History

At Kestrel Mead we have ensured that our history curriculum is broad by covering the full range of historical eras set out in the National Curriculum. The units have been carefully planned in chronological order so that children are able to build upon their historical knowledge and skills. This has been made relevant to life today by linking to the big questions and issues of contemporary society. To support this, we enrich our students by incorporating a range of artefacts, historical visits and use of multimedia within lessons.

The history curriculum opens children’s eyes to the idea that things have not always been as they are today; develops and nurtures a sense of empathy for people in different situations; encourages children to ask questions that spring from this; and allows them to interact with their learning through a range of media. In this way it develops curiosity, compassion, respect and resilience. In addition, it provides children with a greater sense of place, change and continuity, allowing them to engage with contemporary issues with more understanding, empathy and compassion.

The history curriculum covers content from a range of eras in local, national, global, and thematic contexts. These are linked through sticky concepts to develop children’s inquisitive and analytical skills. Children are then ready to engage with the KS3 history curriculum.

As a school we celebrate key dates and events across the year as they arise. This includes religious celebrations, Bonfire Night, Remembrance Day and anniversaries.

History is taught within a 6 or 7-week cycle during sticky curriculum, twice an academic year, by class teachers. Throughout the topic the children record and add their learning to their Seesaw journal. At the end of a unit children document their learning in their journals and answer the big question. Other examples of History, such as trips and enrichments can be seen on Class Dojo feeds, on Seesaw and in our trips and enrichment section below.