Intent

The history curriculum at The Vine has been designed to be both knowledge-rich and coherently sequenced. Knowledge, in the realm of history, means not only substantive knowledge of historical events, dates and people in the past, but also knowledge of substantive concepts in history (such as ‘empire’, ‘monarchy’ and ‘civil war’), and disciplinary historical concepts (such as evidence, causation, significance and interpretation). Pupils learn tolerance and understanding of other people and environments showing love of one another, love of mankind and love of life itself and encourages the pupils to consider the ways we can ‘do all the good we can’.

Implementation

A good historical understanding relies on firm foundations of knowledge and skills. Our history curriculum allows children to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of local, British and world history. The substantive knowledge taught in the curriculum has been carefully chosen and sequenced using a largely chronological approach. Each unit of work should not be viewed as a stand-alone topic, but as a chapter in the story of the history of Britain and the wider world. In this sense, the chronological approach provides a solid framework, anchoring each unit within a wider narrative. The curriculum aims to help children understand how the past is constructed and contested. Children begin by learning about what a historian does, looking at basic sources and simplified perspectives to develop an appreciation and understanding of what it means to be a historian. As their substantive knowledge grows, children will be able to ask perceptive questions, analyse more complex sources and begin to use their knowledge to develop perspective. Disciplinary concepts, such as continuity and change, cause and consequence and similarity, difference and significance, are explored in every unit, and children are supported to think outside of their current unit of work and apply these concepts across the curriculum. 

Chronology - pupils will develop and build on their chronological understanding of a wide range of historical events, using timelines and using specific chronological vocabulary. In Key Stage 2, the British History units are taught in chronological order to aid the children's understanding of the concept as well as how society developed and changed over time.

Knowledge, interpretation and historical enquiry - In each year group, the pupils will develop their understanding of History through access to historical artefacts, secondary historical sources, research and first hand experiences. The pupils are encouraged to ask questions and interpret what they are seeing to help them piece together what happened in the pasts just like historians.

British Values, SMSC and Global Links

Pupils will be able to link their learning in History to their own experiences and make connections in other subjects and how these relate to Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) and British Values. Open and supplementary questioning ensures that pupils can deepen their understanding by empathising with people and events of the past and analysing their motivation and decisions, thus developing their tolerance of people. In addition, pupils are encouraged to ask their own probing questions and are given opportunities to reflect, discuss and debate with their peers developing key oracy skills.