History is the world’s memory. It is the series of lessons which we as a civilization have collected in order to progress as a society. Our students explore both the lessons of the modern world and journey through a thousand years of this country’s history in order to see how change, continuity, conflict and peace shape our world.

Through the study of History our students become individuals who not only appreciate how a society’s past does affect the present and future, but also consumers and creators of the powerful knowledge History generates using it to inform their understanding of Britain’s impact on and place in the world. History empowers our students to understand and make sense of their own lives and to find their place within today’s modern, multicultural society.

The reason we teach history is not so that pupils can use it for making something else, or to change or preserve a particular form of society, or even to expand the economy. The reason we teach history is not that it changes society, but that it changes pupils; it changes what they can see in the world, and how they see it regardless of gender, race, religion, ethnicity, socio-economic background or sexual orientation.

We want pupils to realise that the past is gone and that history is constructed and continually contested and challenged. Students become not only passionate about learning with us, but experts in making informed decisions when opportunities arise in their own lives and within communities.

We build the cultural capital of our students through everything we teach as history and culture are intrinsically linked. We are constantly improving students’ understanding of wider culture through exposure to politics, art, religion and language within the history we teach. This will help our students to develop a strong appreciation of the significance of History to their own lives and the world around them on a personal, national and also international level.

The key to curriculum coherence is consistency at all stages of planning and implementation which is achieved through expert subject and pedagogical knowledge that incorporates;

• Mastery of core, gateway and hinterland knowledge that are rooted in the latest educational research behind the acquisition of knowledge including modelling and the use of the ‘I do, We Do, You Do’ model of class, guided and deliberate practice.
• Curriculum planning and lesson materials are informed by scholarly work with each scheme of learning including at least one piece of work from a historian.
• Declarative and Procedural knowledge are at the heart of every scheme of learning in History with a relentless focus on the what we want the students to learn and what we would like them to do with that information. Key concepts and knowledge are interwoven and revisited throughout the Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 curriculum to reinforce student knowledge, support them with the building of schema and deepening their understanding of the topics and themes studied to enable them to develop and demonstrate mastery of these concepts and themes.
• The transition from novice to mastery is supported by educational research based strategies of retrieval practice, interleaving, spaced practice, metacognition and elaboration.
• Checking for understanding is planned and integrated into lessons and schemes of work through the use of effective questioning, including the use of ‘pit-stops’ and modelling which aim to anticipate and tackle misconceptions in the learning process.

Students in History will develop a passion for History and an enthusiastic engagement in learning which develops their sense of curiosity about the past and their understanding of how and why people interpret the past in different ways.

Students will be able to identify significant events, make connections, draw contrasts and analyse trends within periods and over long arcs of time. They will be able to pursue historically valid enquiries including some they have framed for themselves and created relevant, structured and evidentially supported accounts in response.

Furthermore, they will be able to demonstrate a secure knowledge and understanding of people, events and contexts of history in addition to being able to think critically about history and develop their ability to consistently support, evaluate and challenge their own and other’s views using detailed, appropriate and accurate evidence from a range of sources and historians.