History

We believe that through History children will …

• Gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world
• Inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past
• Equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement
• Understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time
   

What does History look like at Holme Slack?
At Holme Slack Primary School, we want all of our pupils to have an understanding of the past and how history will shape the future. We believe that high quality history lessons encourage critical thinking and enhance the ability to weigh evidence and generate arguments, developing chronological understanding and allowing pupils to develop their sense of perspective. We want our children to be passionate about history, our curriculum is full of topics which foster awe and wonder and actively motivate children to ask ‘why’. Topics provide highly productive opportunities to use and apply basic skills in English and Mathematics whilst strengthening pupils learning in history and other subjects. Through high-quality history lessons, we aim to encourage critical thinking, as well as helping the children to gain a sense of their own identity within a social, political, cultural and economic background. Our curriculum is designed for all children to be able access and enjoy history.

Our History Approach

Our ambitious, knowledge-engaged history curriculum enables the children at Holme Slack to become historians. During each topic each year group will focus on the key areas of chronology, enquiry and knowledge. Our curriculum is ambitious and will act as a progression model, with the Key Stage 2 curriculum sequenced in chronological order to help build the children’s understanding. Therefore, timelines will be regularly used to orientate pupils about the past and allow them to talk confidently about developments over time. By sequencing our learning pupils will find connections between societies and understand why people and events are relevant due to the affect they have had on our current society. Alongside knowledge organisers, carefully constructed Medium Term Plans (MTP) are used to inform planning which ensures full coverage, identifying prior learning, where children can build on and apply their knowledge to subsequent learning year-on-year.