History

Our vision for history

At Kibblesworth Academy we want to develop learners who have a love of history and a curiosity to find out about the past so that they can make thoughtful observations and judgements about it. We believe that by better understanding the past, we can better understand the world we live in today and help us to make informed decisions about how we impact the future. Central to our approach to teaching history is a belief that it is far more than learning a list of dates and events that must be memorised. 

A high-quality history education helps pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Our history curriculum is carefully sequenced and planned to inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Within it, pupils are taught 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.

 

 

 

How we plan for and teach history

When designing our history curriculum, we ensured it was aligned with our overarching pedagogy and principles. For example, we wanted to ensure it was knowledge rich, but also retain the engagement, innovations and expression that are core to all elements of our wider curriculum design. Not only is it key that the children are given the chance to study in depth the major historical periods from the Stone Age to 1066, but that they are given the chance to study aspects of history beyond those time periods, whilst still retaining a clear understanding of chronology and where the content fits into the broader historical landscape.

To support this, significant aspects of the history of Britain and the wider world are interwoven into these units of study. The nature of ancient civilisations, and the concepts of empire, invasion, and war are all studied across a range of periods, giving the children a perspective of change over time. For example, the concept of empire is introduced in Year 2 in our “Magnificent Monarchs” unit, where the children learn about Queen Victoria. Empire is then taught and explored in Year 4 during “I warrior” where the rise and fall of the Roman Empire is studied. Pupils then go on to learn more about the consequences of imperialism and empire building in Year 6 in the “Maafa” and “Britain at War” units.

As well as our significant aspects of history, carefully selected skills are chosen to best match each unit of knowledge, ensuring progress year on year. opportunities to practise and embed skills are planned for so that they are revisited and refined over time. The knowledge and skills that children will develop throughout each history topic are mapped across the school to ensure progression. 

We also maximise the opportunities our local area has to offer in terms of its rich history, museums and cultural sites. Some of the places we visit include the island of Lindisfarne when studying the Viking raids, Hadrian's Wall when studying the Roman occupation of Britain, and Woodhorn Colliery and Beamish when studying coal mining in Year 5. Through these vists, workshops and visitors, learning is enriched and their learning deepened. 

 

How we evalute leanring in history

The impact of our history curriculum can clearly be seen in the children's history books and also within the wide range of displays and exhibits around the school site. Our rich history curriculum is also evident in the texts that we have selected for our children to read, both as part of Reading Rails and also as class texts, as well as through our exhibitions and events designed to showcase the learning that has taken place at the end of a unit to parents and families. The detailed unit overview outlines the main teaching objectives for the unit, and these objectives are assessed regularly by class teachers, and where appropriate, the children themselves. Formative assessment is used t review the attainment of each child during each lesson, which in turn helps to inform future planning and support where required. The degree to which each child has understood and assimilated the key learning, or developed a key skill, is assessed and recorded at the end of each lesson. This information provides an evidence base which is then used to help inform teacher judgement at the end of the term, where the childs overall performance in history is assessed. 

 
Year 6 Digital Memorial Book
As part of the their unit of work looking at the First and Second World Wars and how they impacted Britain, Year 6 undertook a study of the names on our village memorial. Using the little information they had, the children then used a range of online resources to research each of the names to find out more about their lives, how they lived, and where they died. 
 
They were then able to go to our Rembembrance Day service and tell visitors about the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives for us. 
 
This year's book focuses on the Second World War following last year's work on the First World War. The children worked very hard and became very invested in the life and history of the person they were researching. We hope you enjoy finding out a little more about these local heroes. 
 
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