Dalton School Junior Infant And Nursery

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Intent

Here at Dalton school, we aim for a high quality history curriculum that ignites in pupils a real curiosity and fascination about Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Our aim is to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum for History whilst also being fully inclusive to every child; providing a broad, balanced and differentiated programme of study that encompasses British Values throughout.

It is our ambition that children learn about inspiring and challenging historical themes which enable them to develop their personal choices, attitudes and values. Through finding out about how and why the world, our country, cultures and local communities have developed over time, children understand how the past influences the present, and this develops a context for their growing identity.

We believe that our teaching in history is important in broadening children’s horizons, challenging preconceived ideas and developing life skills that prepare them for high school and beyond.

Implementation

In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in history, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. History is taught as part of a termly or half-termly topic, focusing on the knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum. Our History Learning Community support staff in the implementation of the History curriculum, ensuring that our key themes and ‘Big Ideas’ are woven throughout each year group and are seen in everyday practice. As well as this, the History Learning Community ensure that the teaching of History is highly effective, providing support when developing subject knowledge and planning. Our History lessons provide a variety of opportunities for children to expand their vocabulary through careful planning, discussion, research and reading.

At Dalton school our 'Big Ideas' are at the core of all our history topics, building on, or adding to, ‘Big Ideas’ studied in previous year groups; historical skills are taught in tandem with ‘Big Ideas’, providing the  children with the appropriate skillset and understanding. Our 'Big Ideas' are ; Shaping the Future, Movement of People, Culture and Society. 

Impact

The impact of our history curriculum should provide our children with:

• The knowledge and understanding of people, events and contexts from historical periods covered
• The ability to think, reflect, debate, discuss and evaluate the past
• The ability to think critically about history and communicate confidently their interpretations about what they have learnt
• The ability to consistently support, evaluate and challenge their own and other’s views using detailed, appropriate and accurate historical evidence derived from a range of sources
• A passion for history and an enthusiastic engagement in learning, which develops their sense of curiosity about the past and their understanding of how and why people interpret the past in different ways
• A respect for historical evidence and the ability to make robust and critical use of it to support their explanations and judgments
• A desire to embrace challenging activities, including opportunities to undertake high-quality research across a range of history topics