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History

 
 "Remember the days of old, consider the years of all generations. Ask your father, and he will inform you, your elders, and they will tell you."  
Psalm 78:2-7

 

Vision and Aims

We want our children to love excited and be excited and look forward to their lessons in this subject. Our aims are:

  • To cultivate a deep understanding of local and national history, enabling students to connect their personal experiences with broader historical narratives.
  • To create a bespoke curriculum that reflects the heritage and locality of our community, ensuring relevance and engagement for all students.
  • To inspire curiosity and critical thinking by encouraging students to ask questions about the past and its relevance to their lives today. These skills are transferable across the curriculum.
  • To celebrate diversity by highlighting significant figures from our community, including important women in leadership and influential black individuals, fostering a sense of pride and belonging.
  • To empower students to recognise their potential to influence the future, understanding that their choices can shape history.
  • To develop a love for learning about history that extends beyond the classroom, encouraging lifelong engagement with the subject.
  • To encourage collaborative learning experiences that build teamwork, oracy and communication skills, preparing students for future educational and career pathways.

Knowledge and Skills Focus

Children will have opportunities in:

  • Understanding key historical concepts such as civilisations, leadership, and migration, with a focus on local history and its impact on the North of England.
  • Developing critical historical skills, including sourcing, analysing, and interpreting evidence to form reasoned arguments and opinions. Units will start with an enquiry-based activity to foster critical thinking.
  • Seeing the periods of history through the eyes of a child of the time, so facts will resonate with them personally.
  • Building general knowledge about the community and the North of England, enhancing students’ sense of identity and place.

Inclusion and Accessibility

  • The curriculum is designed to be ambitious and accessible for all students, including those with special educational needs and disadvantaged backgrounds, ensuring equitable opportunities for engagement and achievement.
  • Adaptations will be made to resources and teaching methods to meet diverse learning needs while maintaining high expectations for all learners, promoting a growth mindset.

Teaching Approaches and Pedagogy

  • Inquiry-Based Learning: Students will engage in projects that require them to ask questions, research, and present findings, fostering curiosity and critical thinking.
  • Collaborative Learning: Group activities will encourage teamwork and communication, allowing students to explore historical themes together.
  • Contextual Learning: Lessons will be designed to relate historical events to students’ lives, ensuring relevance and engagement.
  • Scaffolded Instruction: Differentiated resources and support will be provided to meet diverse learning needs while maintaining high expectations.
  • Use of Primary Sources: Students will analyse primary sources to develop critical skills in sourcing and interpreting evidence.
  • Sequencing The curriculum will be sequenced thematically, with each unit building on prior knowledge and skills. Conceptual threads throughout the curriculum ensure our pupils have good skills in concepts relevant to them. 

Assessment Approaches

  • Formative Assessment: Ongoing assessments through observations, discussions, and project work will inform teaching and identify learning gaps.
  • Summative Assessment: End-of-unit assessments will evaluate students’ understanding of key concepts and skills.
  • Feedback Mechanisms: Constructive feedback will be provided regularly to guide student learning and improvement.

Resources and Learning Environment

  • Diverse Resources: A variety of texts, multimedia, and local historical artefacts will be used to support learning. All pupils at St. Antony’s will be protected against discrimination according to the protected characteristics of the Equality Act.
  • Technology Integration: Digital tools will enhance research and presentation skills, making history interactive and engaging. This includes VR headsets, safe use of AI and the internet,
  • Optimised Learning Environment: Classrooms will be arranged to facilitate group work and discussions, creating an inclusive atmosphere for all learners.

Staff Development and Expertise

  • Professional Development: Ongoing training will be provided to enhance teachers’ subject knowledge and pedagogical skills in History.
  • Monitoring Systems: Regular observations and feedback will ensure high-quality teaching and continuous improvement.
  • Collaborative Partnerships: Connections with local historians and cultural institutions will enrich the curriculum and provide real-world context.

Knowledge and Understanding Evaluation

  • Knowledge Quizzes: Regular quizzes will assess students’ retention of key historical facts and concepts, ensuring alignment with the curriculum intent of fostering understanding of local and national history.
  • Class Discussions: Structured discussions will evaluate students’ ability to articulate their understanding of historical themes, such as urbanisation and leadership, promoting critical thinking and communication skills.
  • Project Presentations: Pupils will present their research on local historical figures or events, demonstrating their knowledge and ability to engage with the community’s heritage.
  • End-of-Unit Assessments: Summative assessments will be conducted at the end of each thematic unit to evaluate students’ understanding of key concepts and skills, informing future planning.

Quality Assurance and Curriculum Evaluation

  • Curriculum Review Cycles: Regular reviews of the history curriculum will be conducted, incorporating feedback from students, staff, and parents to ensure its effectiveness and relevance.
  • Stakeholder Feedback: Surveys and focus groups will gather input from the school community on the history curriculum’s impact, informing ongoing development and refinement.
  • Monitoring Frameworks: A structured framework will be established for monitoring the implementation of the curriculum, ensuring that it aligns with the stated intent and meets the needs of all learners.

 

Here are our History Ambassadors
 

Our History Ambassadors play an important role in our school! They work hard to plan and prepare engaging activities which are delivered throughout the year, they participate in whole-school assemblies to remember historically significant events, such as Remembrance Day, and they support the delivery of special History lessons throughout the year across school! Our History Ambassadors show great interest and have a good understanding of history, how to think like a Historian and the impact historical events have on us today.

"History helps me to understand the world we live in."