History is all around us. The study of history ignites children’s curiosity about the past in Britain and the wider world. Through finding out about how and why the world, our country, culture and local community have developed over time, children understand how the past influences the present. History enables children to develop a context for their growing sense of identity and a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people. What they learn through history can influence their decisions about personal choices, attitudes and values. At St Augustine’s, our intent, when teaching history, is to stimulate the children’s curiosity in order for them to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding.
Our whole curriculum is shaped by our school vision which aims to enable all children, regardless of background, ability, additional needs, to flourish and become the very best version of themselves they can possibly be. We teach the National Curriculum, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression created through the use of the Chris Quigley milestone. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children. It is important that the children develop progressive skills of a historian throughout their time at St Augustine’s and do not just learn a series of facts about the past. In History, pupils at St Augustine’s, find evidence, weigh it up and reach their own conclusion. To do this successfully, as historians, they need to be able to research, interpret evidence, including primary and secondary sources, and have the necessary skills to argue for their point of view; skill that will help them in their adult life. We plan for developing key vocabulary in each term, as well as defining ‘sticky knowledge’ and using identified key texts to support and underpin the learning. We ask key questions and plan for a range of shared learning outcomes to give our learning purpose. History is taught thematically throughout school as we believe this is how we can create the most memorable learning experiences to enable the children to maximise their understanding.
We are beginning to develop how we continually assess how effective learning has been and the impact it has had on future development, through quizzes, poster activities, presentations and other shared learning outcomes.
Curriculum teams focus on developing and monitoring the planning and delivery of the curriculum across the school, building vocabulary banks, and looking at planned cyclic revisitation opportunities.
By the time children leave The St Augustine’s Academy school they will:
