History

Our History curriculum ensures that learning is meaningful and relevant for the childrenby focusing on units that relate to our locality and its rich heritage. Units of lessons have been sequenced mindfully to allow for a developing appreciation of chronology, as well as ensuring children have the opportunity to make connections between time periods and events studied.  Our units are also designed to celebrate famous figures from Dorset and significant periods in Bournemouth’s history, such as the development of Bournemouth as a seaside town. 

Intent: What we expect children to learn

Through History, we aim to excite every child’s interests and understanding about the life of people who lived in the past, both in Britain and in the wider world. We teach children a sense of chronology in order for them to develop a sense of their historical heritage and a cultural understanding of the world in which we live. They learn to respect others and make informed decisions by considering how people lived in the past and the impact their actions had on our lives today.  All children will be taught to investigate and interpret the past in order to gain an understanding of chronology and to build an overview of British and world history. Children will communicate historically using a range of key vocabulary to help them to make sense of the past.

Implementation: How we teach the subject

History skills and historical knowledge are embedded within all history lessons and developed throughout the journey of the history curriculum. Teachers plan engaging and informative lessons, which draw upon previous learning and cross-curricular links to embed learning, as well as using assessment meaningfully to identify next steps. 

Each year group has either two larger or three history units, which are interspersed with geography units to provide a rich humanities education. Reading underpins all aspects of learning with teachers using key texts to engage children and promote reading for pleasure. Children will also be given experiences through educational visits and guest speakers to bring learning to life.

Impact: How we evaluate the knowledge and skills they have learned  

Through an engaging and exciting History curriculum, all children will make progress and develop their skills and knowledge. By the end of their primary education, pupils will be able to:

• Have a chronological understanding of British history from the Stone Age to the present day.
• Be able to draw comparisons and make connections between different time periods and their own lives.
• To represent events and changes over time on timelines.
• Be knowledgeable about world history, such as the ancient civilisations of Greece and the Mayans.
• Have an appreciation of the rich heritage of our local area.
• Use to a range of vocabulary to communicate historically.

Children are assessed in a variety of ways allowing them to demonstrate their knowledge and overcome barriers to learning, such as difficulties with reading and writing.

Progression Map: