History
Purpose and Aims
Purpose:
For pupils to 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.
Aims:
- To investigate and interpret the past
- To build an overview of world history
- To understand chronology
- To communicate historically
Provision
Our curriculum is categorised in 2 ways:
- Substantive knowledge - which gives pupils the knowledge about the past
- Disciplinary knowledge- which gives pupils the skills to think and act like historians. This is learning how historians investigate the past, and how they construct historical claims, arguments and accounts
Our curriculum knowledge is separated into nine concepts that are revisited and repeated throughout each year group to develop our children’s knowledge and understanding.
Source: Chris Quigley History Curriculum Companion
Our curriculum drivers, also, shape our approach to teaching history so that every opportunity is taken to relate history to the needs of our pupils. History is studied throughout each academic year and across each key stage so that pupils can gain a growing developmental understanding of the matters, skills and processes in our curriculum.
Progression and Assessment
In EYFS, we work towards the aims set out in the Development Matters framework related to Understanding of the World so that a child can reach their Early Learning Goal by the end of Reception.
From Year 1 to Year 6 we set out our expectations around Chris Quigley Essentials milestones. Each milestone has a set of indicators that repeated throughout: Basic (We call it Paddling), Advancing (we call in snorkelling) and Deep (we call it diving). It is expected that the vast majority of pupils will have an advancing understanding by the end of the milestone and some will have a deep understanding.
Assessment and reporting
Throughout each unit, teachers regularly assess the children’s progress through questioning, quizzes and written activities. At the end of each unit, children are asked to reflect on the learning and assess themselves against the skills for the unit. They also record new knowledge and skills in a short set of reflection activities. Teachers then use the children’s assessment and their own judgements to assess the pupil’s depth of understanding each term and use this to forecast as to whether pupils are on track and to support further planning in ensure the curriculum is tailored to the needs of each class.
Evaluation and Improvement
Each year an action plan is created to ensure that the subject is up-to-date with the most recent developments and to ensure that children in the school are receiving the highest standard of teaching. CPD opportunities are offered to staff throughout each year to develop their teaching.
Year 2 Moomin Class, Evacuees for the Day, World War 2 Workshop
Remembrance Assembly
Highlight of the week has been our Remembrance Day celebrations. The Remembrance assembly and the way we honour this day is always a big event at school. This year we had the Town Mayor, Lisa Scriven and Rev. Dennis Stamps taking part in our commemorative day. While there are no expectations for parents to attend it is lovely to see you there. Thanks as always go to the staff and the pupils who are magnificent during the two-minute silence and also thank you to Daisy from Sir John Lawes, our trumpeter who played the last post for us.
Year 6 visit the Foundling Museum
Year 6 historians had a wonderful time on Tuesday discovering more about Thomas Coram’s legacy at the Foundling Musuem.
Year 3 Potter Class, Timelines
Brilliant historians of Potter Class have been working hard to develop their understanding of change over time by creating timelines of homes throughout history.
World War 2 Workshops for Year 4 and Year 5
A great start to our WW2 workshop this morning. Dr Seuss class look fabulous- thank you parents.
Stories Through History in Year 3 Potter Class
We have been exploring stories throughout history. Today we created story stones for different parts of a story that will inspire our Stone Age stories.
Archeological Dig in Year 4 Kerr Class
Kerr class having their own archaeological dig. To learn about transport from the ancient past.
Year 6 started their new history topic entitled Find Your Voice
Looking at activism in Britain over the past few centuries. Incredibly thoughtful and thought-provoking discussions on Baroness Lawrence’s work as an activist for anti- racism in the judicial system.
Amazing Artefacts
Year 4 Kerr Class have been investigating transport in the past.
Year 6 visit the History of The Oval
Year 6 Historians looking at the site of the National Children’s Home at the Highfield Oval in Harpenden, linked to their Home and Belonging PSHE and history topic.History in the making: year six digging and planting trees in the Oval orchard to regenerate this special piece of history and vital ecosystem for generations to come.
Inside the chapel observing the window designed by artist Frank O Salisbury - taking notice of all the skills depicted in the window that children at the home would have been taught.
Year 6 School Trip to the Charles Dickens Museum
Very excited to start our Charles Dickens workshops and tour of his house decorated for Christmas.
Taking in the role of curators and asking questions about a range of artefacts from the Charles Dickens collection.
Learning lots about Charles Dickens’ life and the lives of rich Victorians by exploring his house.
Curators in action debating which artefacts should be added to the Charles Dickens museum.
Year 1/2 WW1 and WW2 Workshop
On Tuesday, Elmer and Aslan had a WW1 and WW2 workshop as part of our topic 'Let's Remember.' We created a human timeline to show the events of WW1 and WW2. We played a game to understand what the soldiers ate in the trenches during the war. In the afternoon, we were able to touch and look at the different artefacts from WW2 and WW1. To end the workshop we worked on our marching! We had a great day.
