Intent

Incorporating educational visits to museums and historical buildings and exploring the history of our own local area. Inviting museum specialists and older family members to discuss events and items from the past to bring the children’s view of History to life.

Our varied and exciting topics inspire learning and offer children a chance to embed key historical knowledge and skills in a stimulating, cross-curricular approach.

As an integral part of the History curriculum, the children are given many inspiring opportunities to participate in research and to lead their own learning.

Through memorable History topics, the children begin to understand the past and start to gain a wider perspective of the chronological order of events, starting with ordering recent events on a timeline and looking back into the past.

We encourage children to discuss their role as future citizens and the impact Rights have on their lives.

We prepare the children to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgements encouraging them to reflect on past events and how they have shaped the world.

All the skills learnt through the experiential topic areas such as enriching vocabulary, developing enquiry skills and learning how to ask questions support our children as they progress through their wider learning journey at Marlow Church of England Infant school.

 implementation

History is taught throughout the school in line with the relevant curriculum.  Cross curricular links with History are developed wherever possible across the school so that pupils are given opportunities to communicate and discuss ideas and apply their skills in a variety of contexts and subjects. 

Pupils in KS1, follow the whole school History curriculum, which reflects the National Curriculum. History lessons are taught once a week every other half-term. 

Children have the opportunity to use a wide range of materials and resources, including digital technologies where appropriate.

In Reception, pupils are encouraged to take risks and make connections through play and adult focussed sessions, using a range of resources. These activities, both indoors and outdoors, attract the pupils’ interest and curiosity. The development of the pupil’s creativity and skills are related to the objectives set out in the early learning goal for ‘Understanding the World’. This learning forms the foundations for later work in History. Learning in ‘Understanding the World’ occurs through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity.

Within lessons pupils are given the opportunity both to work on their own and to collaborate with others, listening to other pupil’s ideas and treating these with respect.

IMPACT

The impact of our History curriculum at Marlow C of E Infant School is that the vast majority of children reach age related expectations in History by the end of KS1. Our children are motivated and engaged to access the learning and are able to take ownership of their learning by raising questions, planning and evaluating their tasks and be able to choose the most suitable strategy to complete a task. 

Children have developed curiosity to know more about the past and have the skills required to explore their own historical interests.