History

Our school curriculum is driven and shaped by our school vision, which informs everything that we do.

St Nicholas provides a welcoming, inclusive and aspirational learning environment at the heart of its community. We nurture, encourage and support all children, adults and their families to be the best as God intended. Following God’s example of love and trust, we develop resilience and creativity in all we do.

Learning, loving and encouraging through Christ.

An uncompromising focus on pupils’ personal development has made St Nicholas Church of England Primary Academy a place where pupils always come first. Ofsted 2019

Aims and Objectives

At St Nicholas Primary School we believe that learning about the past and key historical events provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for our pupils. It helps them to develop an understanding of the world around them and how significant times and people have led to the world we have today. It develops their curiosity and investigative skills and encourages them to ask investigative questions.

At St Nicholas Primary School, we teach history using a topic approach. We start with an overarching theme that engages the children. This same approach is used throughout KS1 and KS2. This learning is continued outside the classroom where we have links with the local community which helps us to make use of the local area and to give the children first hand experiences. We enrich their learning through bringing theatre companies in to school to lead whole days, visiting local churches, castles and museums.

Teaching and Learning

At St Nicholas we follow the national curriculum programmes of study. We then develop our own creative, topic planning, ensuring that this is progressive throughout the school. We teach the key aspects of history including chronology, investigative skills and comparisons between different periods of time through this topic style approach.

Key Stage One – We ensure pupils develop an awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time. They will know where the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods. They will begin to use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms. They will learn to ask and answer questions, choosing and using parts of stories and other sources to show that they know and understand key features of events.

Key Stage Two – Pupils will continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study. They will be taught how to recognise connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms. They will be able to construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information. They will learn how the passing of time and historical events can be found using a variety of different sources.

Assessment and Recording

History work will be recorded in the children’s topic books. This may take the form of written work, drawings, annotations, paintings or role play.

Teachers assess children’s knowledge, understanding and skills in history by making observations of the children working during lessons and by looking at the work produced at the end of the lessons. Children will receive both verbal and written feedback in order to aid progress in the subject.

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and British Values

Collaborative work in history develops mutual respect for the differing opinions, beliefs and abilities of others. They learn to appreciate the value of similarities and differences and learn to show tolerance. A variety of experiences teaches them to appreciate that all people – and their views – are equally important.