History

Intent, Implementation and Impact

Intent:

At Martham, we aim for our children will be fascinated and excited about our History. We aim for children to develop a chronologically secure knowledge of British, local and world history along with a fascination surrounding past events and significant people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. We want to inspire our pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past and understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time. We want children to develop a mental map of the past and establish clear narratives within and across periods they study. We believe that within our history lessons children will acquire a range of knowledge, chronological understanding and skills, which they can apply to other subjects and in a variety of situations.We seek to broaden children’s real life experiences both inside and outside of school through educational visits, exploration, visitors and discovery.

Implementation:

History at Martham is taught through topic enquiries throughout the year. Children are taught a combination of overview and depth studies. They regularly address historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity, difference and significance. As pupils progress they develop knowledge, skills and chronological understanding and develop their own historically valid questions. Children learn how to create and place events, periods  and dates on a timeline. They also explore a timeline every time they begin a new enquiry and begin to put previous learning into context.  To ensure progression, teachers regularly identify key knowledge and skills for each enquiry, children retrieve key past knowledge and historical concepts, compare and contrast, analyse evidence, note connections, create their own structured narratives and understand cause and consequence. 

Impact:

As children progress throughout the school they will have developed a coherent, chronologically secure knowledge of British, local and world history. Children will understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time. Children will understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed. As a year 6 Historian, transitioning into secondary school, we aspire that pupils will have developed an inquiring mind, with the ability to research and present history and demonstrate chronological thinking, interpretive and analytical skills.

Overview

Progression in History