Leigh Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
History
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Leigh
History Lead – Miss M Smith and Miss B Bailey
Intent
At Leigh Sacred Heart we are guided by the National Curriculum for History (2014). The National Curriculum for history 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
- gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’.
- 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.
Our intent is that our teaching of History will help pupils develop a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. We aim for it to inspire pupils’ curiosity about the past and to know more about the past. We aim to enable children to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. Through the teaching of History, we endeavour to teach children to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between distinct groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.
Implementation
To meet these objectives across the school we have a themed approach based on different topics that relate to the children and the National Curriculum Aims.
History lessons focus on developing historical skills and children working as young historians. We intend for our children to have real life experiences and learn about history in an enquiry-based way. Links to other subject areas are also explored. The planning of learning always begins with what the children have learned previously, the skills and knowledge that needs to be taught and enrichment opportunities and opportunities to apply learning are carefully mapped.
Impact
Children will know more, remember more and understand more about History.
Children will understand and use the key skills of chronological understanding, knowledge and understanding of events in the past, Historical interpretation, Historical enquiry, organisation and communication.
All the children will make progress towards age related expectations in History.
