History
“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots,” Marcus Garvey.
At LEAP, we try to do just this. Through teaching a core knowledge of history, we aim to inspire children’s creativity, wonder and curiosity to learn more about the past and the world around them. Knowledge is the bedrock of how we teach history at LEAP. The enquiry-based learning process is embedded throughout the history curriculum. Children are encouraged to analyse information by asking questions, thinking critically, evaluating evidence and eventually draw conclusions. Our curriculum develops the children’s awareness of themselves in relation to their community and the part they can play it.
National Curriculum
The National Curriculum provides a structure and skills progression and knowledge for the history curriculum taught throughout the school, which is linked to each unit of work, which reflects a balanced programme of study.
National Curriculum for History
History Curriculum Overview
History is taught in blocks so the children are completely immersed in the topic. Teacher assessment is used to assess what the children know at EYFS level. In KS1, the children complete end of unit quizzes and in KS2 they write essays, answering the enquiry questions. A PDF of Gayhurst's History curriculum overview can be found at the bottom of this page.
Progression of knowledge and skills
History skills are broken into four main sections: enquiry-based learning, chronology, the roles of individuals and historical terms.
From EYFS to KS2, knowledge and vocabulary play a key part in how to teach the children. We aim for our children to have a chronological understanding of events in the past. They use primary and secondary resources to gain an in-depth knowledge of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Throughout units, children are taught how to use a variety of research methods including factual books and the internet. Children are taught how to analyse these sources, interpret the usefulness of them and draw conclusions. They present this information through presentations, role play, displays, drama and pieces of writing.
Fundamental British Values
At LEAP, we actively teach British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith. We ensure these values are taught through the topics such as the Romans, the Vikings, Women of the Past and within out most recent topic, Protests.
Rich, Relevant and Representative: The LEAP Empowerment Curriculum
We are actively seeking to ensure our history curriculum is rich, relevant and representative. This means having a global perspective of our past and acknowledging the contributions of people from a range of ethnic minorities have had, to the development of Britain as a nation, providing an accurate portrayal of history. Our aim is to empower our children to confront and reject the status quo and ensure knowledge production reflects our diverse society. From learning about the Ivory Bangle Lady in Roman Britain, Rosa Parks and Walter Tull in KS1 to the Windrush and Benin in KS2, we are trying to diversify the history we teach.
Cultural Capital
At LEAP, we know that for students to aspire and be successful academically and in the wider areas of their lives, they need to be given rich and sustained opportunities to develop their cultural capital. Within the history curriculum we are constantly looking for opportunities to ensure this, through trips, workshops and inviting members of the public in to speak. See Cultural Capital annual overview PDF below, showing the range of trips and workshops children will participate in. Classes have visited the British Museum, the Hackney Museum, Epping Forest, the Museum of London, St Augustine's Tower to name a few.
Awards
Gayhurst was awarded the Quality Mark for History Gold Award by the Historical Association.
History at Home
Being an ancient city, living in London provides our children with a great opportunity to discover more about the past. As well as many museums, history is everywhere – in buildings, blue plaques and our old city wall! Children can also learn a lot from our own personal stories of the past which allow them to understand that the world changes with each generation. At LEAP we actively encourage children to continue their research at home. Below are some websites you might find useful:
