Burnham-on-Sea Infant School

History Curriculum Overview

Curriculum Lead: Carly Hatch and Nicola Blain

Our curriculum approach to history reflects our ethos statement ‘Working Together Building Futures’ providing all our children rich opportunities to find out about the past and how it has influenced the world around us.

Intent (curriculum design, coverage and appropriateness) :

Our aim of the History curriculum is to inspire our children to be curious about Somerset, Britain’s past and of the rest of the world. We will support our children to think and act as historians using an enquiry-based approach where the children are expected to think critically and be able to ask and answer questions. The children are equipped with the vocabulary that they need to become historians and to talk about the past and the passing of time. Lessons provide opportunities for children to support, evaluate and challenge their own and others’ views using a range of primary and secondary sources. We want children to gain knowledge and skills through different experiences in the classroom and understand how our future can be influenced by the past. 

Implementation (curriculum delivery, teaching and assessment):

At Burnham on Sea Infants, to ensure that high quality history is taking place throughout the whole school we implement a curriculum which is progressive from EYFS through to Year 2. History lessons are planned through our termly topics with a focus on knowledge and skills. All lessons have a strong focus on vocabulary which ensures that all children can talk about history using the appropriate language. The subject leader ensures that knowledge and skills within history lessons are progressive through the school through monitoring and evaluating. 

History is the study of people, actions, decisions, interactions and behaviours. At Burnham Infants, History is taught using 4 key disciplinary concepts of continuity and change, similarities and differences, significance and legacy and historical enquiry through enquiry based questions.  

This is underpinned by our key substantive concepts (themes that are revisited and built upon in readiness for KS2).  Our key substantive concepts are: beliefs, society, settlement, civilisation, nation, voyage, empire, monarchy, trade, immigration, commemoration.

The journey begins for Early Years Foundation Stage with a mixture of taught sessions and practical exploration through child initiated play.  In Key Stage 1 the children have a history focus each term, each underpinned by key historical questions. Each new unit is sequenced so that it consolidates and builds on prior learning and explicit links and made between different historical periods studied. Exploratory learning provides access to learning for all children. Further details can be found in the knowledge and skills link below.

Impact (attainment and progress):

Children will know more, remember more and understand more British history.  Children will be able to think critically about the past and be able to ask and answer questions. They will be able to talk about history using historical language which will be built upon each year.  Children will understand and use the key skills: chronological understanding, knowledge and understanding of events in the past, historical interpretation, historical enquiry and organisation and communication. 

The history lead at Burnham In Sea Infants:

 - helps design the curriculum map and then monitor in order to ensure that units are being taught at the correct time

 - completes learning walks, talks to pupils about their learning and discusses with colleagues successes and barriers

- is available to offer subject knowledge and advice when needed to support subject teaching staff in their understanding and delivery of the history curriculum

- ensures their support knowledge and subject leadership is supported through engagement with professional bodies such at The History Association.

Review

October 2023