How is History taught at Lydney C of E School?

At Lydney C of E, we provide a high-quality history education taught through 6 week blocks which introduce them to key substantive concepts including power, invasion, settlement and migration, empire, civilisation, religion, trade, achievements of humankind, society and culture. Our History teaching and learning follows a spiral curriculum model, with essential knowledge and skills revisited with increasing complexity, allowing pupils to revise and build on their previous learning. Each six-lesson unit has a focus on chronology to allow children to explore the place in time of the period they are studying and make comparisons in other parts of the world. Children will develop their awareness of the past in Key stage 1 and will know where people and events fit chronologically. This will support children in building a ‘mental timeline’ they can refer to throughout their learning in Key stage 2 and identifying connections, contrasts and trends over time. Units are organised around an enquiry-based question and children are encouraged to follow the enquiry cycle (Question, Investigate, Interpret, Evaluate and conclude, Communicate) when answering historical questions.

Where possible, cross-curricular links are included throughout each unit, allowing children to make connections and apply their History skills to other areas of learning. Our enquiry questions form the basis for our units, meaning that pupils gain a solid understanding of historical knowledge and skills by applying them to answer enquiry questions. We have designed these questions to be open-ended with no preconceived answers and therefore they are genuinely purposeful and engage pupils in generating a real change. In attempting to answer them, children learn how to gather, organise and evaluate evidence, interpret findings, analyse and make connections, evaluate and draw conclusions and communicate findings.

The Kapow History scheme enables pupils to meet the end of Key stage attainment targets in the National curriculum and the aims also align with those set out in the National curriculum. The Kapow ‘Progression of skills and knowledge’ shows the skills that are taught within each year group and how these skills develop year on year to ensure attainment targets are securely met by the end of each key stage.

Key Stage 1

History is taught in 6 weeks blocks which is alternated with a Geography unit. The History scheme of work is organised into three substantive knowledge strands: topic knowledge, chronological awareness and substantive (abstract) concepts, and two disciplinary strands: disciplinary concepts and historical enquiry.  Students in KS1 complete a question-based History unit each ‘long’ term in KS1, with a high importance placed on gaining an understanding of chronology and making comparisons between familiar items and experiences today and in the past. Lessons incorporate various teaching strategies from independent tasks to paired and group work, including practical hands-on, computer-based and collaborative tasks. This variety means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with a variety of learning styles.

Key Stage 2

History is taught in 6 weeks blocks which is alternated with a Geography unit. Again, these units usually span each ‘long’ term, although opportunities for incidental History learning and ‘simmering skill’ activities are used by teachers in between units of work. The History scheme of work is organised into three substantive knowledge strands: topic knowledge, chronological awareness and substantive (abstract) concepts, and two disciplinary strands: disciplinary concepts and historical enquiry. At Key Stage 2, students continue to gain a deeper understanding of chronology and investigate local history during various periods of time. History lessons in KS2 also incorporate various teaching strategies from independent tasks to paired and group work, including practical hands-on, computer-based and collaborative tasks. This variety means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with a variety of learning styles. Our progressive, spiral Geography curriculum allows for children in KS2 to revisit key vocabulary and knowledge and build upon this year by year.

Inclusion, Quality First Teaching, Support and Assessment:

A ‘can do’ attitude is adopted by both staff and students in History sessions and the belief is that everyone can achieve and succeed in History. Children are encouraged to persevere and learn from mistakes.

Our History curriculum at Lydney C of E School is designed to be a positive and inclusive experience for every student within our community. All children are given opportunities to explore and investigate key enquiry questions and our teachers provide the time, resources and support for students to develop a curiosity for the past. Differentiated guidance through the Kapow scheme is available for every lesson to ensure that all pupils can access learning, and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are available when required. Knowledge organisers for each unit support pupils in building a foundation of factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary. Staff also have access to CPD and supporting subject knowledge videos to enable them to confidently support a range of learners when teaching various areas of History.

Formative assessment is a key part of History lessons at Lydney C of E School and teachers observe, listen to and question their students to check understanding and to move learning forward. 

Extra-Curricular Provision

Throughout the year, the school organises opportunities for children to learn more about Geography through day excursions and residential trips. In the past, this has included visits to St Fagans National Museum of History, Swansea University Ancient Egyptian Centre and the Imperial War Museum. At the end of Key Stage 2, students also have the opportunity to patriate in a residential visit to France, where the children are able to explore and experience the history, geography and culture of a different country first-hand.