Thatto Heath Community Primary School

History Policy Revised June 2016

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Introduction & Background Since the previous policy for history was last revised in 2012/13, there have been some major changes to the school’s provision due to the introduction of the new curriculum. (September 2014). This policy aims to outline current practice in our school. The aim of the history team is to work effectively to ensure the delivery of the new curriculum and to build on and extend learning for all children through a range of topics at Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and 2. Examples include topics such as: Toys, (Y1) The Queen (Y2). Improvements to the curriculum include: 

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Increased resources to suit the new curriculum’s planning. For example a wealth of artefacts and resources have been purchased for all year groups to enable teachers to effectively teach the new topics such as; why is the wii more fun than my grandparent’ toys ? (y1) , The Titanic (y2) and The changing power of the monarchs (y6) The planning has been updated to suit the new curriculum and each lesson begins with a learning question. The availability of the Focus Education Learning Challenge Curriculum. Continued creative approaches to the teaching and learning of history, such as the use of dance and drama to support children’s development. Links with a local archaeologist- Rainford Archaeology Society Improved links with the wider community, -Some year group trips have had a historical theme, such as Year 4’s trip to Llangollen, Skipton Castle, York. Use of visitors to bring history to life, such as Y1 ‘s grandparents begin invited in to talk about life in the 1950s 1960 s, Archaeologists from Liverpool University. Continued thematic approaches to planning, teaching and learning - lots of the history texts are used as the basis for Literacy – Y1 The Toy Boat, Y2 The Queen’s Knickers. The ongoing development of cross curricular learning opportunities. The history team are currently updating cross curricular links with Literacy. The continuation of themed weeks, such as St Helens Week, Medieval Week, The Royal Wedding celebration Week , Great Britain Week ( 2012) and the Medieval Gala, Dinosaur Week, Archaeology Week.

History Vision Statement All children will be given the opportunity to have access to the History National Curriculum to enable them to develop to their fullest ability the skills and knowledge and to foster an understanding of the past and its relevance to the present. History should inspire pupils` curiosity about their own past and the past in Britain and the wider world. They should consider how the politics, beliefs and cultures of past societies influenced their actions, and in so doing should develop a chronological framework in which to place significant people and events.

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Pupils will be encouraged to ask questions and find and weigh up evidence to reach their own conclusions. They will develop the ability to argue for their own point of view and present their work in an appropriate way. In their planning teachers will use their professional judgement by taking into account the needs and abilities of the children. Aims The aims of history in our school are:  to promote in pupils an interest in the past and develop an understanding that enables them to more fully enjoy all that history has to offer;  to enable pupils to know about significant events in British , world and local history and to appreciate how things have changed over time;  to develop a sense of chronology;  to help pupils understand society and their place within it so that they develop a sense of citizenship and their cultural heritage;  to develop in children the skills of enquiry, investigation, analysis, evaluation, problem solving and presentation. Curriculum Organisation: Delivery Guidelines At Thatto Heath Primary we use a variety of teaching and learning styles in our history lessons to make the subject enjoyable and accessible for all pupils. The aim being to equip children with the skills necessary to enable them to form their own opinions, and to become independent learners. We encourage teachers to use teaching methods which enhance their strengths and an enquiry and skills based approach to history where children explore historical artefacts and primary sources, and ask their own questions is encouraged. Each topic begins with a WOW lesson/ question which ensures that the children are involved in the planning process at the start of the topic, raises interest and ensures that the learning is based on what the children know and want to find out. Evidence from these sessions may take many different forms; written, oral, mind –maps and photographs. We encourage appropriate visits to sites of historical significance, and welcome suitable visitors into school, especially parents/grandparents or members of the local community. We encourage pupils to think as historians by asking appropriate questions such as `Why did they do that?` or `How do we know?` History Curriculum Planning See Sample Attached We carry out the curriculum planning for history in three phases, long, medium and short term. The long term plan, or overview, maps the history topics studied in each term during the school year. The team has developed this in conjunction and consultation (staff meeting- Summer 14 ) with teaching colleagues in each year group, and it has been modified (July 14 and July 15) in the light of the new curriculum. Through this we teach the skills, knowledge and understanding of history as set out in the New National Curriculum. Medium term plans, adapted from the History Learning Challenge Curriculum, give details of each unit of work for each term.

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Each lesson has a question as a starting point. The ethos that underpins the Learning Challenge approach requires teachers to check on what the children already know and then invite them to think of their own questions. The Learning Challenge Concept is built around the principle of greater learner involvement in their work. It requires deep thinking and encourages learners to work using a question as the starting point. Time for the learners to reflect / review their learning is central, and at the end of the topic, teachers give the children the chance to do this; the idea being that the learner presents their learning back to the rest of the class making the most of their oracy and ICT skills. Teachers can adopt a thematic approach to planning and complete a topic over view at the start of each term, with the intention being to link some areas of the curriculum to present a more holistic picture of the curriculum to the children, if applicable. Short term planning is completed by individual class teachers. They prepare work for each lesson based on the intended learning outcomes and their knowledge of their pupils. The class teacher is responsible for keeping these plans. Early Years Foundation Stage In the Foundation Stage history makes a significant contribution to the Foundation Stage Profile objectives by developing the child`s understanding of change and the passage of time through play, dance, stories and songs. Learning Environment At Thatto Heath Primary we endeavour to create a stimulating learning environment which encourages a positive attitude towards history. Display in school celebrates the children’s achievements in history, and the history team hopes to develop the idea of a ‘history working wall’ in each class, that displays the key skills and vocab for the topic, along with examples of the children’s work.

