Intent (the knowledge and skills that pupils will gain at each stage through the curriculum)

At St. Louis we aim to inspire and engage children through our rich curriculum that gives them a wide-ranging and coherent knowledge of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Children will build on their knowledge as they progress through the school making links to prior learning at every opportunity. Children at St Louis will learn about key concepts such as civilisation and increase their knowledge of chronology. Children will access a range of primary and secondary sources, using them to ask relevant questions and to think like historians – what can artefacts tell us about the past.  Children’s understanding and wonder is enriched through visits to museums and visitors, who are experts in their field, coming to St Louis for workshops and theme days. Lessons are taught through the answering of a key question explored in an array of engaging ways. Use of key vocabulary is promoted both orally and in their writing. 

EYFS: Building Good Habits

The basis of History in EYFS begins with ‘Understanding the World’. They will learn about the concept of ‘the past’ and their place in the world. They will be introduced to simple language relating to the passing of time such as yesterday, last week and last year. They will be given opportunities to speak about significant events in their lives, and talk about how things have changed over time. Work in this area will be linked to the teaching of the Christmas story in RE. Children in EYFS at St Louis are encouraged to question why things happened and give explanations.

KS1: Journey of Discovery

In KS1 children will develop an awareness of the past, learning that a world existed before they were born but that there are changes that have happened in the living memory of those around them. This learning takes place in a concept familiar to young children: Toys. Simple historical vocabulary is used to describe toys now, and when their parents and grandparents were young. A range of toys are sorted into old and new.

Through the topic ‘Once Upon a Time’ they will learn about houses now and in the past, and make comparisons, and they will find out what seaside holidays in the past were like through the topic, ‘King, Queen and Country’.

Through the unit of It’s An Emergency!, pupils will learn about a significant event before living memory, the Great Fire of London. This context is used to continue to develop the concept of chronology and introduce specific dates and significant people such as Samuel Pepys. Through asking and answering simple questions children will make comparisons between the past and the world they know today and discuss how they can find out about the past through a range of sources, such as Pepys’ dairy. Children will use vocabulary, both orally and in their writing, linked to the passing of time. Children will apply their knowledge in writing giving reasons for events happening and discussing the causes and consequences as well as using sources to support facts.

Through the unit, People Who Changed the World’, we aim to use the curriculum to represent our diverse school community. Significant women, including black and Asian women, are studied so pupils are aware of the struggle women faced to gain equality, as well as the fight against racism. The significant event of Neil Armstrong landing on the moon, is studied alongside the life of the first black woman in space, Mae Jemison and the first European in space, Helen Sharman. This allows our pupils to challenge stereotypes and prejudices about who is considered significant in history. Comparisons will also be made between different periods.

The local study focuses on Roald Dahl who pupils will meet through their reading. They can explore the local area to see what impact he has had, (a museum, significant plot in the graveyard), and see landmarks that can be found in his novels (petrol pump from Danny the Champion of the World, Aylesbury bingo hall from Matilda). They will consider his influence (books are still popular, a model for writers such as David Walliams).

For more detail about how each unit is broken down into ‘building blocks’ and outcomes, as well as the history skills and concepts each block incorporates, see the History Overview.

KS2: Broadening Horizons

In KS2 children will continue to develop and secure their knowledge of History. Children will build on their knowledge of chronology making, reference to periods of study that coexisted in the past, making links between events and changes across different periods. Children at St Louis will be able to describe social, religious and ethnic diversity in Britain, including locally and the wider world.  Children will be exposed to and encouraged to use historical and abstract terms both orally and in writing. The children are equipped to ask perceptive questions, weigh evidence and develop perspective and judgement. Using a range of sources, children will understand that different versions of the past may exist and will give reasons for this. Children will develop their understanding of the causes and consequences of events as well as finding similarities and differences between people events and across different ancient civilisations. The legacy and impact of events and peoples is evaluated whilst looking at contrasting interpretations of history. Making continuous links to prior learning is important in giving children an interconnected narrative of the past.

Learning will progress through KS2 chronologically historically where appropriate, with Year 3 children studying the Stone Age to the Iron Age and year 6 studying the World War 2. By the time children reach Year 6 where children study the Ancient Maya, ancient civilisations previously studied are compared both in coexistence, duration and in their similarities and differences. Civilisations studied chronologically from Year 3 are Ancient Egypt, the Ancient Greeks in Year 4 followed by the Romans, and the Anglo Saxons & Vikings in Year 5.

A local study focuses on the Tudors in Year 4. Here children look at evidence from the local area as well as visiting Knebworth House, an example of a Tudor building. Other trips and visits which enrich the curriculum include a trip to the Verulamium in St Albans and  the visit of the country’s leading Maya expert.

The ‘building blocks’ break down the learning in each unit as well as topic pages showing the children the key questions covered each lesson in order for them to track their learning journey.

Implementation (how the curriculum developed or adopted by the school is taught and assessed in order to support pupils to build their knowledge and to apply that knowledge as skills)

History is taught in unit blocks across the school and linked to other areas of the curriculum if appropriate.

Pupils are given the opportunity to share what they may already know through the use of a mind map at the start of a unit. They then demonstrate all the knowledge they have gained over the course of a unit by creating an updated mind map at the end.

An overview of the knowledge and vocabulary pupils should acquire in each unit, is shared with them through knowledge organisers. These are stuck in books after the initial mind map and referred to at the start of each lesson in an effort to embed knowledge into the long term memory, allowing children to apply it with confidence.

Geography is taught in unit blocks across the school and linked to other areas of the curriculum if appropriate.

Pupils are given the opportunity to share what they may already know through the use of a mind map at the start of a unit. They then demonstrate all the knowledge they have gained over the course of a unit by creating an updated mind map at the end.

An overview of the knowledge and vocabulary pupils should acquire in each unit, is shared with them through knowledge organisers. These are stuck in books after the initial mind map and referred to at the start of each lesson in an effort to embed knowledge into the long term memory, allowing children to apply it with confidence.

Each unit introduces pupils to the unit to be taught, teaches them the knowledge they need to reach the milestones set out, and allows opportunities to demonstrate and apply what they have learnt.

Teachers assess pupils’ work against the ‘building blocks’ and outcomes expected as set out in the History Overview.

They also use assessment for learning throughout the unit. This takes the use of knowledge organisers and low stakes quizzes at the start of each lesson, recapping prior learning. It also included pupil’s responses in lessons, both written and oral.

Impact (the outcomes that pupils achieve as a result of the education they have received)

The impact of the teaching of history can be ascertained in a number of ways.

Firstly, the work in pupils’ books should reflect the learning that has taken place over the course of a unit, and from year group to year group, demonstrating progress and a deepening knowledge over time. Mind maps at the end of a unit should contain more information that at the start, as pupils are able to recall the learning they have accumulated over the course of the unit.

Secondly, pupils should be able to talk with confidence about their learning, and use subject specific vocabulary where appropriate. As pupils progress through the school, they should become increasing confident at making links with prior learning.

Finally, lesson visits should demonstrate the learning that is taking place. This would include pupils’ being able to answer questions based on their knowledge organisers and their ability to recall prior learning and apply it in their work.