At Rauceby Church of England Primary School we endeavour to spark children’s curiosity about the past. In order for our children to develop their knowledge and understanding during their studies, our children are given the opportunity to examine, interpret and evaluate a variety of sources to make deductions about the past. We work to develop an understanding of chronology as well as a knowledge and understanding of how the local area has changed over time. Our children are taught to think as historians and archaeologists and are encouraged to pose their own historical questions. They investigate how and why the world has changed, as well as what we can learn from the past to make the future a better place. We teach our children to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, consider arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. Through the history curriculum, our children gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of the past in Britain and the wider world. 

How is History taught at Rauceby?

In EYFS, History knowledge and skills are developed under the following area of learning ‘Communication and Language’ & ‘Understanding the world’.

We develop our children’s curiosity through adult & child lead discussions and chosen stories.

By the end of EYFS, we aim for our children to be able to:

• Talk about the lives of the people around them and their roles in society

• Know some similarities and differences between things in the past and now, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class

• Understand the past through settings, characters and events encountered in books read in class and storytelling.

In Years 1 - 6, at Rauceby Church of England Primary school we have developed an enriched curriculum with chosen topics that enable all children to develop their knowledge and understanding in history. History is taught in focused units for an hour a week on a half-termly rotational basis (one half term of each long-term being History and the other Geography).

Our units of work ensure that all children:

• know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
• know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind
• gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’
• analyse trends, frame historically valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses
• understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed
• gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts: understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales

By the end of KS1, we aim for our children to be able to:

• discuss changes within living memory – where appropriate, these should be used to reveal aspects of change in national life
• discuss events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally [for example, the Great Fire of London, the first aeroplane flight or events commemorated through festivals or anniversaries]
• understand the lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements, some should be used to compare aspects of life in different periods
• discuss and understand significant historical events, people and places in their own locality

By the end of KS2, we aim for our children to be able to:

• develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
• note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms.
• regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance.
• construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information.
• understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources. 
• Understand changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age
• Discuss and understand the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain
• Discuss and understand Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots
• Discuss and understand the Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the time of Edward the Confessor
• Discuss and understand a local history study
• Discuss and understand a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066
• Discuss and understand the achievements of the earliest civilizations – an overview of where and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth study of one of the following: Ancient Sumer; The Indus Valley; Ancient Egypt; The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China
• Discuss and understand Ancient Greece – a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world
• Discuss and understand a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history – one study chosen from: early Islamic civilization, including a study of Baghdad c. AD 900; Mayan civilization c. AD 900; Benin (West Africa) c. AD 900-130

How are all learners supported at Rauceby?

Historical Vocabulary:

Pre-teach vocabulary, provide vocabulary word-banks, review previously learned (previous lesson, previous year) vocabulary at the start of each lesson.

Provide word/ picture bank to support new vocabulary.

Display vocabulary.

Literacy:

Provide visual aids to enable learners to understand key learning. The use of pictures, diagrams, clear sub-titles could be used to break up large sections of information.

Learning will be adapted so that it is accessible to all children.

Change and transition:

Instructions and key information will be given clearly so the child understands what is being asked of them and how they will achieve the learning goal.

Children will be given the correct preparation before the lesson so they know what will be happening and what to expect prior to the history session.

Cognition and learning:

Learning will be carefully adapted to suit the child’s individual learning needs. Visual diagrams and pictures will be used to support new information.

Instructions will be given clearly with both physical and verbal cues with visuals to support so that the child fully understands the expectations of the lesson.

Children can be given time to process questions and formulate answers.

Information will be repeated in a variety of ways, using a range of vocabulary.

A writing frame could be provided to support writing during independent activities.

Assessment:

Use alternative means of assessment to include written, oral and observed.

How do we make History come alive?

At Rauceby we plan and develop school trips and events to both enhance and celebrate history units that are being or have been taught in each year group. For example, Y3 visit Creswell Crags as part of their learning on the Stone Age and Y6 visit Bomber Command to enhance their learning of World War II.