Studying History at Saint John’s School gives pupils the opportunity to develop an understanding of their local community and their place within it, as well as extending this understanding to the wider world. Pupils are encouraged to ask questions as they explore the diversity of human experience, past lives and societies. Our ‘Big Questions’ focus the learning within the unit of work.  Asking and answering these bite-sized questions allows children to feel a sense of progression in their history journey. Our aim is for our pupils to become familiar with historical skills such as debating the reliability of sources, making comparisons between historical periods, devising historically valid questions, drawing conclusions from sources and making links between events.

We want our pupils to be passionate about History, to have a chronological understanding and awareness of vocabulary, questioning skills and a secure knowledge of History ready to take onto their secondary education. Through active participation, pupils will be able to draw comparisons and make connections between different time periods and their own lives, learning about their local community, citizens and their place in the world.  Not only will our pupils have the opportunity to learn about local historical figures but also about historical figures of the 21^st century, which we believe is exciting and inspirational.  Our aim is to ensure our pupils gain the cultural capital needed to be active, caring citizens.

At Saint John’s, we believe that History curriculum should be interactive, which not only challenges the pupils, but strives to ignite a natural curiosity within them. Each unit planned includes opportunities for children to investigate, handle artefacts, study pictorial evidence, watch historical footage, take part in role play activities, visit relevant sites and museums and where appropriate, experience oral history, engaging with historical characters and ways of life.

The History curriculum is taught through investigation and enquiry. Pupils develop an understanding of how History has had an impact on our lives today both locally in our community, nationally and internationally. We want our pupils to take pride in their History learning. Whilst it is important for them to have the facts, we believe that if they are going to really flourish as historical learners, we need to develop  their independent and critical thinking. We do this by ensuring lessons are planned so that there is time for discussion and debate, fostering an environment of enquiry, which enables pupils to revise and justify their opinions. Vocabulary is introduced at the start of each topic and pupils are encouraged to use it in oral and written work.

Underpinning all of the History curriculum is cultural capital and the vital emphasis on children gaining the essential knowledge that is needed to be educated citizens

National Curriculum Aims

The National Curriculum for geography aims to ensure that all pupils:

• develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes
• understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time
• are competent in the geographical skills needed to:

-collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes

-interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

-communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.

Intent

At Saint John’s School, we want our pupils to understand where they come from, starting off in their local area and then extending to the wider world.

We intend for the children to develop an in-depth knowledge of our community and locality before extending to the wider world and its people.  Our ‘Big Questions’ focusses the learning within the unit of work. Asking and answering these bite-sized questions allows children to feel a sense of progression in their Geography journey.  The Geography curriculum will provide pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the earth’s key physical and human processes. We want our pupils to be passionate about Geography, to have an understanding of the world and their place within it, awareness of vocabulary, questioning skills and a secure knowledge of Geography ready to take onto their secondary education. Through active participation, pupils will be able to draw comparisons and make connections between different countries and their physical and human features. In the process learning about their local community, citizens and its place in the world. Our aim is to ensure our pupils gain the cultural capital needed to be active, caring citizens. We believe that Geography should be an interactive subject, which not only challenges the pupils, but strives to ignite a natural curiosity within them. Each unit being planned includes opportunities for children to investigate, handle resources, pictorial evidence, watch geographical footage and visit relevant sites. We want our pupils to take pride in their Geography learning. Whilst it is important for them to have the facts, we believe that if they are going to really flourish as learners, we need to develop their independence and critical thinking. We do this by ensuring lessons are planned so that there is time for discussion and debate, fostering an environment of enquiry, which enables pupils to revise and justify their opinions. Vocabulary is introduced at the start of each topic and pupils are encouraged to use it in oral and written work.

Implementation

• Three topics to be taught in Geography throughout the year and to alternate with History
• One of the three topics will be a local Geography unit
• KS2 to teach 3 topics with the recurring themes of UK, Europe and a country from another continent.
• A key question to form the basis for each Geography unit with a final outcome piece of work eg  a piece of writing, art/DT, debate, drama
• Focus on  a balance between teaching knowledge, skills and key vocabulary
• There are 5 Golden Threads that interlink through every unit of work across all year groups – these are: settlement, maps, climate, everyone’s world and change
• Children are assessed at the end of each unit using an agreed format – the assessment focuses on both skills and knowledge relevant to that particular unit. Children working above or below the expected level are highlighted