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Melbourne Primary School

Melbourne Primary School Melbourne Primary School

HISTORY

 

The History subject leader is Molly Howe

 

The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future- Theodore Roosevelt

As Historians, our children will learn the discipline of how to investigate and understand the past and how this can shape the future. They will learn how to cross examine information from different sources allowing them to structure arguments and debates clearly. We aim to equip our pupils with the ability to ask perceptive questions, think critically, collate evidence and develop their own perspective and judgement to better understand the intriguing world we live in today. We want our children to learn the transferable skills that the study of history provides and how these will support them in the future.

Intent:

At Melbourne Primary School we want History to fire children’s curiosity about the past in Britain and the wider world and help them to understand the diversity of human experience. We aim for a high-quality history curriculum that has been carefully designed and sequenced based on our own locality, giving the children the opportunity the learn about the rich history around them, as well as throughout the rest of the world. Curriculum content is knowledge and vocabulary rich, focusing on key skills, which the children will be able to nurture and develop as they move throughout the school.

We intend to inspire pupils to develop a broad historical and cultural awareness by:

  • Providing opportunities for children to develop a chronological framework by investigating the past and how it influences the present.
  • Encouraging children to interrogate evidence and form their own opinions.
  • Teaching them about significant individuals and the ways they have impacted the present and future.
  • Exploring a range of sources of information.
  • Offering opportunities to compare different time periods

Implementation:

Lessons will be planned within Key Stages, with progression being built in across the year groups within those key stages. History is taught on a two year cycle. Planning will focus on the objectives and historical skills to be taught. Planning will begin by looking at prior knowledge, which will then be built on over the course of the lesson and unit. Classrooms are equipped with a timeline which are referred to frequently to help increase the understanding on chronology and time periods of the past.

Much of our curriculum design also incorporates the children’s current History learning, such as Art, D.T and English. This helps to immerse the children within their topics, allowing them to use their new knowledge within many different subjects.

Consideration is given to how children will be supported will be taught within each lesson.

When pupils leave Melbourne Primary we aim to have provided them with a solid chronological understanding of key periods within history, along with being able to make comparisons and connections between different time periods and their own lives. Interlinked with this are studies of world history, such as the ancient civilisations of Greece and the Egyptians. We believe that local history is equally important. This is why it is woven  into our curriculum to ensure it is explicitly taught and a rich understanding of our local heritage is developed.   The local area is fully utilised to achieve these desired outcomes, with extensive opportunities for learning outside the classroom embedded in practice.

Impact:

We believe that if children have become knowledgeable historians, then they will be able to    articulate their understanding with confidence. This is why pupil voice is an important tool in assessing whether children have made progress. If a child is able to confidently formulate and explain their own responses to an overarching enquiry, then the curriculum and its delivery have been successful. The work produced by our children and the discussions they have, should demonstrate that they are equipped with the historical skills and knowledge that will enable them to be ready for the secondary curriculum and for life as an adult beyond Melbourne.

 


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Melbourne Primary School
Melbourne, York, East Riding of Yorkshire
YO42 4QE
01759 318369
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