Year 3 Potter Class visit Verulamium Museum
On Monday, Potter Class went to St.Albans to learn more about the Romans. We got to touch Roman artefacts to see how they lived. We also visited the Hypocaust and the Roman theatre. This was a great opportunity to do some sketching. Our trip inspired us to write recounts of our day.
Foundling Museum, Year 6 Georgian & Victorian Times
On Wednesday Year 6 enjoyed a wonderful day at the Foundling Museum finding out about the lives of Foundling children in the Georgian and Victorian era, not to mention a fun-filled lunchtime and play at Coram Fields, the original site of the Foundling Hospital.
"Today we enjoyed a wonderfully thought-provoking and informative trip to the Foundling Museum in London to learn about the lives of poor children in Georgian and Victorian Britain. We were fascinated by the patience and resilience (two of our values) of Thomas Coram in waiting seventeen years to gain permission to set up the Foundling Hospital along with the kindness of famous artists (William Hogarth) and musicians (Handel- our composer of the month) in donating their time and works of art to raise the profile of the hospital and raise funds to support the children.
We looked at a huge range of primary and secondary evidence, from letters to artefacts to paintings to verbal reports from Foundlings in the 20th century. We discussed in depth what life would have been like for the Foundlings, compared to the lives they would have lived had they remained on the streets and also compared to our own lives. We debated the ethical dilemma that mothers would have faced deciding whether or not to give their baby up to the Foundling Hospital.
We were also very excited to go to the Handel exhibition as he was one of our composers of the month last year! We got to see many of his personal artefacts such as his will (bequeathing his Messiah score to the hospital), his watch and many of his letters. We also got to listen to the different genres of his music – from choral to operatic - and to explore an amazing circular timeline of his life which included key cultural events throughout his life."
Dickens Museum, November 2018, Year 6 Shakespeare
Click on the link above to see our Pupil Voice on our school trip and to learn more about the fabulous day we had.
WW1 & WW2 Workshop, Year 2 Aslan Class
Aslan class had a wonderful Workshop based around World War 1 and 2 on Tuesday. The children were surrounded by real artefacts from the war. Children got to try on gas masks and helmets the war. Children also got to use a stirrup pump used by the fire brigade during WW2.
It was a fantastic ore inspiring day that produced some fascinating and mature conversations between the children.
Foundling Museum, Year 6 Shakespeare Class
On Wednesday the Year 6 children enjoyed a wonderfully thought-provoking trip to the Foundling Museum in London to learn about the lives of poor children in Georgian and Victorian Britain. They were fascinated by the patience of Thomas Coram in waiting seventeen years to gain permission to set up the Foundling Hospital along with the kindness of famous artists (William Hogarth) and musicians (Handel- our composer of the month) in donating their time and works of art to support the children. We can’t wait to explore the history of the Foundling children further back in class. A huge thank you to the five parent volunteers who expertly led their groups around the museum; the museum staff commented on the super engagement and behaviour of the children.
Key Stage 1 School Walk to the War Memorial in Harpenden
On Monday, pupils walked to the War Memorial to sketch the poppies and to lay the wreath from Harpenden Academy. Pupils discussed why the poppies had been placed at the War Memorial and why this year was especially important because it was 100 years since the end of WW1.
London Bridge is Falling Down, Year 1 Elmer Class
When we were at the fire station, the fire brigade set alight to our houses and we watched them burn to the ground. Then they let us put the fire out with the giant hose!
While we were there we got to do a few other things; we played team games to aim the hose – our teachers were very close to being sprayed! We also tried to lift the dummy people out of the pretend fire. As well as that we went into the practice room to use the special cameras that can help to see through the smoke!
History on a Page, Year 4 Austen Class
We have had a tremendous week this week at school.
On Tuesday Year 4 had a ‘History on a Page’ workshop in school which was hugely creative and educational. We made candles, leather pouches, baked and learnt to weave. We enjoyed our banquet in the afternoon. Thank you to parents for sending the children in such amazing costumes, it really helped to create a medieval atmosphere.
History of Children's Home, Year 6
Year 6 went on a wonderful trip to the Oval on Wednesday to find out about the history of the children’s home that was established there in the early 20th century. As historians they used artefacts and archives to learn more about the lives of children in the past. The volunteers who led the tour commented verbally and in writing on how beautifully behaved the children were and how curious and engaged with the discussions and activities. I was particularly impressed with their empathy when imagining what it would have felt like for children arriving from inner city London to the Oval.
Natural History Museum, Year 6
On Tuesday, 24 April 2018, Year 6 spent the day deepening their knowledge and understanding of evolution at the Natural History Museum. They explored what has evolved over the past few hundred million years, how it has evolved and why by participating in a range of fun activities and games. The children were so excited to see Mary Anning’s fossils up close, not to mention a series of skulls showing how humans evolved over the past five million years to carry larger brains! A huge thank you to Molly's mum, Micah's mum and Ellie and Sav's dad for coming on our trip with us.
