History

Intent

The curriculum at Derry Hill Primary School makes full use of resources within the immediate and wider local area enabling children to develop a deep understanding of the history of their locality. We strive to provide a creative learning environment through exciting classroom/school displays and engaging in topical discussions across the curriculum.

Our topics are informed by the national curriculum and are sensitive to children’s interests, as well as the context of the local area. The history curriculum at Derry Hill 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.

History topics are designed across the curriculum to ensure that all subject areas can be involved, particularly English. This allows the children to get a really broad knowledge of their topic and to apply it in many different contexts.

Implementation

At Derry Hill we have a topic based curriculum which allows history to be taught in blocks in particular terms. This helps the children to be able to achieve depth in their learning and allows children to really explore the topic in many ways across many curriculum subjects. Teachers have worked collaboratively to look the key knowledge and skills covered in each topic to ensure progression throughout each year group across the school. By the end of year 6, children will have a chronological understanding of British history from the Stone Age to the present day. They are able to draw comparisons and make connections between different time periods and their own lives. Interlinked with this are studies of world history, such as the ancient civilisations of Greece and the Egyptians.

At the beginning of each topic, children are given a knowledge organiser which shows the key learning that will be covered throughout the term. Consideration is given to how greater depth will be taught, learnt and demonstrated within each lesson, as well as how all learners will be supported to access the learning. Outcomes of work are monitored to ensure that they reflect a sound understanding of the key identified knowledge. Within our knowledge-rich approach, there is a strong emphasis on people and the community of our local area. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) follows the ‘Development Matters in the EYFS’ guidance which aims for all children in Foundation Stage to have an ‘Understanding of the World; people and communities, the world and technology’ by the end of the academic year.

Impact

The children’s work in both their topic and English books show evidence of a broad and balanced history curriculum and demonstrates their acquisition of the key knowledge and skills required. Through their studies, pupils learn to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. At the end of each topic children are encouraged to reflect upon their learning and what they have enjoyed as well as what they might like to do differently next time. Children are also asked what they have learned comparative to their starting points at the end of every topic. The children will create a mind map at the beginning of each topic to show what they already know. This will be added to (in a different colour) through the term as a clear demonstration of what the children have learned.

As children progress through the school an emphasis is placed on analytical thinking and questioning which helps pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. The children will be assessed throughout the topic by means of live marking in lessons where appropriate as well as summative assessment against the national curriculum objectives. This information is then analysed by the subject leader who will suggest alterations where appropriate to ensure all children are achieving their full potential.

Geography

Intent

At Derry Hill Primary School we believe that Geography helps to generate and provide answers to questions about the natural and human aspects of the world in which we live. We strive to provide a creative learning environment through exciting classroom/school displays and engaging in topical discussions across the curriculum.

Our intent is for the children in our school to develop a greater understanding and knowledge of the world, as well as their place within it. The topic based curriculum at Derry Hill enables children to develop knowledge and skills that are transferrable across all subjects and which can promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Due to the investigative nature of Geography it helps to develop the children’s understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills.

We aim to inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people which will remain with them for the rest of their lives; to promote the children’s interest and understanding of diverse places, people and resources and the deepen their understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.

Geography topics are designed across the curriculum to ensure that knowledge and skills are developed as the children move through the school and that these are progressive and transferrable as they move through their primary education and beyond.

Implementation

At Derry Hill we have a topic based curriculum which allows geography to be taught in blocks in particular terms. This helps the children to be able to achieve depth in their learning and allows children to really explore the topic in many ways across many curriculum subjects. Teachers have worked collaboratively to look the key knowledge and skills covered in each topic to ensure progression throughout each year group across the school.

At the beginning of each topic, children are given a knowledge organiser which shows the key learning that will be covered throughout the term. Consideration is given to how greater depth will be taught, learnt and demonstrated within each lesson, as well as how all learners will be supported to access the learning.

Our curriculum is carefully planned to include strong links between geography and other subjects taught, particularly English. We also make full use of the local area to cover to help cover the national curriculum objectives in foundation stage and key stages 1 & 2. We believe this helps to engage the children in their topic, giving their learning a real life basis on which to expand.

Impact

The children’s work in both their topic and English books show evidence of a broad and balanced geography curriculum and demonstrates their acquisition of the key knowledge and skills required. At the end of each topic children are encouraged to reflect upon their learning and what they have enjoyed as well as what they might like to do differently next time. The children will also create a mind map at the beginning of each topic to show what they already know. This will be added to (in a different colour) through the term as a clear demonstration of what the children have learnt throughout the topic.

As children progress through the school they develop a deep knowledge, understanding and appreciation of their local area and its place within the wider geographical context. The children will be assessed throughout the topic by means of live marking in lessons where appropriate as well as summative assessment against the national curriculum objectives. This information is then analysed but the subject leader who will suggest alterations where appropriate to ensure all children are achieving their full potential.