Social Studies
Social Studies at Elm Hall Primary School:
My name is Louise Sage and I'm the Social Studies leader for Elm Hall Primary School. Social Studies is an integral part of our curriculum where children are encouraged to be inquisitive, curious, inspired and knowledgeable about the world around them. We believe that the teaching of Social Studies will equip pupils with the ability to understand citizenship and help them to become informed, responsible and active members of society. We believe that now more than ever, teaching children about important aspects of British Society and exposing them to current affairs in the world around them is important. Throughout the school, British Values are therefore embedded in a much larger context and closely linked to our Elm Hall Attitudes which are utilised in every classroom and around the school. The children are confident with these attitutides which support them to believe in themselves, own their learning, respect each other, grow as individuals and collaborate with others. Through continuously embedding our Social Studies curriculum and Elm Hall Attitudes into the children's learning, our children will become passionate about finding out about the world around them and will be prepared for life beyond their time at Elm Hall.
How do we teach Social Studies?
In Social Studies, our curriculum is shaped by our school vision which enables all children, regardless of their background, ability or additional needs to flourish when become the best version of themselves. Our curriculum is delivered through highly effective ‘quality first teaching’. Our teachers present subject matter clearly promotes appropriate discussions about what is being taught, checks learners’ understanding systematically and identifys misconceptions accurately through targeted questioning and provides clear, direct feedback in the moment. Teachers have worked collaboratively to ensure that the content of the Social Studies curriculum in each year group is matched to the maturity and conceptual understanding for that age group. Each half-term a series of stimulating lessons are planned, with clear knowledge and skills-based learning objectives. Our practice adopts range of teaching styles which include the children in discussions, investigations and problem-solving activities where applicable. We encourage the children to take part in a range of tasks which promote active citizenships, e.g. charity fundraising, the planning of special school events, mock elections, or involvement in helping others within the classroom. The children gain great experience from this and thoroughly enjoy feeling as though they have an active part in making a change. Our Social Studies curriculum reaches sophisticated levels which challenge our children to become the best versions of themselves. Children are encouraged to discuss sensitive issues through a variety of strategies such as story telling or drama, allowing them to explore the topic without having to discuss their own personal experiences. We believe in whole-class teaching methods, assembly opportunities, group work and independent work; combing these to achieve mastery.
Our learning aims:
Our well-planned Social Studies curriculum is designed around six key aspects which highlight to the children the fundamental British Values and other key aspects of Modern Britain and the world around them.
By the end of the children’s education at Elm Hall, our aims in the teaching Social Studies for all our children are:
- Governing and Democracy: To be able to link our own experiences to our democracy/ government and make informed choices based on this.
- Rule of Law: To be able to follow rules and laws and understand why they are important and why they are in place.
- Individual Liberty: To know their identity and how this may differ in different places in the world and the impact this has.
- Mutual Respect: To treat others as an equal and recognise when someone isn’t doing this and get support.
- Economic Understanding: To be able to identify ways support others who are not as fortunate as we are.
- Our Place in the World: To be able to actively begin to seek ways to help save our planet.
We believe that as teachers, we should include opportunities for children to be involved in topics discussions and debates relative to ‘The world around us’ and ‘Events that bring us together.’. We have made specific choices in the placing of our Social Studies topics to ensure they coincide with the content taught in PHSE and the selected Elm Hall Attitude for each half-term.
Through doing this, children will become confident, active members of society who are kind, caring and supportive towards themselves and others. Our children will leave Elm Hall with the skills and attitudes to promote positive change in the world around them and have a bank of strategies in order to support them in bettering their world.
Meet our Subject Ambassadors 2022-2023:
Our names:
Isla G(Year 4)
Scarlett (Year 5)
Isla R (Year 6)
Amelia (Year 6)
What have we achieved this year: