Intent
History at MDIS inspires children to develop a curiosity about the past and an understanding of how people, events and achievements have shaped the world we live in today. Through studying significant individuals, important events, local history and changes over time, children develop a secure understanding of chronology, historical significance, cause and consequence, similarities and differences, and historical enquiry.
We believe that strong historical understanding begins in the Early Years, where children first develop an awareness of their own past, their family history, changes over time and the world around them. These foundations support their transition into more formal historical learning in Key Stage One.
The breadth of our History curriculum is designed with three goals in mind:
- To provide appropriate experiences that help children understand their place within their local community, Britain and the wider world.
- To provide rich cultural capital through the study of a diverse range of significant people, events and historical experiences.
- To provide a coherent, structured History curriculum that enables all pupils to build and retain historical knowledge and disciplinary skills over time.
Our curriculum enables children to ask questions, investigate evidence, make comparisons and understand how the past influences the present. Through carefully sequenced learning, children develop both substantive knowledge (what happened in the past) and disciplinary knowledge (how historians find out about the past).
Implementation
Our History curriculum is built upon the Chris Quigley Essentials Curriculum and is organised around key historical concepts that are revisited and developed throughout the school. These concepts include:
- Chronological Understanding
- Similarities and Differences
- Historical Significance
- Cause and Consequence
- Achievements
- Local History
- Historical Enquiry and Evidence
The curriculum begins in the Early Years where children develop an understanding of themselves, their families, memories and changes over time. Through stories, photographs, discussions and first-hand experiences, children begin to understand the concepts of past and present and develop the vocabulary needed to talk about change.
In Reception, History is taught through three overarching themes:
My Home, My Country and My World.
Children explore how they have changed and grown, learn about families and the human life cycle, and begin to understand that their own lives have a history. They compare people who help us today with those from the past, including firefighters, nurses, the army and police, helping them recognise change over time. Children also develop an awareness of local history through learning about what Market Drayton is famous for and investigate how farming has changed over time. These learning experiences provide important foundations for chronological understanding, historical comparison and historical enquiry.
As children progress into Key Stage One, they move from studying their own experiences and living memory to learning about significant people, events beyond living memory and changes over time.
Throughout each unit, children explore carefully planned enquiry questions and use a range of historical sources including photographs, artefacts, diaries, videos, maps, letters and interviews. They are taught to ask questions, use evidence and begin to understand that different sources can provide different viewpoints.
The curriculum is planned progressively so that knowledge and skills are revisited and strengthened over time through an interleaved approach. This ensures children make connections between historical periods, events and individuals whilst deepening their understanding of key concepts.
Impact
Through the explicit teaching of historical knowledge and disciplinary skills, children continuously develop their understanding of the past. Teachers assess learning through discussion, questioning, enquiry activities and outcomes linked to the unit enquiry question.
Children are given regular opportunities to revisit prior learning and make connections between different periods, people and events. This enables pupils to develop a secure chronological understanding and a deeper appreciation of how historical events have shaped the modern world.
By the end of Key Stage One, children can:
- Place events and significant individuals on a timeline.
- Compare life in the past with life today.
- Explain why people and events are historically significant.
- Use a range of sources as historical evidence.
- Describe causes and consequences of events studied.
- Communicate their historical understanding using appropriate vocabulary.
As children progress through the curriculum, they become increasingly confident historians who can ask questions, interpret evidence, make informed comparisons and understand how the past continues to influence the present and future.
