“A People without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” Marcus Garvey (Jamaican political activist)
INTENT
What takes place before teaching in the classroom?
At St. Anthony’s the intention in History is to encourage learners to look beyond the headlines, ask questions and express their opinions. History enables pupils to make sense of the world they live in and to have an appreciation of the past and the things people have done before them.
History at St Anthony’s gives pupils an understanding of different periods in the past through a wide variety of teaching methods, including role play, literacy, IT, art, debates, music and through the use of film. Pupils will act as detectives to investigate various artefacts and to begin to make sense of unsolved historical enquiries. They will be encouraged to question evidence, make inferences and to develop their ability to formulate an argument. These are skills that will develop pupils’ confidence and help them to articulate themselves, as well as improving their literacy skills.
Pupils will gain a sense of chronology and an understanding of how things have changed throughout the ages. It will give them an awareness of different people and cultures and allow them to make links to our own culture. The topics covered will consolidate and extend pupils’ chronological knowledge.
At St Anthony’s we firmly believe in exploring the subject of History beyond the classroom, and pupils will have to opportunity to take part in trips in and around the local area. This includes Fishbourne Roman Palace, the Weald and Downland Museum, and Portchester Castle in Year 7. The Mary Rose at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and Little Woodham Living History Village at Gosport in Year 8. Year 9’s take part in a Titanic workshop as part of their study of rich and poor leading up to the causes of WW1 and for KS4 a trip to the Royal Armories in Portsmouth to consolidate their learning of WWI and WWII.
We intend that pupils will not only benefit from the wide range of skills that History has to offer, but that pupils will enjoy studying History creating a genuine appreciation of the past.
We are committed to ensuring that pupils understand the value and importance of History in the wider community and are able to use their history skills, knowledge, and experiences to involve themselves in history in a variety of different contexts. We aim to explore and appreciate the history of other cultures and countries around the world, developing a rich understanding of the world around us in a positive and informed way.
The Senior Leadership Team will:
- Lead the school staff to develop a clear overarching curriculum intent which drives the ongoing development and improvement of all curriculum subjects
- Ensure that the curriculum leaders have appropriate time to develop their specific curriculum intent through careful research and professional development.
- Provide sufficient funding to ensure that implementation is high quality.
The Humanities Curriculum Leader will work closely with the subject teachers to:
- Understand and articulate the expectations of the Humanities Department to the Headteacher and Governing Body.
- Support teaching and support staff.
- Ensure an appropriate progression of knowledge is in place which supports pupils in knowing more and remembering more as historians.
- Ensure an appropriate progression of history skills and knowledge is in place over time so that pupils are supported to be the best historians they can be, and challenge teachers to support struggling historians and extend more competent ones.
- Ensure an appropriate progression for vocabulary is in place for each phase of learning, which builds on prior learning.
IMPLEMENTATION
What does this look like in the classroom?
Teaching and Learning
- Secondary History provision is overseen by a qualified Teacher and Associate Teachers/SSA’s who specialise within the subject and have relevant history qualifications. KS3 pupils have one/two lessons each week.
- Transition from KS3-KS4: Pupils experience a range of co-ordinated, progressive activities based on the National Curriculum in KS3, followed by the WJEC Humanities Entry Pathways course criteria in KS4.
- KS4: The Key Stage 4 curriculum has been developed to support St Anthony’s pupils with their individual development, learning and appropriate level of accreditation. The WJEC Humanities Entry Pathways is one of the options available and incorporates History and Geography.
The History Department has detailed planning which links with our curriculum skills progression document and assessment opportunities. In its implementation we:
- Look at the bigger picture and place the History being studied in the chronological context of previous learning, using the class timeline.
- Revisit learning with a Daily review: A brief review of learning covered in previous lesson/s.
- Outline specify key vocabulary to be used and its meaning. Key vocabulary is visible in picture and written form on large class whiteboard throughout lesson.
- Deploy appropriately challenging selections of texts, both non-fiction and fiction, accessible throughout learning to develop wider understanding and underpin reading skills.
- Conduct Historical enquiry using a variety of sources and / or artefacts.
- Interpret their findings.
- Provide opportunities for pupils to communicate their historical knowledge and understanding appropriately. Role play is popular and breaks down barriers to learning such as literacy skills. Communication and interaction is encouraged.
- Evaluate their learning and compare with other historical periods studied as appropriate.
The Curriculum Skills Progression document is a skills based overview showing how we plan for progression in History and develop competence in a range of skills including cause and consequence, significance, interpretation, chronology, diversity and continuity and change.
Lessons are engaging and pupils are challenged by the curriculum they are provided with.
