History

For Humanities we are following the Opening Worlds Curriculum in KS2. This is a knowledge-rich programme for teaching history and geography in Years 3 to 6. The programme readily lends itself to cross curricular planning and has been developed by Christine Counsell and Steve Mastin, two leading curriculum minds in the UK.

Opening Worlds does more than merely meet the requirements of the National Curriculum for history and geography. Sequencing, and the inter-linking nature of both subjects, ensure that children are able to develop a rich, secure vocabulary by a careful system of 'revisiting' and practice.

Opening Worlds covers a range of cultural, historical and ethical backgrounds and offers purposeful and meaningful experiences to apply, share and develop this knowledge . Our diverse, culturally rich, wide-scoping and rigorous/coherent curriculum is underpinned by the teaching of basic skills, knowledge, concepts and values in a rigorous and coherent way. Explicit links to story telling and creativity are made to ensure children to engage and enthuse learners. Many enhancement and enrichment activities are used throughout the curriculum to engage learners and create purposeful, high leverage outcomes that give children the opportunity to use and apply their developing knowledge and skills. Our aim is to create an environment that prompts curiosity, critical thinking and allows learners to connect strands of learning across all aspects of the curriculum.

For further information, please see the Opening Worlds Rationale below or visit their website here.

Humanities Overview

Updated: 23/05/2023 60 KB

Opening Worlds Rationale

Updated: 23/05/2023 600 KB

History Intent:

'The more you know about the past, the better you are prepared for the future'

Theodore Roosevelt

At St Ignatius it is our aim to instil a love of history in all children. We intend our history curriculum to inspire curiosity and fascination about the past in Britain and the wider world, whilst developing the children's historical thinking and chronological understanding. We aim to achieve this by teaching an enquiry-based history curriculum that provides a means for children to gain the skills and knowledge to become confident historians. We want every child to be happy and enthusiastic learners of history, and to be eager to achieve their very best in order to fulfil their God-given talents.

Lessons will often start with a key question, encouraging the children to investigate a topic and find answers to historical questions with increasing independence. Using a range of primary and secondary historical sources children are taught that history is created from the evidence that remains and that the story of the past is told differently by different groups of people. Children learn to make judgements about the accuracy and reliability of the evidence, handling contradictions and understanding why these occur.

We believe that a well-rounded history curriculum and high-quality lessons inspire children to want to know more about the past and to think and act as historians. The history curriculum at St. Ignatius is carefully planned and structured to ensure that current learning is linked to previous learning and that the school’s approaches are informed by current pedagogy.

Implementation:

Through a carefully planned curriculum in KS1, children experience a wide range of topics including specific events such as The Great Fire of London, the moon landing and the first airplane flight. In KS2 we are following the Opening Worlds Curriculum. This is a knowledge-rich programme for teaching history and geography in Years 3 to 6. The programme readily lends itself to cross curricular planning and has been developed by Christine Counsell and Steve Mastin, two leading curriculum minds in the UK. Opening Worlds does more than merely meet the requirements of the National Curriculum for history and geography. Sequencing, and the inter-linking nature of both subjects, ensure that children are able to develop a rich, secure vocabulary by a careful system of 'revisiting' and practice.

We encourage children to learn through experience, and ensure that trips are organised to match with history topics, giving children the opportunity to experience historical sites and buildings first hand.

Impact:

The impact of the History curriculum at St. Ignatius can be seen through:

Clear evidence that our children have shown progress and attainment in line with the National Curriculum
Our children demonstrate enthusiasm for the subject and can talk with confidence about history
Our children demonstrate an understanding of a range of historical vocabulary which can be applied confidently
As historians, our children can use their skills to pose questions, evaluate evidence and draw conclusions