History

History at Pendle:

Subject Leader: Emily Lancaster

At Pendle Primary School, the History curriculum enables our children to gain knowledge and understanding of the past within our own locality, our country and the wider world. They will learn about the complexity of peoples’ lives, the diversity of societies and the relationships between different groups of people in the past. Through a detailed study of key knowledge from different historical periods, pupils will also develop historical skills and concepts such as chronological understanding, continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity and difference. Through observing and interpreting evidence, we believe that our lessons inspire children to know more about the past and to think and act as historians.

Intent

Our aim at Pendle is to encourage and develop the natural curiosity that all young children have about their world. We provide a high-quality curriculum that has been carefully designed and sequenced to equip our children with a secure, coherent knowledge about British, local and world history. Our curriculum reflects our locality and endeavors to ensure children are knowledgeable about their locality’s history and the changes it has seen. Our history curriculum promotes curiosity and a love for learning about the past. Through an enquiry-based approach, children are encouraged to ask and explore historically valid questions and report their findings by drawing on skills from across the curriculum. Alongside the development of substantive knowledge, children will develop their disciplinary skills as they learn the fundamental elements of what it is to be a historian. Children will study a range of cultures and historical perspectives enabling them to be respectful, tolerant and empathetic. Children will leave Pendle being knowledgeable about key people, events and time periods from the past and will weave these together to form informed, overarching historical narratives. 

Implementation

In EYFS, pupils are taught the knowledge and skills for ‘Past and Present’ using a thematic approach outlined in our EYFS Curriculum for Understanding the World (see EYFS Curriculum). The themes are linked to the Scheme of Work for Key Stage 1 to ensure progression as pupils move from EYFS to Key Stage 1.

At Pendle Primary School, we have developed our own scheme of work to deliver the National Curriculum for History throughout Key Stage 1 and 2. We have developed ‘knowledge organisers’ that are well-sequenced, with a clear progression of knowledge and vocabulary. 

 Each unit in our overview is underpinned by rich, substantive knowledge and ambitious vocabulary, whilst also ensuring children are developing their disciplinary knowledge (historical skills). As well as developing a breadth of historical knowledge, we want our children to become skillful historians. Each unit of work has an emphasis on historical enquiry where children investigate historically framed questions.

The History curriculum is covered through a whole school long term plan. A rolling programme is in place to ensure that the key knowledge from our History topics is taught to all pupils during each Key Stage, taking account of the mixed-age structure of our classes. The topics have been planned to allow for of a progression of skills and knowledge of local and global events, whilst covering the national curriculum for History within each key stage. By linking learning to a range of topics / subjects, children at Pendle have opportunities to investigate and interpret the past and understand chronology e.g. using the iPads to conduct their own historical research. 

Topics are enhanced by visits and visitors such as Adrian Worrel who has done some fantastic workshops in school. We are lucky to have some wonderful primary sources within the local area to support teaching and learning, for example Clitheroe Castle.