Pupils have the opportunity to respond in a variety of ways. These may include, art, dance, written work, discussion and debate, analysis of historical sources and role play.
Classroom Organisation
- Pupils work in a whole class setting, small groups or individually to support the development of their skills.
- Adaptive Teaching: Differentiation and personalisation are planned for within activities and allowance is made for ability and experience.
- We provide appropriate resources: PPT’s (have developed learning PPT’s which include slides of high quality WAGOLLs (What A Good One Looks Like), including actual pieces of work from peers and known historians, and carefully chosen vocabulary, which are regularly updated), dressing up costumes, film and photographic evidence and historical sources to enhance learning.
- Engaging displays and learning walls are evident.
- Support staff are deployed effectively to enhance learning.
Our History pupils will be:
- Engaged because they are challenged by the curriculum which they are provided with.
- Resilient learners who overcome barriers and understand their own strengths and areas for development.
- Able to critique their own work as an historian because they know how to be successful.
- Safe and happy in history lessons which give them opportunities to explore their own creative development.
- Encouraged and nurtured to overcome any barriers to their learning or self-confidence because feedback is positive and focuses historical skills and knowledge
- Given opportunities to develop historical skills and confidence over time because of careful planning, focused delivery and time to practice and hone skills.
Extra-Curricular Opportunities:
In past terms we run an enrichment programme for pupils who have shown an interest in History. This enrichment programme encourages pupils to explore beyond the curriculum. Pupils have visited Chichester Canal, Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre, Bignor Roman Villa, Coultershaw Beam Pump, Sea City and Titanic Museum to name a few.
The LTP of History Trips and workshops details Extra-Curricular activities available to KS3 and KS4 students. Each trip/workshop gives the whole year group the opportunity to communicate and interact with each other outside of the school environment. The trips provide inspiring learning environments to consolidate and bring a new dimension to their learning. We have even visited the trenches in Belgium.
Homework is available to support all learning in the History Department in our school homework booklets along with remote learning opportunities on Moodle.
IMPACT
How is success in History Measured?
Learning History gives pupils a developed understanding of the methods and skills of historians at an age appropriate level. It gives a secure understanding of the key techniques and methods for each key area of the curriculum: field work, place and location knowledge, and human and physical knowledge. This progression of understanding, with appropriate vocabulary which supports and extends understanding gives confidence in discussing history, their own work and identifying their own strengths and areas for development. History helps pupils to forge links between home, school and the wider world.
Our pupils are:
- Engaged because they are challenged by the curriculum which they are provided with.
- Resilient learners who are learning to overcome barriers and understand their own strengths and areas for development.
- Safe and happy to be active participants in history lessons (having been given opportunities to explore their own creative development in a supportive and nurturing environment).
- Showing progression of knowledge and understanding, with appropriate vocabulary and technical skills which support and extend learning.
- Becoming confident in discussing history, their own work and identifying their own strengths and areas for development
Displays around the school will show:
- Pupils have had opportunities for practice and refinement of skills.
- A varied and engaging curriculum which develops a range of historical skills.
- Developed and final pieces of work which showcase the skills learned.
- Clear progression of skills in line with expectations set out in the Curriculum skills progression grid.
- That pupils, over time, develop a range of skills and techniques across all of the areas of the historical curriculum.
Assessment
- Pupils are provided with a personalised History Progress Tracker which shows their subject targets. These are linked to St. Anthony’s Assessment Steps and allow pupils to discover areas of strength, as well as areas they might like to improve upon.
- Our Progress Trackers for Steps and Pre-Steps are in place in pupil’s subject folders.
- Data is recorded termly onto Earwig (our online recording system used for data collection). This enables staff to identify pupils who need additional support and develop those meeting or exceeding expectations.
- Pupils are encouraged and nurtured to overcome any barriers to their learning or self-confidence because feedback is positive and focuses on relevant skills and knowledge.
- Assessment shows that pupils develop History skills and confidence over time because of careful planning, focused delivery and time to practice and hone skills.
- Observation, listening, questioning, discussing, and photographic evidence are used to make assessments.
- Assessment in History takes account of the practical nature of the subject in which photographic evidence is collected and saved to the school intranet and used to aid prior learning and some daily reviews.
- We monitor the impact of our History provision through termly assessments, lesson observations, learning walks, performances and work scrutiny.
- In addition to academic achievement, social emotional progress including self-confidence, interaction with and awareness of others and self-reflection may be discussed during Annual Reviews, in EOY reports, parent consultation evenings, open evenings and in postcards home to parents.
For more curriculum information about what pupils study in this subject please visit our curriculum and exams provision page .