Why do we teach History ? Why do we teach History in the way we do?	How do we teach History ? What does this look like?
By the time children leave our school what will they be able to do?	Web links

At Holy Cross we aim to inspire children to be curious about the past in Britain and the wider world. We strive to offer a high-quality history education that will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of our past. Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgement. History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and the relationships between different groups. It is important for children to develop a sense of identity through learning about the past and we want them to know how history has shaped their own lives.


At Holy Cross we take an enquiry-based approach to teaching History whereby each topic is taught through a series of key questions. Our curriculum allows for children to build upon prior knowledge, where understanding is developed through pupils making links and connections to what they already know. We use vocabulary which is appropriate and accurate for each year group, so that children are able to see links and connections between topics and apply their vocabulary when answering enquiry questions. Specific vocabulary is displayed in books to help the children answer key facts and questions on the topic being taught.

In ensuring high standards of teaching and learning in History, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. We fulfil the requirements of the EYFS “Past and Present” educational programme and the National Curriculum for History, equipping pupils with knowledge about the history of Britain and how it has influenced and been influenced by other cultures and other times. We ensure the progressive development of historical concepts, knowledge and skills through careful planning, and aim to inspire in all our pupils a curiosity and fascination about the Britain’s past and that of the wider world, including ancient civilisations and empires.

In KS1, pupils are introduced to learning about changes in living memory and beyond living memory, by learning about the lives of significant people of the past, understand the methods of historical enquiry and beginning to ask and answer questions about the past.

In Lower KS2, pupils learn about the history of Britain from the Stone Age, Roman Britain to the Norman Conquest, creating a timeline into and around which a wider range of topics such as Ancient Greece and WWII are placed in Upper KS2.

History is taught as a half-termly or termly topic, focusing on knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum, to build an in-depth knowledge about a particular period in history, or understand how an aspect of life has changed through time.

The History topics frequently form the core of our cross-curricular approach to teaching, support and engaging our pupils with work in many other subjects, including English, Art, Music and RE. In this way, children are able to gain a richer and deeper understanding of each particular period in time. We aim for our children to enjoy and love learning about history by gaining this knowledge and skills, not just through experiences in the classroom, but also with the power of educational visits, visitors and real and replica artefacts. The implementation of our broad and exciting topics is intended to inspire both pupils and teachers to develop a love of history and see how it has shaped the world that the live in today.

To support our teaching of History, teachers have access to Keystage History for resources and ideas. They are also encouraged to search for inspiration from other sources and usually use artefacts from Wiltshire Learning Resources Hub to help bring History to life for our children.


At Holy Cross Primary our history teaching and planning helps to equip our pupils with the 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. They should be able to describe key events in British history up to the Second World War, and have an understanding of both the inventions and achievements of ancient civilisations and their impact on life today, and key events of the modern age. Pupils of all ages should understand how past events can be researched, whilst our older pupils may be able to explain concepts such as the reliability of or bias in historical evidence, and take these into account when considering historical data. By doing so, they can become not just passive recipients of factual information, but enquiring and challenging thinkers who appreciate that lessons from the past can influence the way that we think and behave today, and have the skills and the passion for doing so in the future.



General:

Websites to support History
The following websites have many different activities for people and places in the past.
Primary Topic Websites
History Homework Help
Ducksters' History for Kids
History for Kids
Horrible Histories

Prehistoric Britain
This BBC Bitesize link will help you learn more about the Stone Age.
Click here to choose which Prehistoric topic you'd like to learn more about.

Saxons and Vikings:
Vikings BBC info

Romans in Britain:
Roman Empire

The Victorians
KS2: The Victorians

Historical Events The Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London

The Sinking of the Titanic
The Titanic

The Moon Landing
The Moon Landing

WW2:
First hand evidence - an interview:
Betty from Cardiff - An evacuee Story from 1939
Gas Mask Drill in School

Time line facts
DK facts website - The Blitz and more!

People
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Who was Isambard Kingdom Brunel?

Civilisations
Ancient Egyptians
Ancient Egypt - KS2 History - BBC Bitesize
The Greeks:
Ancient Greece - KS2 History - BBC Bitesize
Benin:
Kingdom of Benin - KS2 History - BBC Bitesize