History
History at Ashley Down Primary School Aims (intent)
Our history curriculum aims to support children to gain coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Our intention is to equip pupils with knowledge and understanding of the British Isles as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day. We will inspire children to explore how people’s lives have shaped the wider world. Children will also know and understand significant aspects of history: the nature of ancient civilisations, the expansion and dissolution of empires, characteristic features of past nonEuropean societies and the impact of key historical events on the present day. All children will understand historical concepts and methods of historical enquiry, discerning how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed and making connections within and across different historical periods. We see history as a discipline that equips pupils with the skills to understand key events and figures with a balanced, considered and informed perspective.
What it looks like here (implementation)
At Ashley Down, we teach history in a highly engaging, active and purposeful way. Our young historians begin by learning about their own personal histories and timelines before investigating the history of the local area and the impact of world events on Bristol. As children progress through the school they chronologically build upon prior historical understanding. Each year children learn about a subsequent historical era and embed their historical knowledge by contrasting with different world regions. In Key Stage 2, children start by learning about the Stone Age and Eurocentric history. As they progress, they learn to compare and contrast with other cultures such as Benin, Ancient Egypt and Middle Eastern civilisations. This ensures that historical events are not taught in isolation. Our history curriculum meets the objectives of the National Curriculum and goes beyond it by introducing children to the history of Black Britons from Roman times to the present day. Throughout history lessons, children are encouraged explore their understanding of key civilisations, events and figures by questioning and reasoning about the validity of sources. Furthermore, history is not taught in isolation. Children are encouraged to apply their historical understanding to extended writing projects to explore myths, legends and historical events.