History at Elm Hall Primary School
At Elm Hall we endeavour to create historians with a curiosity for the past while making conceptual links between periods which include aspects of local, British and Ancient history. The conceptual links in our curriculum represent the key connectors that hold the subject knowledge together as a coherent whole. We offer a carefully designed curriculum, which not only ensures children are taught the knowledge to support these conceptual links, but also a curriculum that equips children with a range of skills to become interested and analytical historians. We work hard to support children in being archivists, archaeologists or even research analysts to name but a few. Our curriculum teaches our children to recognise that the past can be represented differently as well as the limitations of evidence while making historical claims. Our aim is that, through the teaching of History, we stimulate all children’s interest and understanding about the lives of people who lived in the past and teach them a sense of chronology which also includes how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world. This will support our children to develop a sense of identity and a cultural understanding of others so that they learn to value their own and other people’s cultures in modern multicultural Britain. We aim to make our children aware of the actions of important people of the past and know about significant events/aspects in British history and the wider world, whilst recognising how things have changed over time and why. Our History curriculum also aids our children to understand how Britain has developed as a society, contributing to their understanding of their country of residence.
The curriculum is designed to develop knowledge and skills that are progressive, as well as transferable across many other aspects of the curriculum, not just for our children’s time at Elm Hall Primary, but also into their further education and beyond into adult life. We believe that by allowing children to understand the importance of History through engaging opportunities, they will become inspired historians with an understanding of the past to help shape our future for tomorrow.
How do we teach History?
Our strategy when teaching history is to enable all children to be catered for through adapted teaching and planning suited to their abilities, ensuring that opportunities to develop as historians are included throughout. Our teachers present subject matter clearly, promote appropriate discussion about what is being taught, check learners’ understanding systematically and identify misconceptions accurately through targeted questioning and provide clear, direct feedback in real time. We also ensure that previous learning is built upon and referred back to so that links and comparisons are made, ensuring the skills needed to become effective historians are taught to help acquire the knowledge needed where possible. We aim to support children to develop a sense of chronology in relation to prior knowledge of other events, people or periods studied- using progressive timelines.
Teachers have worked collaboratively to place units in year groups that are matched to the maturity and conceptual understanding for that age group as well as considering the content outlined in the knowledge. Where appropriate we use historical artefacts, visitors, workshops and visits to excite, intrigue and bring history alive for our children to compliment the curriculum. The curriculum also has an overall balance of ancient, early British and late British history to give a breadth of knowledge. A series of stimulating lessons are planned, with clear knowledge and skills-based learning objectives and subject-specific vocabulary.
Teachers assess learning in history against knowledge and skills-based learning objectives within unit overviews. History is mostly taught in topics. We also believe in whole-class teaching methods, group work and independent work. This is supported by the skills we learn in our Elm Hall Attitudes and links are made with our Social Studies curriculum.
Our Learning Aims:
The Elm Hall history curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils:
- Know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
- Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind
- Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses
- 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
- Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.
What do we learn?
Through the breadth and depth that our History curriculum offers, our children are provided with a broad knowledge of Britain’s past and that of the Wider World which encourages them to think analytically and creates intrigue and curiosity. During pupil voice children are able to talk about the knowledge they have acquired. Children’s work shows a range of topics covered and cross curricular links made where possible. Pupils learn to ask historically-valid questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. They use historical skills such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance to make connections, draw contrasts and analyse trends to delve deeper into the historical knowledge outlined in the curriculum while developing a growing historical narrative. School trips provide further relevant and contextual learning. As historians, children will learn lessons from history to influence the decisions they make in their future lives.
Meet Our Subject Ambassadors 2022-2023
Zakh- Year 4
Romany-Year 5
Poppy- Year 6
Curriculum Documents 2022-2023
Check our our Elm Hall History Curriculum below:
Check out our Elm Hall History Vocabulary Progression below:
