Rothley Church of England Academy
Rothley Church Of England Academy
History
Intent
Children at Rothley will spend their time in school as intelligent, curious, and critical historians. The history curriculum they study is highly ambitious, one that weaves understanding and analysis through a rich tapestry of historical periods, events, and people. For our children to interpret events, make inferences, and draw conclusions, they need to possess sufficient substantive and disciplinary knowledge. The curriculum assures this by laying its foundations in advancing cumulative knowledge, chronology, change through cause and consequence, and making connections within and throughout periods of time studied – including parallels to today.
A guiding principle of the curriculum is that children will become ‘more expert’ with each study, growing an ever broadening and coherent mental timeline. This prevents a superficial, disconnected and fragmented understanding of the past. The curriculum is built so that is systematically revisits key concepts, events, people and places, elaborating and sophisticating them each time. There is scope for nuance and deeper understanding of the complexities of history, politics, and the influence of geography.
Specific and associated historical vocabulary within each study is inextricably linked to the wider goal of the curriculum. It is planned sequentially and cumulatively from Year 1 to Year 6. High-frequency, multiple-meaning words (Tier 2) are taught alongside, and help make sense of, subject-specific words (Tier 3).
History is planned so that the retention of knowledge is much more than just ‘in the moment knowledge’. The cumulative nature of the curriculum is made memorable by the implementation of Bjork’s desirable difficulties, including retrieval and spaced retrieval practice, word building and deliberate practice tasks. This powerful interrelationship between structure and research-led practice is designed to increase substantive knowledge and accelerate learning within and between study modules. That means the foundational knowledge of the curriculum is positioned to ease the load on the working memory: new content is connected to prior learning. The effect of this cumulative model supports opportunities for children to associate and connect with significant periods of time, people, places and events.
Key themes and substantive concepts run through the history curriculum like a stick of rock:
· Community
· Knowledge
· Invasion
· Civilisation
· Power
· Democracy
Key Stage 1
The sequence in KS1 focuses on young children developing a sense of time, place and change. It begins with children studying Changes within living memory to develop an understanding of what has changed within the living memory of the community. This chronological knowledge is foundational to the understanding of change over time.
Pupils study the Lives of significant individuals, focusing on David Attenborough and Mary Anning. Chronology and place in time steers the understanding of the context in which these significant individuals lived. Terms such as legacy are introduced and used within the context of each study. This study is revisited and enhanced by studying the Lives of further significant individuals, including Neil Armstrong, Mae Jemison, Bernard Harris Jr. and Tim Peake. In KS1, children study local history through significant events, people and places. The locality is further understood by knowing about the places, the buildings, the events and the people that tell a story of the past.
Events beyond their living memory. Here, pupils draw upon early concepts of chronology and connect it to more abstract, but known, events in the past focusing on the Great Fire of London. Significant historical events, people, places in our locality is studied to develop an understanding of the history and how it shaped the place we live. There are further opportunities for pupils to revisit and retrieve prior learning with a focus on ‘Events beyond living memory’.
Key Stage 2
In lower KS2, pupils study the cultural and technological advances made by our ancestors as well as understanding how historians think Britain changed throughout the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages. Archaeological history guides us to know how early humans were creative, innovative and expert at surviving in changeable environments. Having an in-depth understanding of Iron Age Britain offers solid foundations for the study of how Rome influenced Britain. This foundational knowledge is built upon and used to support long-term retrieval to contrast culture and technology. Pupils are able to draw upon prior understanding to support and position new knowledge, therefore constructing much more stable long-term memories. Substantive concepts such as invasion, law, civilisation and society are developed through explicit vocabulary instruction.
Studies of how Britain was settled by Anglo-Saxons and Scots gives a focus on cultural change and the influence of Christianity. Pupils study how powerful kings and their beliefs shaped the Heptarchy of Anglo-Saxon Britain. There’s a focus on the Struggle for throne of England through a study of the Vikings, their origins, conquests and agreements with English Anglo-Saxon kings to settle and dwell in the region known as Danelaw. Ancient studies include a focus on Egypt.
Ancient history includes the study of Ancient Greek life and achievements. Children learn about the influence Ancient Greece had on the western world. The understanding of culture, people and places are central to these studies. CUSP History connects these studies with prior knowledge of what was happening in Britain at the same time. The effect of this is to deepen and connect a broader understanding of culture, people, places and events through comparison. Later in KS2, knowledge of Anglo-Saxons is revisited and used to connect with a study of The kingdom of Benin. The study compares advancement of the Maya culture and innovation to that of the Anglo-Saxons around c. AD 900. Here, location, settlement, people, culture and invention are compared and contrasted. Recent history is studied in the context of how conflict changed the locality in the Second World War. Modern history is also studied through units such as the Windrush Generation. Knowing about slavery, Caribbean culture and the injustice of the past enlightens pupils to understand why events happened and how these pioneers faced racism, discrimination and prejudice. PSCHE is a vital component of the history curriculum - challenging racism and prejudice in all its forms.
