history ignites children’s curiosity about the past in Britain and the wider world. Through finding out about how and why the world, our country, culture and local community have developed over time, children understand how the past influences the present. History enables children to develop a context for their growing sense of identity and a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people. What they learn through history can influence their decisions about personal choices, attitudes and values. At Loscoe C of E, our intent, when teaching history, is to stimulate the children’s curiosity in order for them to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding.

Our subject intent is to:

Instil in the children a curiosity and understanding of events, places and people in a variety of times and environments.
Develop the children’s interest in the past and an appreciation of human achievements and aspirations.
Ensure the children understand the values of our society.
Learn about the major issues and events in the history of our own country and of the world and how these events may have influenced one another.
Develop a knowledge of chronology within which the children can organise their understanding of the past.
Understand how the past was different from the present and that people of other times and places may have had different values and attitudes from ours.
Understand the nature of evidence by emphasising the process of enquiry and by developing the range of skills required to interpret primary and secondary source materials.
Distinguish between historical facts and the interpretation of those facts
Understand that events have a multiplicity of causes and that historical explanation is provisional, debatable and sometimes controversial

Implementation

Our whole curriculum is shaped by our school vision which aims to enable all children, regardless of background, ability, additional needs, to flourish to become the best they can be. History is taught through a topic based approach at Loscoe. All Teachers understand the key knowledge and skills of each topic and consideration has been given to ensure progression throughout each year group across the school. In History, pupils at Loscoe, find evidence, weigh it up and reach their own conclusion.

We implement our intent through:

Ensuring knowledge, skills and understanding are built on from Foundation to Year 6 through appropriately sequences lessons and topics.
Teaching History as part of an engaging and broad topic based curriculum.
Researching and interpreting evidence from primary and secondary sources.
Using a range of artefacts.
Participating in debates, discussions and role play.
Finding out about the past from art work, film clips, books, the Internet, visitors and trips.
Educational visits to historical places.
Speaking to and listening to visitors.
Asking relevant questions.
Teachers adapting lessons to suit the needs of the children they are teaching.
Teachers assessing each unit taught carefully and ensuring they are following the progression grids.
Plotting events, people and periods of history onto a timeline to develop chronological understanding.

Impact

Our history curriculum offers high quality and well planned lessons which encourage progression. Continuity and progression in the curriculum is built around essential knowledge, understanding and key skills within History. Through our curriculum, pupils learn to think critically, ask perceptive questions and evaluate evidence.

By the time the children at Loscoe leave our school they should have developed:

A secure knowledge and understanding of people, events and contexts from the historical periods covered.
The ability to think critically about history and communicate confidently in styles appropriate to a range of audiences.
The ability to consistently support, evaluate and challenge their own and others’ views using detailed, appropriate and accurate historical evidence derived from a range of sources.
The ability to think, reflect, debate, discuss and evaluate the past, forming and refining questions and lines of enquiry.
A passion for history and an enthusiastic engagement in learning, which develops their sense of curiosity about the past and their understanding of how and why people interpret the past in different ways.
A respect for historical evidence and the ability to make robust and critical use of it to support their explanations and judgements.
A desire to embrace challenging activities, including opportunities to undertake high-quality research across a range of history topics.

Historical Figures

At Loscoe C of E Primary, we follow the Kapow Curriculum, however we adapt this to meet the local needs of our children and enrichment opportunities. We work on a one year cycle in EYFS, a one year cycle in Key Stage 1 and a two year cycle in Key Stage 2. The complete lists of historical figures that we will cover can be found in our school’s medium term plans, as these are often related to our topics. We will however cover a wide variety of men and women from different cultures and backgrounds.

Wider Curriculum

Throughout their school life the children have the opportunity to go on various historical visits linked to the topics the children are studying in school. Making children aware of their local history is very important to us. The subject leader and class teachers make links to all Loscoe’s local history through the Kapow topics wherever possible. For example, when EYFS covers local history such as, ‘important events in the school's history’, the children will learn about the history of our school building, including when it was built. In KS1, the children will explore the Great Fire of London, during which they will also consider their local history and how buildings have changed over time in the local area. In KS2, local history will be considered when the Year 5/6 children explore the British wars. The children will make links to Loscoe Dam, Mining in Loscoe and the local war memorials. We also invite local visitors to talk about history in the area and within their living memory. Visitors, theatre groups and artefacts are used to engage children in historical topics.

Careers

There are many careers which require knowledge and enthusiasm for history. These include:

Archivist
Archaeologist
Teacher/lecturer
Conservation
Museums
Historical sites

SMSC

At Loscoe, we aim to develop SMSC through History by:

Spiritual

Fostering the mystery of how and why events in the past happened and their many causes.

Helping children to realise the incredible significance that some individuals have had in the past and how historical knowledge changes with new evidence and different interpretations of events.
Allowing pupils to see the similarities between people now and in the past and bringing them alive through primary and secondary sources, artefacts and visits and visitors.
Artefacts, for example, can bring us closer to people through touching what they felt, feeling their shoes, clothes etc.

Moral

Encouraging pupils to comment on moral questions and dilemmas from the past.
Helping children to empathise with the decisions which ordinary people made at the time, based on their historical situation.
Developing open mindedness when considering the actions and decisions of people from the past .

Social

Encouraging pupils to think about what past societies have contributed to our culture today.
Promoting pupils' own social development through working together and problem solving.
The study of social issues is a common theme in History lessons.
Exploring the similarities and contrasts between past and present societies and be made aware of how, in the main, we are very fortunate to live in ‘the modern world’

Cultural

Developing a better understanding of our multicultural society through studying links between local, British, European and world history.

British Values

At Loscoe, we aim to promote British values through History. British values, including those of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs are embedded in the History curriculum.

Students explore issues such as democracy in their historical context and relate them to the modern day through studying periods such as Ancient Greece. This enables the students to understand how, overtime, changes happen and to evaluate their impact. By looking at the achievements of famous British people (KS1), students develop an awareness of how they have influenced and shaped the country in which we live. This includes an appreciation of their work. Teaching students to respect and value diversity is encouraged in the day to day teaching and learning through showing respect for different viewpoints and ideas as well as in the ability to work effectively together both individually and in groups.

Protected Characteristics

At Loscoe C of E Primary, we want to give our children an open, respectful and realistic mindset. Through history we can look at how individuals and groups of people were discriminated against for reasons of gender, race, sex, religious beliefs and compare this to how similar groups of people are treated now in both the UK and across the globe. We can also use the experiences of the past to learn how to behave in the future.

Useful websites and local visits

Kedleston Hall

War memorial in Loscoe and Staveley

Museum in Derby

Loscoe C of E Primary School and Nursery

We may be small, but together we can make a big difference.