History

History-  How the past has impacted on our life

At Monkhouse, we believe all children will be ambitious, courageous, resilient, respectful and kind so that they fulfil their unique potential and become active members of the wider global community. We aim to ignite a passion for learning and exploring History as it teaches children to understand the present as well as the past, and to appreciate how events in the past have influenced our lives today.

At Monkhouse, we provide a broad balanced and progressive History curriculum, which is integrated into other areas of the curriculum where appropriate. In History, our curriculum is driven by enquiries, these focused, specific, historically enquiry based questions allow children to learn and interpret the past to gain a better understanding of how events in the past have influenced our lives today. Through our History curriculum we aim to inspire children to investigate these past events and develop key disciplinary historical skills, this is knowledge of how historians study the past and construct accounts, to be able to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement.  We hope to inspire children to understand the world in the past in order to define their own experiences and future.

In History, our curriculum is designed to allow the children to learn about ‘How has the past affected our life?’  Key historical concepts of legacy, settlement, agriculture and government are underlying features of lessons and are planned for in order to allow curriculum links to be made and to promote critical thinking about the past and present and the impact on our lives. This helps children to develop an awareness of their position in the world and actively link their knowledge across the curriculum. 

At Monkhouse, we provide a broad balanced and progressive History curriculum from their entry in nursery until the end of KS2 in year 6. History is integrated into other areas of the curriculum where appropriate. We aim to ignite a passion for learning and exploring History as it teaches children to understand how events in the past have influenced our lives today.  We hope to inspire children to understand the world in the past in order to define their own experiences and future.

Each year group will use a history knowledge organiser which is specific to the period of history to be taught. The knowledge organiser clearly sets out the legacy and impact on our lives from the period of study, what we will cover, important dates and key vocabulary. At the beginning of every history lesson we will plan for  the opportunity to retrieve previously taught disciplinary and substantive skills and knowledge. We also use a standardised timeline to develop chronological understanding. Every lesson is underpinned by chronology. Both the overall narrative of history and internal narrative of a lifetime, event or full period are vital to piece together the complex and intertwining history that we teach. Children will learn how the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods. We explicitly model the links between prior learning and new learning, to support children to learn more and remember more. History is broken down into key historical concepts, (settlement and agriculture, government and legacy) to ensure these are revisited throughout throughout KS1 and KS2.

In History our curriculum is taught and assessed using SOLO and on an enquiry based approach. Focused, specific, historically valid questions allow children to learn and interpret the past to gain a better understanding of it, allowing children the opportunity to showcase their learning of substantive knowledge, disciplinary skills and make links cross curricular links and previous learning.

What History looks like in our school - EYFS - Building the foundations of learning 

In the EYFS we prepare children for the primary history curriculum; developing an understanding of subject disciplines through four main aspects of Understanding the Past and Present; People are Born, Grow up and Grow old; We Make and Keep Memories; We Remember Special Times and Time Passes. In doing so, we build knowledge, concepts and vocabulary sequentially over time. We promote and develop children’s understanding of passage of time and related vocabulary through daily classroom routines, practice and conversations. A wide variety of aspects of time, such as  day to night and seasonal changes are explored through daily story telling opportunities. The aspect of People are Born, Grow up and Grow old will be explored through sharing stories, photos and videos about growing and different life stages. Learning is further enriched through the opportunity to talk to, explore and question; adults, parents and grandparents about their own childhood and experiences of growing up. As well as through role play of adults and small world play. We will promote the aspect of we make and keep memories through opportunities to recall experiences and sharing memories of special times, exploring ways that people keep memories through photographs, videos, their own learning journals and precious objects. Through the final aspect, we remember special times, children will begin to experience  and remember some of the ways whole communities celebrate important times such as Remembrance day and celebrations across cultures and religions. This knowledge and understanding will be promoted through stories, art, traditional crafts, songs, dance, cooking and role play.

We will teach history through a broad, balanced and progressive curriculum. Each year group will use a history knowledge organiser which is specific to the period of history to be taught. The knowledge organiser clearly sets out the legacy and impact on our lives from the period of study, what we will cover, important dates and key vocabulary. We deepen learning through explicitly model the links between prior learning and new learning helping children to learn and remember more; through revisiting prior substantive and disciplinary skills at the beginning of each history lesson.  History is broken down into key historical concepts, (settlement and agriculture, government and legacy) to ensure these are revisited throughout throughout KS1 and KS2. We also use a standardised timeline throughout school to develop chronological understanding. In doing so, children will learn how the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods. 

Enhancing and enriching learning 

Teaching and learning in history  is enriched through the provision of extra curricular activities and trips, visitors and access to historical sources and artefacts; 

Over the course of the year, we offer opportunities for children to work collaboratively on History projects both in school and with our wider collaborative group of schools. We participate in a whole school memorial on Remembrance day. Representatives from our school attend and repesent the school for Holocaust Memorial Day, in collaboration with other schools across North Tyneside. Commemoration of historical anniversaries and key historical figures are marked through whole school assemblies and celebratory days.

At Monkhouse, children are able to handle and explore historical artefacts through the Tyne & Wear museum, box of delight artefact loan scheme. We go on visits to museums and places of interest, linked to the period of study such as: Beamish Open Air Museum, Vindolanda Roman Fort and the George Stephenson Railway museum. Children have access to a wide variety of secondary sources such as books and photographs.  We also provide opportunities for children to be able to listen to and interact with stories from the past through visitor talks and specialists providing history workshops.

Classroom immersion 

At Monkhouse, we immerse the classrooms into unique learning spaces that bring a multi sensory environment into the classroom, bringing history to life, for example; from George Stephenson and the invention of the railway to the coal mines of the North East. 

In KS1, the history curriculum will provide pupils with the opportunity to learn about the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time. They will learn how the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods. They will be taught a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms and learn about key historical figures. In KS2, the history curriculum will provide the opportunity for all pupils to continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study. They will note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms. In doing so, they will explore significant British and World  historical periods and events.

Aspiration and Inspiration

At Monkhouse our school vision for history is that children learn the legacy from the period of study and learn how the past impacts the future. We want to embed a pedagogy of engagement, enquiry, curiosity and investigation to enable pupils to work as young historians as they progress through subject outcomes.