History at Ribbon fires the children’s curiosity about the past in Britain and the wider world and plays an essential part in preparing them for living and working in the contemporary world. It is important that our curriculum offers our children the knowledge and skills that they require to understand the historical implications that have made our world and lives the way they are. Throughout our curriculum design, we strive for our pupils to: ·
- foster in children an interest in the past and to develop an understanding that enables them to enjoy all that history has to offer;
- enable children to know about significant events in British history and to appreciate how things have changed over time;
- learn to research, analyse and reflect upon evidence – skills that are prized in adult life – to develop their understanding of social, cultural, political and economic relationships of past civilisations and their influence on the present;
- consider what past societies were like, how these societies organised their lives and politics, and what beliefs and cultures influenced people’s actions locally and throughout the wider world;
- develop a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people, whom without, the world would look considerably different today;
- learn about the diversity of human experience, which is used to develop the child’s respect for human rights and fosters opportunities for personal reflection as individuals and members of modern society.
Our children are intrigued by the impact history has had on the daily life of contrasting civilisations, and how these practices have contributed to the cultures and civilisations of today. We value the importance of enriching our children with varied sources and experiences to ensure they develop a clear and strong conceptual understanding of how life in the past has been understood and interpreted.
Our Geography Overview outlines the essential details to ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum whilst providing our teachers with the tools required to support the development of informed historians. These details include: –
- progression of teaching topics
- identification of historical skills to teach, learn and practise
- prioritised knowledge and facts to know, supporting an improved conceptual understanding of the past
Our coherent, planned curriculum has purposefully been designed supporting progressive learning through the year groups. Our youngest children learn about historical events closest to the present year (within their living memory) and are taught through a range of interactive activities to support them in discovering the meaning of new and old. As the children progress through the years, their History learning delves deeper and further into the past (beyond their living memory). Pupils continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of local history, Britain and world history including change and continuity. Our children study a range of significant people, periods and events that occurred in British and international history. These include: Ancient Egypt, the Vikings, Christopher Columbus, the Early Islamic Civilisation, the Romans and the Victorians. Our children are supported to form connections and comparisons between their prior learning and their new learning, whilst reflecting on the similarities and differences between past and present day. It is important at Ribbon that when learning and practising history children are able to articulate what history is and can clearly differentiate between the skills historians require from the historical knowledge that they know and have retained, whilst broadening their vocabulary – this ensures a real purpose for learning.
