If you want to understand today you have to search yesterday.

Pearl S. Buck

It is our belief at Inkpen Primary School that History helps children to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the changes of their time.

A high quality history education will help children gain a knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire children’s curiosity to know more about the past. Our teaching will equip children to ask questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop a sense of perspective and judgement. It should inspire children’s curiosity to know more about the past. We will equip children with the ability to ask questions, think critically, weigh evidence and develop a sense of perspective and judgement. History will be taught through enquiry, use of resources, artefacts and images to support investigation.

Children will be exposed to a range of different teaching styles to maximise learning. They will:

• Have access to and handle artefacts
• Visits places of interest
• Have access to secondary sources such as books, the Internet & photographs
• Welcome visitors to talk about personal experience of the past
• Listen to and interest with stories from the past
• Use drama and dance to act out historical events
• Be provided with opportunities to work independently or collaboratively, to ask, and to answer historical questions

We aim to:

• Develop the children’s understanding of chronology
• Expose children to an increasing range of historical resources
• Promote the use of research skills
• Utilise the external environment to support the teaching of local and national history
• Adopt a range of learning and teaching approaches to ensure that all children can access the history curriculum and shoe what they have learnt
• Make cross-curricular links where appropriate to enhance children’s understanding of history

There will be a range of differing history abilities in all classes, and so we provide suitable learning opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child. This is achieved through a range of strategies which are differentiated by task, expected outcome and/or support from peers or adults.

Teachers have designed their own history units that are adapted to cover an objective at least once within each key stage that suits the needs of the class. Unit plans are in a pro forma that suits the needs of the class teacher but will clearly outline:

• Learning objectives with clear progression through the unit
• Key questions or ideas to promote investigation
• Practical opportunities and resources
• IT and/r Cross-curricular links (including writing) wherever possible

To ensure progression within history, teachers use the progression document provided to show the skills, topics and keywords to ensure children are progressing appropriately. This tool allows teachers to assess children’s historical abilities and plan future lessons.

The recording of work across the school will vary depending on the age group and topics being explored. Evidence may be in the form of:

• Cross-curricular writing
• Worksheets
• Photos of practical work
• Independent research
• Observations made during a lesson if no physical work is recorded
• Displays