At NPS our pupils understand the core skills and attitudes needed to learn in History with the use of the school curriculum character – Harriet the Historian.  This character is regularly used to encourage pupils to reflect on the key skills, attitudes and knowledge needed when learning in History.

We are in school to Acquire the knowledge and skills that will allow us to Achieve our aims and go on to what we Aspire to do.

Our aspiration for every learner (intent):

At Nanaksar Primary School we believe it is fundamental that our young pupils have a strong understanding of significant people, key events from the past and a secure understanding of how the past has influenced the present day world that we live in. Our stimulating, enquiry-based curriculum encourages our pupils to be independent and curious Historians, developing their understanding of History within the local area and that of the British and wider world.

We believe it is vital to tailor the History curriculum and cater for our pupils’ learning based on their personal experiences and different cultural backgrounds to help them acquire the basic knowledge and skills needed to better understand the past. We expect our pupils to build on and acquire new historical vocabulary to equip them with the appropriate language to enable them to communicate their learning and deepen their understanding of key concepts. We want our pupils to enrich their lexicon to give them the confidence to ponder and ask questions, to make connections and make comparisons between human experiences across time and place.

We aspire for our pupils to gain memorable experiences in order for them to become confident historians and develop a thirst for knowledge, awe and wonder about the past. We provide learning opportunities to enable all pupils, regardless of their abilities and needs, to understand how and why different causes and effects throughout history have shaped our world.

How we support pupils to acquire this learning (implementation):

The History curriculum is creatively sequenced, planned and delivered based on an open ended enquiry question which forms the foundation of the learning for each unit. Each lesson is planned with progression equipping pupils with the knowledge, skills and understanding to enable them to answer the enquiry question by the end of the unit of study.

Pupils’ begin exploring historical concepts in the EYFS through planned learning experiences mostly based on an integrated thematic approach. Emphasis is on learning through play experiences in which pupils have the opportunity to discover, explore, show curiosity and challenge themselves. Pupils thrive in a language rich environment through the use of songs and stories to support the foundations of historical language acquisition with which they can develop their understanding of historical concept through topics that directly relate to them.

Teaching and learning in Key Stage 1 and 2 consists of a tailored curriculum based on the pupils prior knowledge, greatly focusing on the acquisition and application of key subject knowledge, concepts and vocabulary. Lessons are introduced with the opportunity for pupils to share and record what they already know. This is used as a starting point to build pupils’ knowledge and plan for any preconceived misconceptions. Lessons are planned with an opportunity to recap prior learning and introduces new vocabulary, which is also shared with parents and pupils in the half termly Topic Webs.

The enquiry structure of the lessons adds an element of mystery and purpose, providing pupils with a context for their learning. Pupils’ are given the opportunity to make observations, ask questions and answer open ended questions through speaking and listening activities, role play and drama, use of secondary historical resources and the opportunity to research using books and chromebooks. Pupils have the opportunity to experience outdoor learning and make educational visits to investigate history within their local area and the wider community. 

How we measure achievements (impact):

Pupil’s achievements are measured through formative assessments in which their learning is observed through teacher judgement and the assessment of a range of work produced and the understanding demonstrated. Pupils confidently make connections to prior learning and make links between curriculum subjects giving them a deeper understanding of History in the real world. Effective marking and feedback with next steps and open ended challenge questions enable teachers to stretch the most able learners and provide opportunities to challenge their thinking, 

At the end of the unit, pupils have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the taught concepts through a final outcome task which answers the enquiry questions. These outcome activities include; posters, presentations, reports, drawings, mind maps and role play. Pupils are expected to apply the vocabulary learnt in context and showcase their learning within these final tasks. They independently record their learning and demonstrate the progress made by adding to their knowledge harvest maps created at the start of the topics.

We aspire to develop a culture of pupils who share their excitement and enthusiasm of History creating a love for the subject and the desire to learn and impact the world with their presence. Pupils’ leave Key Stage 2 as independent, confident and critical thinkers who will continue to investigate and solve enquiry questions with excitement and enthusiasm for History as young historians.