History

Subject Intent

Teachers in the history department want students to develop a love of history: this enthusiasm for exploring the past will be life-long. Furthermore, students’ knowledge and skills promoted within the curriculum will empower success in future learning and employment. They will make better sense of and take a more effective place in the present through their enquiry into the past. However, they will also understand that the past is not fossilized. They will develop skills and confidence in questioning different views about people, events and ideas in the past. They will investigate how and why things happen, and the extent of the changes this has led to. Evidence about the past will be used critically and viewed in context. Students will be aware that their conclusions and judgements may be similar or different to those of their ancestors and future generations, as well as their peers. In addition to learning about what happened in Britain, students will develop an understanding of the experience of other societies in other places.    

The curriculum is organised chronologically with the choice of topics aiming to provide a foundation of knowledge of the content of the GCSE course. It also offers an insight into a diverse world beyond the predominantly white working-class world of Jarrow, whilst also valuing and championing the experiences, aspirations and achievements of the white working-class. It seeks to make links between the past and present; between the local, national and international; between ‘us’ and ‘them’. 

Key Stage 3 History Overview

Year 7

Autumn Term		Spring Term		Summer Term
Half Term 1	Half Term 2	Half Term 3	Half Term 4	Half Term 5	Half Term 6
What is history? What do we know about the people who lived on Hadrian’s Wall? What made the Venerable Bede so significant?	What do we really know about the Vikings in Northern England? How did William win the crown in 1066? Did the Normans bring a ‘truckload of trouble’ to England?	Did the Normans bring a ‘truckload of trouble’ to England? (cont.) What mattered to people in the Middle Ages? King John, an evil king?	What does the life of Mansa Musa reveal about Medieval Mali? How should Genghis Khan be remembered? How well did Medieval Rulers deal with the challenges they faced?	How did the Black Death affect life in England? What caused the Peasants’ Revolt?	How secure was the Tudor dynasty?

 

Year 8

Autumn Term		Spring Term		Summer Term
Half Term 1	Half Term 2	Half Term 3	Half Term 4	Half Term 5	Half Term 6
How did the Civil War turn the world upside down? What was the British Empire? (In Ireland and India)	What belongs in our ‘Museum of the Slave Trade’?	How much changed for people in Industrial Britain?	Why did WWI begin?	How was WWI experienced by troops from across the Empire?	How was the fight for the vote won by women?

 

Year 9

Autumn Term		Spring Term		Summer Term
Half Term 1	Half Term 2	Half Term 3	Half Term 4	Half Term 5	Half Term 6
Did life get better in Russia under the Communists?	How should we remember the Jarrow Crusade?	How did the Nazis rise to power in Germany?	How was WWII fought at home and abroad?	What was the Holocaust? What did resistance against the Holocaust look like?	The Fight for Civil Rights

 

Key Stage 4 Overview

History GCSE OCR B
J411

Year 10

Autumn Term		Spring Term		Summer Term
Half Term 1	Half Term 2	Half Term 3	Half Term 4	Half Term 5	Half Term 6
The Norman Conquest, 1065–1087 Medieval and Early Modern	The Norman Conquest, 1065–1087 continued Industrial and Modern	The People’s Health, c.1250 to present	The People’s Health, c.1250 to present continued	Living Under Nazi Rule

 

Year 11

Autumn Term		Spring Term		Summer Term
Half Term 1	Half Term 2	Half Term 3	Half Term 4	Half Term 5	Half Term 6
History Around Us - Including field work/site visit	History Around Us	Viking Expansion		Revision/Final Exam

 

Additional Curriculum Information

Most Able

The Most Able and Talented register is used to record students who are identified by class teachers as showing the traits of more able learners. This is reviewed periodically. Some approaches used to further develop the knowledge, understanding and skills of the most able and talented students in History is to offer reading materials that provide deeper coverage of topics e.g. Insight Magazine; encouragement to produce written responses that meet the optimum level through greater opportunities for extended writing; targeted and more challenging questioning during lessons.

Teachers in the history department want students to develop a love of history: this enthusiasm for the study of history will be life-long. Furthermore, students’ knowledge and skills (both substantive and disciplinary) promoted within the curriculum will empower success in future learning and employment. They will make better sense of and take a more effective place in the present through their enquiry into the past. However, they will also understand that the past is not fossilized. They will develop skills and confidence in questioning different views about people, events and ideas in the past. They will investigate how and why things happen, and the extent of the changes this may lead to. Evidence about the past will be used critically and viewed in context. Students will be aware that their conclusions and judgements may be similar or different to those of their ancestors and future generations, as well as their peers. In addition to learning about what happened in Britain, students will develop an understanding of the experience of other societies in other places.   

The curriculum is organised chronologically with the choice of topics aiming to provide a foundation of knowledge of the content of the GCSE course. It also offers an insight into a diverse world beyond the predominantly white working-class world of Jarrow, whilst also valuing and championing the experiences, aspirations and achievements of the white working-class. It seeks to make links between the past and present; between the local, national and international; between ‘us’ and ‘them’.

SEND

Access to the History curriculum is inclusive of all students, regardless of ability. The needs of students of all abilities are addressed and met through differentiation by class teachers. Teachers also liaise with support staff to support assist the learning of individual students. Information provided about SEND students is used to gain awareness of individual needs and inform planning and teaching. Seating plans are used to ensure students’ sensory and social needs are met. Scaffolding, chunking and tailored resources are examples of approaches used to support the requirements of SEND students.

Assessment – Impact

Students are regularly assessed on their historical knowledge, understanding and skills during lessons. Low-stakes quizzing and verbal questioning to check for understanding are frequently used. Each half-term one piece of work is used for the purpose of assessment. This will be completed under exam conditions and is a retrieval practice test and/or a piece of extended writing. At Key Stage 3, assessment tasks are differentiated to match the ability of the students and allow all pupils to succeed following the beginning, developing and secure whole school model. At Key Stage 4, assessments are at first supported and modelled, before an expectation of greater independence, enabling pupils to feel confident in their approach to final examinations. Whole-class feedback will identify any common misconceptions and SPaG errors.  Following the completion of assessments, pupils will be given dedicated improvement and reflection time in order to evaluate their strengths and identify areas of weakness where improvements to their work might be made.

Homework

Homework is set half-termly in line with the whole school homework policy. This usually involves preparation for assessments and is supported by appropriate revision materials. All students are encouraged to broaden their knowledge through wider reading and independent research of topics being covered in lessons.

Beyond the curriculum

There is a fortnightly History Club, which is open to all interested students; visits to Hadrian’s Wall and Beamish have taken place in the current school year. It is anticipated that more opportunities will become available for a wider range of students in the future.

Literacy & Subject Specific Vocabulary

Reading takes place in all lessons: teachers read to students; students read aloud to the class; students read together. Key vocabulary is identified and discussed. This includes subject specific and more widely used vocabulary. Spelling is taught through breaking down words and then testing students verbally and through written spelling testing. ‘Word walls’ are used to display key vocabulary for different units of the curriculum and vocabulary lists are shared with students.