At Bush Hill Park Primary, we endeavour to create and develop a knowledge rich and vocabulary heavy History curriculum that provides children with a variety of experiences, skills and knowledge in order to encourage future aspirations. We desire to create opportunities within the curriculum to nurture the whole child, specifically through incorporating problem solving, creativity, knowledge and resilience in order to best prepare children for a turbulent world.
The History curriculum at Bush Hill Park 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.
Topics are informed by the national curriculum and in line with the Haringey Education Partnership’s curriculum and are sensitive to children’s interests, as well as the context of the local area. The history curriculum 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. In line with the national curriculum 2014, the curriculum at Bush Hill Park aims to ensure that all pupils: Gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world which helps to stimulate pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past; Are encouraged to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement; Begin to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.
We hope to develop the effectiveness of teaching and learning of History by supporting teachers and leaders to have autonomy over their planning and delivery and ensure they are working towards the national curriculum objectives through knowledge heavy material. We are currently in the process of rolling out the Haringey Education Partnership’s foundation curriculum that covers History and builds securely on the knowledge and vocabulary required of this subject. This is a phased approach and so in year groups where this is not yet rolled out, teachers plan topics around the Cornerstones curriculum themes, planning in the secure knowledge and vocabulary themselves and using many of the HEP principles; all teachers have been trained to plan according to these principles.
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.
History Knowledge Progression in the National Curriculum.pdf
