At Thornbury Primary School we aim to deliver an engaging history curriculum which is accessible to all children. Through our teaching of history, pupils will be able to gain a secure understanding of British history and that of the wider world. The curriculum is structured in a way which allows children to build upon their existing knowledge and make important connections to their previous learning. Pupils will be able to ask perceptive questions, think critically and differentiate between fact and opinion. Pupils will be taught to be curious about their pasts and use their skills to explore their own interests and make significant links to the present day.
Our history curriculum has been designed to cover all the skills, knowledge and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum. The National Curriculum states that ‘a high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past.’
To ensure that pupils develop a secure knowledge that they can build on, our history curriculum is organised into a progression model that outlines the skills, knowledge and vocabulary to be taught in a sequentially coherent way. Chronology; continuity and change; cause and consequence; similarity and difference; historical significance; historical interpretation and sources and evidence are all mapped out to ensure that pupils build on secure prior knowledge.
Historical skills:
Substantive concepts: These are the themes which are history units are placed.
Which history topics are covered at Thornbury and how do they progress?
An exemplar unit: Y5/Y6 Ancient Greece
Images of History learning at Thornbury:
How do we ensure that all children have equality of access to the full curriculum?
As an inclusive school, we make our best endeavours for all children to experience the core elements of each subject. We find ways to make learning accessible, through practical activity and a range of tools, as well as oracy and collaborative learning. For example, widget is used to make pictorial language in the Rucksack overviews.
Example of Widgit – Visual vocabulary