History Intent

Here at Cowbit St Mary’s Church of England Primary School, we value a high-quality History curriculum, which inspires a curiosity and appreciation about Britain’s past and that of the wider world. In History lessons, our children have the opportunity to investigate and interpret the past through a range of sources, understand chronology, build an overview of Britain’s past as well as that of the wider world, and to be able to communicate historically, in a range of ways and confidently using historical vocabulary. We aspire to enable children to work as historians: to ask questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgement and we endeavour to teach children to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups and the challenges of those times. We firmly believe it is crucial for the children to make connections between past events, people and features of past societies.

Guided by the National Curriculum, our History curriculum has been designed to ensure that our children have a developed understanding of events in both British and world history and are able to make connections between periods of time and their influence on the world that we live in today. Allowing children to have this broad knowledge of past events essentially builds on improving the children’s ‘cultural capital’, understanding and respect of the wider world around them, including within their own local area.

All of our units of history are investigated using enquiry questions. We firmly believe that this approach promotes curiosity, drives learning towards a clear outcome, and gives a purposeful context for the children to embed their learning. Teachers plan and teach lessons that focus on the substantive and disciplinary knowledge children need in order to make connections with previous learning as well as develop new understandings. Authentic primary and secondary sources are used in lessons where possible, to allow children to explore artefacts, watch media and read high-quality texts in their journey to become Historians. Enriching the curriculum with trips, and developing cultural capital inspire discussion, questioning and contextual vocabulary through bringing history to life.

Cowbit St Mary’s Church of England Primary School has 7 ‘Core Concepts’ that we believe ‘thread’ through our History curriculum.

These are:

• Achievements and Legacy
• Conflict and Power
• Culture and Beliefs
• Empire
• Settlements
• Society