History

Intent: Vision and Philosophy of History

Through history lessons at Hotham, our intent is to:

  • Provide a high-quality, broad and balanced history curriculum.

  • Help children gain a secure knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. 

  • Stimulate children’s curiosity about the past and help them to understand how this can influence the present and future. 

  • Enable children to develop a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people from the past. 

  • Equip children with the depth of knowledge to be able to make links and comparisons to their prior learning. 

  • Provide opportunities for children to develop skills of enquiry, investigation and analysis through perceptive questioning, critical thinking, engaging with sources and evidence and considering different perspectives. 

  • Empower children with the skills to communicate their ideas and viewpoints in a confident, articulate and respectful manner. 

 

Implementation: What does History look like at Hotham?

At Hotham, the implementation of our history curriculum is as follows:

  • Every year group builds upon the learning from prior year groups to ensure a depth of understanding and progression of skills.

  • There are seven key strands, which inform the structure and teaching of our history curriculum:

    • Chronology

    • Similarity and difference

    • Cause and effect

    • Significance

    • Change

    • Use of sources

    • Communication of ideas. 

  • Teachers plan using the National Curriculum and cater for the varying needs of all learners, differentiating activities where necessary and ensuring an appropriate level of challenge.

  • Teaching staff and children alike use carefully-designed ‘Knowledge Organisers’ to reflect upon their learning and to recall key information from a unit of work. 

  • Children have access to a range of sources, artefacts and classroom timelines to inform and deepen their understanding of a history unit of work. 

  • Evidence of pupil work is recorded in children’s purple ‘Hotham Project’ books (KS1 and KS2). 

  • Outcomes of work are regularly monitored to ensure that they reflect a sound understanding of the key identified knowledge.

  • Historical learning is presented and explored in a variety of ways to ensure the children are engaged and enthusiastic, for example through SOLE (self-organised learning environment) lessons, historical enquiries and the ‘Hotham History Museum.’ 

  • Assessment is informed by observations during lessons, verbal feedback, pupil voice and work scrutiny.

  • Summative judgements are recorded for history at the end of each term. 

  • Effective use of educational visits and visitors are planned to enrich and provide first-hand learning experiences for pupils. Teachers make the most of our location in one of the world’s greatest cities to organise trips to places such as the British Museum, the Tower of London and Fulham Palace.  

  • Cross-curricular links are planned for and allow children to deepen their understanding across the curriculum, including the use of geography and science. 

 

Impact: Evidence and Assessment of History

By the time children leave Hotham, the impact of our History teaching means that they will:

  • Develop a secure knowledge and understanding of people, events and contexts from the historical periods covered.

  • Have the ability to consistently support, evaluate and challenge their own and others’ views using a broad range of evidence. 

  • Be empowered to think, reflect, debate, discuss and evaluate the past and think about how this shapes the future.

  • Have a passion for history and have had the opportunity to take part in high-quality historical outcomes such as the ‘Hotham History Museum.’ 

  • Have had the chance to visit a variety of historical sites in London.  

  • Develop a richer vocabulary, which will enable them to articulate their understanding of taught concepts.

  • Have high aspirations, which will see them through to further study, work and a successful adult life.

You can listen to the audio guide from our most recent ‘Hotham History Museum’ by clicking the button below:

 

History Overview

Please see an overview of our History curriculum below.