History and Geography
History
🧍♀️ HISTORY LEAD = MRS BRADLEY-KNIGHT
We aim to make History fun and exciting!
Our stimulating History curriculum extends children’s understanding of the World around them and enables them to ask questions, research, enquire and question evidence.
Our school aims to build upon each child’s learning experiences and promote cultural capital. Throughout each year our children experience workshops and field trips relating to their area of study.
Children in our school develop an awareness of the past, using words and phrases relating to the passing of time. Our children will begin to know where people and events they study fit within a chronological framework. Children can identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods and use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms. They can ask and answer questions, choosing stories and other sources to show that they know and understand key features of events.
We encourage our children to explore different ways in which to find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.
Geography
Geography is a valued part of our school curriculum. It provides a means of exploring, valuing and understanding the World in which we live and how it has evolved. We encourage our children to investigate their surroundings and become aware of their locality where they live and the World beyond.
Geography stimulates curiosity and imagination and we aim to build upon the child’s ‘personal geography’ by developing geographical skills, understanding and knowledge through studying places and themes. We aim to inspire our pupils and promote their curiosity and fascination about the World.
Our school aims to build upon each child’s learning experiences and promote cultural capital. Throughout each year our children experience workshops and field trips relating to their area of study.
We aim to develop our children’s geographical skills, enabling them to be able to use world maps, atlases and globes to identify the United Kingdom and its countries, as well as the countries, continents and oceans.
How we deliver the History and Geography Curriculum
INTENT: All within our visions and values
At Cotmanhay Infant school we recognise the importance of History & Geography. We follow the aims of the National Curriculum to ensure that our pupils:
- Are provided with experiences in which enable them to develop skills of enquiry and critical thinking.
- Provide opportunities to discuss changes in their own lives and the lives of others, setting the foundations of chronology
- To learn about events & significant people which are significant both nationally and globally
- Ask questions about changes which have happened in our lifetime and through a series of drama workshops, field trips and engaging lessons
- To learn about the local area in which they live and compare their life in this locality to other regions of the United Kingdom
- To learn how to draw and interpret maps and develop their skills of research, observation, investigation, analysis and problem-solving
History & Geography is an integral part of our whole school curriculum map. It is imbedded strongly within our long-term plans to build upon each child’s learning and skills during their time with us.
IMPLEMENTATION
- Planning is completed weekly and half-termly in year group teams using knowledge of children, expectations, skills progression and wider opportunities.
- We have short-term, medium term and long-term plans to ensure sequence and building on knowledge and skills.
- We have a ‘Creative Curriculum’ which is topic-based learning using overarching questions with an open ended structure.
- We end each topic with a topic review, asking each child; what can you tell me about?... what do you know about?...
- Topics are based on children’s interests to inspire and based on experiences they may not have to enrich.
- We have good quality resources.
- We ensure ongoing assessment of children’s learning.
- There is a balance of adult-led and child-led learning.
- CPD supports teacher knowledge and expertise in subject areas which is shared with all staff.
- We use trip / visitors and other opportunities to enhance the learning experience.
- A topic newsletter letter is sent home for parents / carers so children can be supported at home. This includes specific vocabulary with definitions. Workshops are delivered to further support this.
- We monitor work books, lesson observations and conduct learning walks. Pupil discussion is conducted termly. The monitoring system in place ensures effective curriculum coverage. This information is then used to further inform curriculum developments and provision.
IMPACT
We measure the impact of our curriculum through:
- Outcomes. We track the children’s learning three times a year through using our schools O-track to see their progress throughout the year and monitor if they are meeting expected levels.
- Progress made from starting point
- Conversations with children that demonstrate they know, can do and remember more than they did before
- Monitoring the work children do and their response to the learning
- We use the children’s topic reviews to measure the impact and effectiveness of each topic – reviewing the questions that we have asked.
- Monitoring the impact on children’s health and well-being