Humanities
History
Impact
Our aim at Tubbenden Primary school is to encourage our children to develop an appreciation and understanding of history and how it has shaped our world today. Our curriculum key drivers – curiosity, creativity, and wider learning - are at the forefront of our planning and implementation. We want our children to become historians who are engaged, motivated and curious learners that can reflect on the past and make meaningful links with the present day. Our aim is to deliver a history curriculum that covers the required subject knowledge, skills and understanding as set out in the National Curriculum. Our intent is to intrigue and interest our children in history, whilst also meeting the needs of all backgrounds, cultures and abilities. Our topics aim to ensure that our children gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s history, their locality and the history of the wider world. We visit recurring themes such as settlement, migration and religion; this knowledge will enable our children to engage in debate about what is happening today and use the past to inform their opinions. Through the topics we teach, the children will develop an understanding of how we know about the past through examining primary and secondary sources and learning to consider their utility and reliability.
Implementation
Our curriculum is taught in blocks throughout the year, so that children achieve depth in their learning. These blocks are designed to enable pupils to acquire a rich web of knowledge as our sequencing and selection of units builds on previous topics and feeds forward to future learning. In Reception, we follow the ‘New EYFS Framework’ and humanities is covered in ‘Understanding of the World’. The learning goals are – Past and Present, People, Culture and Communities and The Natural World. In Key Stage 1, the focus is on the world around them and their living memory before moving to events that go beyond living history. In Key Stage 2, the curriculum is set out in chronological order with timelines being used to locate the period, person or event and to consider it in relation to other periods studied and the present day. Before a topic commences, teachers identify the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary to be taught and due consideration is given to ensure there is progression throughout the year. Teachers create an engaging title page for the children’s books which includes: a key enquiry question, a short synopsis of the topic and the key vocabulary, places, events and people to be covered. The title page also includes the skills the children will be learning. All learning starts by revisiting prior knowledge and vocabulary. This is scaffolded to support children to recall previous learning and make connections. The key question for each topic is introduced in the first lesson and revisited throughout to develop the use of historical enquiry, as well as focus on the acquisition of key subject knowledge, concepts and vocabulary. Lessons include a breadth of teaching approaches appropriate to the content and desired learning outcomes. This enables all pupils to not just acquire knowledge, but to apply it in meaningful contexts. Discussion is built into each lesson in order to check pupils’ learning systematically, identify misconceptions and provide immediate feedback. Questions and tasks are planned to consolidate, stretch and challenge the children and support is given where necessary. Primary and secondary sources including written documents, images of artefacts, artist impressions etc. are used alongside artefacts for the children to examine. Class displays provide constant scaffolding for children by displaying key vocabulary, timelines, questions, pictures and model exemplars of the work being taught. The children are, where possible, given a variety of experiences to promote wider learning through workshops and trips. Towards the end of each unit of learning, teachers create an assessment quiz based on all of the key learning outlined in the children’s title page. This, alongside regular verbal and written feedback, is used to inform teachers for future planning.
Impact
Through this high quality first teaching of history, we will see the impact of the subject in various ways. Children will have developed enquiry skills that will enable them to pursue their own interests and become critical and analytical thinkers. Their learning in class will also allow them to successfully complete research independently during their homework projects. They will have an increasing awareness of how history has shaped our world and an interest in knowing more about the past in addition to appreciating the complexity and diversity of human societies and development. Through pupil voice, our children will be able to talk about the skills and knowledge they have acquired and assessments and monitoring will show that our standards in history are high and match standards in core subjects.
Geography
Intent
At Tubbenden, we believe that all children should feel excited and passionate about Geography, as well as having a firm understanding of the core concepts. Firstly, they need to understand location in local, national and global contexts. Within our curriculum, we focus on building the children’s understanding of this throughout their time here, ensuring new learning each year as well as building on learning from previous years. Geography is often about exploration, so they should explore physical geographical processes, as well as human actions and characteristics, not only through the information they are given but also by combining their learning with subjects such as History, Art and DT. Over time, children are able to explain how these processes change the world around us. This is achieved at Tubbenden with a carefully planned curriculum that balances the physical side of Geography with the human one. The children have access to a range of sources in order to investigate and interpret geographical information for themselves. This could be through use of atlases, computing technology, or fieldwork. This therefore allows them to deepen their own understanding through context, discovery and discussion.
Implementation
The Geography curriculum in Tubbenden has been planned to incorporate all of the elements of our intent. Geography topics complement each other without being repetitive. Using these as building blocks, exciting lessons have been developed that give children the knowledge and understanding they need to move forward with this subject. Each Geography topic starts off with a title page, containing information about the topic and any key vocabulary or key people or places the children will be learning about. This is an essential part of our Geography work, as it sparks interest with the children as well as preparing them for some of their new learning. Throughout lessons the children may use maps, atlases and computing technology to support their understanding and to practise skills in using these resources. Lessons may overlap with other subject areas, such as when volcanoes are built to support their understanding of how it erupts. Children complete three Geography topics a year, one a term. Within the lessons, children learn how to identify key skills and knowledge they have developed specifically related to Geography, as well as seeing how it can support them within other subjects. At the end of each unit of work the children complete a small assessment to evidence the knowledge they have gained. This is particularly useful in reminding the children of all they have learnt over the half term and supports their working memory.
Impact
When children leave Tubbenden we expect them to have a thorough base of understanding across a range of Geography topics. This includes understanding where countries, cities, towns, rivers mountains, oceans and continents are in the World, and the map and atlas skills to support this. The children will also have knowledge of peoples’ lives in different countries or areas, how the World has changed geographically over time, how certain natural disasters occur and how we can care for our planet to maintain its wonderful features. Most of all however, the children will move on from Tubbenden with a passion for learning within Geography and a desire to continue their journey.