History

Intent of the History Curriculum

The History National Curriculum is integrated into our Learn Together Curriculum. This means that the children will be ‘secondary ready’ in History whilst also developing a range of other skills to enable them to be proactive global citizens by:

  1. Having a good knowledge of the events of the past and being able to place them into the bigger world picture;
  2. Having a real appreciation that history helps us to see why things have happened;
  3. Being able to see how, when and why change happens – and to see the extent and place of change, and how change isn’t always progressing;
  4. Understanding that history isn’t just the past, but that it is a construct and to appreciate that people construct the past based on their own beliefs, views and contexts.
  5. Seeing things from the eyes of the people in the past and knowing that different people saw things differently. Also, children will begin to understand that the ideas and actions of people in the past are in some ways similar but in other ways different to their own.

Overall, we intend that children at Abbey Farm Educate Together will be life-long learners on a journey of exploration, enquiry, discovery, critical thinking, discussion and application of their knowledge and skills in history and in their wider learning.

The History Curriculum reflects our Educate Together core principles

  • Equality-based – all children have equal rights of access, and children from all social, cultural and religious backgrounds are equally respected. History topics, plus the sources and resources used, celebrate the diversity of our school community.
  • Co-educational – all children are given the opportunity to explore the full range of their abilities through History lessons. The topics provide opportunities to challenge gender stereotypes and are not aimed at particular gender groups. All children are given the opportunity to become historians and to fully discover what this means!
  • Child-centred – the children are put at the heart of every decision and activity. Staff plan History topics and sequences of lessons to ensure the engagement and progression of every child in History, carefully considering the learning needs of each individual child. Building on children’s individual starting points, teachers ask: What do I want the children to be able to know and do by the end of the topic that they couldn’t do at the beginning of it? 
  • Democratically run – children’s views are actively encouraged in responding to History topics and lessons. Teaching staff have the professional autonomy to decide how and when the areas for learning are covered within the curriculum for their year group.

At AFET we are developing our own History scheme that utilises the local environment.  Drawing on resources such as Great Western Railway, Coate Water to further afield and coverage of historical figures/places.