History and Geography
"History is vital to a rich and broad primary education. It helps pupils to make sense of the present as well as the past, and to appreciate the complexity and diversity of human societies and development. "
History in Outstanding Primary School - Tim Jenner HMI
History Policy 2024-2025
Intent:
At St Edward’s Catholic Primary School, we aim to deliver a high quality history curriculum that enables children to know more, remember more and understand more.
We aim for all children to:
-develop a chronological understanding of British and world history.
-be curious about the past in Britain and in the wider world.
-foster a sense of identity and an increased understanding of their position in the community and the world.
-engage with history in a meaningful way, expressing creativity through various mediums, including drama, art and digital technologies.
-foster an appreciation for their own and other people's cultures in modern multi-cultural Britain by studying the history of different societies and cultures, promoting inclusivity and respect.
Our curriculum is structured in a way that allows for children to make links between current and previous learning. Previous skills and knowledge are returned to and built upon. We place emphasis on chronology to enable children to see the ‘bigger picture’. We also link our learning to the experiences of our own children, and our local history here in Runcorn.
By considering how people lived in the past, we believe they are better able to make their own life choices today.
Implementation
Teachers use the Year A and Year B long term plans to make comparisons between historical periods previously taught, developing children’s chronological knowledge and understanding from the Stone Age to the present day.
We strive to offer all pupils:
Structured progression
Our curriculum is designed to build on prior knowledge systematically, ensuring that concepts are revisited and deepened as pupils advance through the key stages.
Engaging learning activities
We use a variety of teaching strategies to make history interactive and engaging, such as themed days, site visits to local historical sites and use of primary and secondary sources to develop critical thinking.
Cross curricular links (where relevant)
History is taught as a discipline in its own right, however sometimes the learning naturally connects with other subjects, such as English, Art, and Geography. This can enhance understanding and appreciation of History and its relevance across the curriculum.
Assessment and feedback
We employ formative assessment strategies, allowing for ongoing evaluation of pupil understanding through discussions, reflections, and presentations. This informs future planning and ensures that teaching is responsive to the needs of learners.
Community engagement
Where possible, we use our local community to enhance History at St Edwards. We have worked closely with Runcorn Historical Society to celebrate and learn more about the history of our local area. We want to create an enriching learning environment that extends beyond the classroom.
Impact
The impact of our history programme is assessed through half-termly assessments, using iTrack. It is evidenced by the knowledge and skills our pupils demonstrate in their work, and how well pupils can articulate what they have learned. Our children are enthusiastic about history and their inquisitiveness and curiosity fuels their desire to learn about the past. We hope that our history curriculum instils in pupils a lifelong love of learning.
How much do you like History at school?
“It’s 10/10 because it’s interesting and fun.” (Y5 pupil, Autumn 2024)
“A high quality geography education should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.”
DfE (2013)
Geography
Intent
At St Edwards Catholic Primary School, we aim to ignite a passion for geography and foster an understanding of the world in which we live. Our curriculum is designed to ensure that all students, irrespective of their backgrounds, acquire knowledge, skills, and experiences that will enable them to become informed, responsible citizens of the world.
We aim for our children to develop:
-Knowledge and understanding of places around the world, including knowledge of other cultures in order to gain an understanding and respect of what it means to be a citizen in a multi-cultural world.
-Geographical skills, including how to use, draw and interpret maps and to name and locate the world’s countries, continents and oceans.
-Environmental awareness, especially in relation to environmental changes and issues such as climate change, pollution, and conservation.
The National curriculum organises the Geography attainment targets under four subheadings: Locational knowledge; Place knowledge; Human and physical geography and Geographical skills and fieldwork. Through the Kapow Geography scheme we have adopted, we can clearly identify the progression of the skills and knowledge across each of these four areas.
Implementation
The implementation of our Geography curriculum is designed to be engaging, and effective in meeting the needs of our learners.
Curriculum design
We use Kapow; a progressive curriculum that builds skills and knowledge from Early Years through to Key Stage 2. Curriculum Design: Our scheme of work ensures a balanced coverage of both physical and human geography, incorporating essential themes such as climate change, migration, urbanisation, and cultural diversity.
Fieldwork Opportunities
We believe that experiential learning is paramount in Geography. Our curriculum includes regular field trips and outdoor learning experiences, enabling students to apply their skills in real-world contexts, for instance, visiting local parks, rivers, and historical sites.
Technology
We utilise online mapping resources to enhance learning. Students are encouraged to research and present geographical information using technology, promoting digital literacy alongside their geographical skills.
Assessment and Feedback
Continuous assessment is woven into our teaching practices through formative assessments, observations, and student reflections. We live mark and provide tailored feedback to help students understand their progress and set goals for improvement. We also strive to extend our more able learners through assessment and feedback.
Impact
The impact of our Geography curriculum is assessed half-termly. It is evidenced by the confidence and enthusiasm of our children as they engage with the subject, alongside their understanding of geographical concepts shown in their work. Children are enthusiastic about geography and are curious to learn about the world around them. Our pupils demonstrate a strong awareness of local and global issues, including environmental sustainability and cultural diversity, resulting in a community of informed, responsible citizens.
History & Geography at St Edward's
We teach History and Geography in a two year cycle, using topics from Kapow. Each class will have a History or Geography topic each half-term, covering 3 History topics and 3 Geography topics each academic year.
We are lucky to be surrounded by many historical and geographical features here in Runcorn. As a school, fieldwork is an important part of our curriculum and we utilise our surroundings and local area to enhance our children's learning and understanding.
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