History at St Mark's

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.

The National Curriculum

Key Concepts and Big Ideas

• Gaining an understanding of reliable/unreliable sources (linked with fake news on social media) and how evidence can be used to support historical claims
• Handling artefacts 
•  Studying changes through history and making connections
• How propaganda is used in history 
• Understanding of local history 
• How people’s lives have shaped our nation 
• How Britain has influenced and is influenced by the wider world

INTENT

The intent of our history curriculum is to provide a high-quality history education that will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge 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.

The history curriculum at St Mark's makes full use of resources within the immediate and wider local area enabling children to develop a deep understanding of the rich history of their locality, for example visiting Corfe Castle and learning about the role that the Vikings played in Swanage and Wareham. 

IMPLEMENTATION

History is taught throughout the year half termly (History and Geography alternate), so that children achieve depth in their learning. Key knowledge and skills for each topic have been identified and consideration has been given to ensure progression across topics throughout each year group across the school. By the end of year 6, children will have a chronological understanding of British history from Stone Age to the present day. They are able to draw comparisons and make connections between different time periods and their own lives. Interlinked with this are studies of world history (Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt and Ancient Mayans).

Cross curricular outcomes in history are specifically planned for, with a focus being on key Scientists/Mathematicians in the past enabling further contextual learning during whole school focus days. The local area is fully utilised to achieve the desired outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice. Planning is informed by and aligned with the national curriculum. Consideration is given to how greater depth will be taught, learnt and demonstrated within each lesson, as well as how learners will be supported in line with the school's commitment to inclusion. 

Outcomes of work are regularly monitored to ensure that they reflect a sound understanding of the key identified knowledge. Within our knowledge-rich approach, there is a strong emphasis on people and the community of our local area; such as the focus on Lady Mary Bankes and the siege of Corfe Castle. The Early Years Foundation Stafe (EYFS) follows the 'Development Matters in the EYFS' guidance which aims for all the children in reception to have an 'Understanding of the World, people and communities, the world and technology' by the end of the academic year. 

IMPACT

Outcomes in topic books evidence a broad and balanced history curriculum and demonstrate the children's acquisition of identified key knowledge. Children review the agreed successes at the end of every session and are actively encouraged to identify their own target areas, with support from their teachers. Children also record what they have learned comparative to their starting points at the end of every topic through entry and exit passes. Photographs are also used to capture and document practical work that may take place such as handling artefacts and resources. 

Emphasis is placed on analytical thinking and questioning which helps pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain's past and that of the wider world and children are curious to know more about the past. Through this study pupils learn to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgement. 

CURRICULUM ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES

We take every opportunity to bring learning to life through learning outside the classroom across the school. We take great pleasure in providing rich opportunities for children through school trips and talking to visitors with excellent knowledge of the subjects taught.

Each year group has historical visits planned:

EYFS- Visit to lifeboat station

Year 1- Local visit to Corfe castle

Year 2- The Tank Museum (Bovington) & Titanic Museum (Southampton).  

Year 3- Visit to Dorchester Museum Stone age exhibition & Viking reenactment group visit school. 

Year 4- Roman town house (Dorchester), Tutankhamun museum (Dorchester)

Year 5- Visit to Kingston Lacey (Victorian day)

Year 6- Visit to the war memorial for remembrance & Visit to shire hall (Dorchester)

We also aim to provide historical cross curricular links, for example when learning about significant people in the past during our whole school RE, Science and Maths days and look at the impact that they have made both locally and worldwide. 

Each class also completes projects at home linked to our topic learning, these can be historical masks/ models etc.