History
History Vision (Subject Lead: Mrs. A. Kaur)
At Alexandra Junior School, we want all our pupils to acquire a secure knowledge of what has happened in the past and why. It involves children studying men, women and children in different societies, cultures and countries at different times in the past. It encourages children to develop a curiosity for the past, which will help them to reflect on and understand their own place in the present. Thus, allowing the children to help see how the past has shaped their future.
Integrated within our daily life is our Alexandra Promise to our pupils and our school context-based drivers, the 5Es (Excel yourself, Embrace yourself, Explore the world, Engage with others, Express yourself). We understand that every child has the right to an education (as in accordance in with UNCRC article 28). The teaching of history will fulfil the children’s rights.
Our aim is to provide children with a history curriculum which enables them to become confident, creative and independent learners. We seek to broaden children’s real-life experiences both inside and outside of school through educational visits, visitors, experimentation, exploration and discovery.
Our principle aims for history are to enable children to:
- Foster an interest in the past and to encourage a lively and questioning approach to History, which enables children to enjoy what they do.
- Provide the children with an experience of History which is both valid and stimulating.
- Enable pupils to work both independently and co-operatively to research events from the past and to develop informed opinions.
- Develop the skills of enquiry, investigation, analysis, interpretation and problem solving.
- Enable children to gain an understanding of the past, with relation to themselves, their families, their local communities and the wider world, as appropriate to age and ability.
We welcome you to review the Curriculum and Pedagogy documents to see how the History curriculum is put into practice.
Subject Lead Statement
I would like to introduce myself as Miss Vernon, History lead here at Alexandra Junior School. My belief is that history should be engaging, enjoyable and memorable. Learning about the past is crucial as it allows the children to gather an insight into where they sit in the world.
During their time at our school, the children will gain a clear understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. The way in which the curriculum is designed will inspire the children’s curiosity to learn more about the past. Through the teaching, the pupils will ask perceptive questions, think more critically, weigh up evidence, look at arguments and develop judgements. Children will look at history both on a local scale and on a global scale, covering many historical periods. This approach requires children to think at a deeper level and encourages learners to work using a question as their starting point.
We aim to make history as practical as possible, making use of the outdoor space where appropriate and providing trips or visitors to engage the children further into their learning and make learning more memorable.
To ensure that high standards are maintained, I regularly monitor the children’s learning. This is in the form of floor book scrutinies, pupil interviews, lesson observations and by looking at the assessment, which is completed at the end of each unit.