KS2 history displays – castles and Vikings History is investigated through class lessons, assemblies, visits to, and out of school, contact with the wider community and the use of ICT. Resources are particular to each year group and are updated annually in line with teacher requirements and developments in the curriculum. They are organised into year groups boxes that include a numbers of artefacts or reproductions, books, costumes, and

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posters, CDs, DVD’s and computer programmes. Practical and dramatic activities are also encouraged. Cross Curricular Links English History makes an active contribution to the teaching of English since it actively promotes the skills of writing, reading, and speaking & listening. The English team has done a lot of work to develop cross curricular links. For example Year 2 have been reading and writing historical reports and stories about The Queen. A number of texts used in the Literacy are historically based and are used to supplement work being done in the history lessons, such as The Toy Boat ( y1 ) In Key Stage 2 History topics are often used to stimulate discussion and debate and as a stimulus for creative writing ie children writing in role ,writing reports, letters and presentations, as well as recording work , all encourage the development of good writing skills. In Key Stage 1 drama and role play scenarios have encouraged early writing. Children in Year 1 finding out about toys in the past.

Mathematics History teaching contributes to the teaching of mathematics in a number of ways. Pupils learn about numbers when developing a sense of chronology through doing activities such as timelines. Children learn to interpret information presented in graphical or diagrammatic form, such as graphs of population. ICT ICT is used on various levels in history. Children often research the internet to find out information on selected topics, and then present their findings using powerpoint. Photographs are often used as a stimulus and encourage children to use the 5 w’s to ask their own questions. Teachers make use of their interactive whiteboards, internet and CDROMs in order to deliver the curriculum. PSCHE & Citizenship History makes a significant contribution to the teaching of PSCHE & citizenship. Pupils develop self-confidence by having opportunities to explain their views on a number of social issues such as how society responds to war or poverty. The discover how to be active citizens in a democratic society and how laws are made. They are able to challenge stereotypes and appreciate that racism and prejudice are harmful aspects of society. They appreciate that society has developed from different cultures and experiences.

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Equal Opportunities. We acknowledge that in all classes there will be pupils of widely differing abilities in history and we seek to provide suitable learning opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child. We achieve this by:  Setting common tasks which are open-ended and can have a variety of responses;  Setting tasks of increasing difficulty.  Mixed ability groupings where suitable , the use of talk partners, peer assessment  Grouping pupils by ability in the room and setting different tasks for each ability group;  Providing resources of different complexity depending on the ability of the child;  Using classroom assistants to support children individually or in groups. Spiritual, Moral, Social & Cultural Development When teaching history, we contribute to the pupils spiritual development where possible, for example, `What are we remembering on Remembrance Day?` We also provide opportunities to discuss moral questions, or what is right and wrong, when studying such issues as child labour in Victorian Britain. Pupils learn about the role of the church in Tudor times and find out how British society has changed over time. Children become aware of how Britain`s cultural heritage can be further enriched by the multi-cultural British society of today. Health & Safety Children have access to resources that are appropriate for their needs, age and development. The supervision of pupils on school trips or off site activities is undertaken according to appropriate LEA guidelines and policies. Homework In Key Stages 1 and 2, cross curricular links to history are made where appropriate and at the teacher’s discretion. For example Year 1 were asked to ask their grandparents questions about toys in the past and record their findings. Inclusion We teach history to all pupils whatever their ability. History is part of the school`s curriculum policy to provide a broad and balanced education to all pupil We provide learning opportunities matched to the needs of pupils with learning challenges, and we take into account the targets set for individual children in their Group/ Individual Education Plans (IEPs). We encourage staff to be aware of, and address, the needs of the more able pupils in all teaching groups.

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Assessment & Recording Informal assessments of pupils` work and progress are made through observations throughout lessons. Pupils` work is marked, assessed and annotated as appropriate, in line with the school’s marking policy. There are two parent evenings in the school year, in the Autumn and the Spring Terms. These provide an opportunity for teachers to make oral reports to parents on pupils` progress. In the Summer Term teachers make overall assessments of pupil progress by completing the history report on the annual report to parents. These reports are also read by the head teacher, and copies are kept in school where they can be accessed by following teachers. The history team have now designed a system that can be used to assess the learners knowledge, skills and understanding. (See example in section 7) The history team and the SLT monitor work and planning in particular year groups throughout the year ( July 16 ) and the action plan is also reviewed annually. (July 16 ) The team places particular value on informal discussions of work and issues with colleagues. Monitoring & Review Monitoring of the standards of pupils` work and the quality of teaching in history in the school is the overseen by the SLT and the history team leader. Each teacher is responsible for the standards of work and teaching in their own teaching groups. The team leader, and members of the history team support colleagues in the teaching of history and try to keep themselves informed of subject developments. The history team is responsible for assessing the resource needs of the subject in the light of its monitoring. The needs will be prioritised and funds from the history budget allocated accordingly. It is also the responsibility of the history team to review the current policy and practice in history.

SIGNED ……………………………………………. GOVERNING BODY MEETING ……………………….. DATE …………………………………………………………………………

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