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HISTORY
The aim at Sauncey Wood is to stimulate the children’s interest and understanding about the life of people who lived in the past.  We teach children a sense of chronology, and through this they develop a sense of identity and cultural understanding based on historical heritage.  Thus they learn to values their own past and other people’s cultures in modern multicultural Britain and, by considering how people lived in the past, they are better to make their own life choices today.  Children are taught to understand how events in the past have influenced our lives today.  They develop skills in investigating past events and by doing so develop core skills of enquiry, analysis, interpretation and problem solving.
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Intent
At Sauncey Wood, we set a curriculum that is ambitious and motivating for all pupils. The curriculum is set according to the national curriculum and provides our pupils with the building blocks of what they need to know and be able to do, in order to succeed in history.
Our curriculum is broad and balanced for all pupils. We include the both local, British and wider world topics. There is more to the history curriculum than just the National Curriculum topics. In this way, we strengthen what is distinctive about our school, its setting and the background of our pupils and encompasses the British Values throughout.  Our curriculum is successfully adapted, for all abilities, including those pupils with SEN.  Our curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced. We have a structured, chronological approach but have adapted this to allow for the need to stretch our older children with more complex learning and deeper thinking.  Our planning focusses on skills, concepts and processes and is intent on inspiring curiosity.
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At Sauncey Wood Primary School, we have designed our History curriculum with the intent that our children will: 
  • Become increasingly reflective, critical and analytical thinkers 
  • Possess a secure understanding of key subject specific vocabulary as well as the chronology of the British Isles and other import periods of History 
  • To discover links and connections to the History they learn and the wider community and locality 
  • Further their knowledge and explanations of change and continuity over time with regards to the history of the British Isles and other societies and epochs 
  • Differentiate between source types and explain how interpretations in History may differ  
  • Draw on similarities and differences within given time frames and across previously taught History 
  • Enquire in to Historical themed questions and form their own opinions and interpretation of the past 
 
Implementation
History has always been held in high regard at Sauncey Wood Primary School. We pride ourselves on our creative learning environment and classroom displays. We make full use of a range of hands on and resources within the immediate and wider local area enabling children to develop a deep understanding of the history of their locality.  Our history curriculum at is carefully planned and structured to ensure that current learning is linked to previous learning and that the school’s approaches are informed by current pedagogy. In line with the national curriculum 2014, our curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils: Gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world which helps to stimulate pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past; Are encouraged to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement; Begin 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 challenges of their time.
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Our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) follows the EYFS framework which aims for all children in Foundation Stage to have an ‘Understanding of the World; people and communities, the world and technology’ by the end of the academic year.  They are encouraged to be curious, talk about past and present events and relate these to their peers, their own families and their communities.   We also look for opportunities to personalise learning to individual children’s specific interests whenever they come to light.  In Key Stage 1 and 2, history is taught in weekly lessons, in half term blocks, with 3 ‘topics’ taught per year group.  Learning is supported through the use of knowledge organisers that provide children with scaffolding that supports them to retain new facts and vocabulary in their long term memory. Knowledge organisers are used for pre-teaching, to support home learning and are put on the class webpages on the school website to inform parents.
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Our young historians will be given a variety of experiences both in and out of the classroom where appropriate to create memorable learning opportunities and to further support and develop their understanding.    Children are offered enrichment trips or themed days, these are used to enhance the History and bring it to life.  SMSC is threaded through the History curriculum to link history to their lives and explore their heritage and cultural capital.
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Impact
At Sauncey Wood, we are very proud of the fact that our children love history.  Pupil voice shows that pupils are confident and able to talk about what they have learnt in history using subject specific vocabulary. Pupil voice also demonstrates that pupils enjoy history and are able to recall their learning over time. Pupils work demonstrates that history is taught at an age appropriate standard across each year group with opportunities planned in for pupils working at greater depth. Work is of good quality and demonstrates pupils are acquiring knowledge, skills and vocabulary in an appropriate sequence.   Book looks tie up with planning and there is a diverse range of activities which have been carefully planned to ensure children can access the full range of skills needed in order to become a budding historian.  
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Learning beyond the Classroom
All classes provide a range of opportunities for learning in History at home through ‘Take Your Pick’ challenges.
We have many History linked whole school assemblies eg Remembrance Day
There are many enrichment activities planned in across the year groups eg History Off The Page days,  trips, visits and visitors eg to St Alban’s Abbey,  Harpenden Oval,  British Museum,
https://www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/
https://www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/visit/verulamium-museum
https://www.culturetrust.com/venues/stockwood-discovery-centre
https://www.culturetrust.com/venues/wardown-house-museum-gallery
 https://www.history.org.uk/primary/categories/sl-enrichment
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/
https://www.britishmuseum.org/
https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv6T14r6A7wIVdIBQBh0CWQu9EAAYASAAEgJoTfD_BwE
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