It is our intention at Eastcote, that in teaching history through the philosophy of the IB and the Primary Years Programme (PYP), all our pupils, regardless of need and background, become active, global citizens who make a positive contribution to their community and the world. We intend that through the study of history our pupils will learn how they can change the world for the better and in doing so prepare each student for their next phase of education. We aim to create an excitement in learning about history so that our pupils will be inspired to be tomorrow’s museum curators, archaeologists or research analysts.
Students will develop well-rounded, layered knowledge, building their chronological understanding of the past and significant events. By identifying with the experiences of specific people in history, we hope that our pupils will see themselves in our curriculum. It is our aim that our pupils will retain knowledge of the past by engaging with history subject content whilst thinking analytically about the sources of information, people and contexts from the past and in doing so develop disciplinary knowledge within inquiry and interpretation.
Through the Primary Years Programme (PYP) the history curriculum has been mapped within the six key transdisciplinary themes.
Our curriculum mapping enables pupils to deepen their understanding of complex, abstract concepts, such as migration, by revisiting these concepts over time when studying different historical periods. This layered approach supports children in embedding their knowledge over time. Through rich personal stories, children will develop a greater understanding of historical contexts and how the lives of people in the past reflect in the lives of people of today. Teachers are knowledgeable in the misconceptions commonly held, use of visuals and historical sources to support children’s developing understanding. Through our history curriculum, children regularly engage in targeted debate regarding cause, consequences, changes, continuity, similarity, difference, significance, sources, evidence and interpretations; therefore, enabling opportunities for critical thinking.
In the Early Years children’s understanding of history is taught through the ‘Understanding the World’. This aspect is about how children find out about past and present events in their own lives, their families and other people they know. Children are encouraged to develop a sense of change over time and are given opportunities to differentiate between past and present.
In KS1, history begins by looking at the children’s own personal history and introduces them to the idea of chronology and timelines. Pupils look at significant events and people who have shaped society, locally, nationally and globally.
In KS2, pupils study aspects of local history, British history and ancient history. Our curriculum intentionally revisits time periods and previous learning in order to embed pupils’ knowledge of the past.
The history curriculum enthuses pupils through engaging activities, trips and visitors that give all the children an opportunity to question the past and to create memorable learning opportunities.
Pupils will be able to retain both substantive and disciplinary knowledge as they revisit and layer their understanding of the past. Children will be aware of misconceptions and navigate sources of information with an open-minded approach. Children will be critical thinkers able to question sources of information and draw conclusions from their inquiries. History will become meaningful to our students as they see themselves in the individuals and personal stories that they study.
Our exciting history curriculum will lead pupils to be enthusiastic history learners who leave Eastcote Primary Academy reaching at least age-related expectations for history.