History

At Horton Kirby, we aim for a high-quality history curriculum which should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Our teaching equips pupils with the following:

• Knowledge about the history of Britain and how it has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
• Knowledge and understanding about significant aspects of the world like ancient civilisations and empires
• Information about changes in living memory and beyond living memory
• Opportunities to learn about the lives of significant people of the past
• An understanding of the methods of historical enquiry, like evaluating sources of evidence and understanding the influence of major events and significant historical figures on the present day.

In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in history, we implement a curriculum where skills progress as children move up the school. History is taught through other subjects, for example, English, Science, Music, Art and Geography. Local history is an important part of our curriculum:  we use the local area to look at how buildings have changed in Key Stage 1, compare the similarities and differences in environments and communities in Lower Key Stage 2 and carry out an in-depth study of the locality in Upper Key Stage 2. Children develop an understanding of the influence of key events and historical figures on the present day. We encourage children to become historians by looking at artefacts and sources of evidence, in order to make generalisations about the past and compare it to their current lives. Field Trips to the local environmental centre and ‘Living History’ Workshops enable children to ‘experience’ life in the past by using historical tools, re-enacting events and taking part in historical cultural practices through song and dance. Historical themes such as ‘civilisation,’ ‘everyday life’ and ‘changes over time’ are taught and re-visited to build on learning and embed long-term memory.

The impact of our history curriculum is that children at Horton Kirby are equipped with historical skills and knowledge that will enable them to be ready for the curriculum at Key Stage 3 and for life as an adult in the wider world.  Children learn about a wide range of historical cultures and their influence on the modern world – they can talk confidently about their learning, use historical vocabulary and display long-term memory, make links with learning and find historical themes.