Humanities at Holy Innocents'

Humanities, including history and geography, should inspire pupil’s curiosity of the world and fascination about the world. Having a high quality historical knowledge will help pupils gain a coherent understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Humanities teaching at our school is engaging for children and teaches them key life skills to equip them for later life.  

Children are given opportunities for out of classroom learning including fieldwork on school trips linked to their humanities topics. We have conducted trips to St Paul's Cathedral, RAF Chapel and High Elms Country Park. Every year, the Year 6 class undertake a week long residential to Wick Court Farm in Gloucestershire.

History 

Intent

History will be taught as an interactive subject which strives to ignite a child’s natural curiosity.

Teaching will bring learning to life, encouraging children to discover the past and understand how it connects with the lives we lead today.

Children will be encouraged to become inquisitive Historians by asking and answering questions about past lives and societies through handling and analysing a wide range of historical evidence.

In History, children will develop the skills to make links and connections, engage and respond, analyse and evaluate using sources of evidence. By understanding the lives of those of the past, children will gain a better understanding of their own identity.

Children will develop a sense of chronology in relation to Britain’s past and that of the wider world.

The individual talents and abilities of pupils will be promoted to ensure that each child fulfils their full potential.

Implementation

‘Hook days’ will happen at the beginning of a new topic to get the children excited and interested in the topic.

History will be taught through investigation and enquiry. Children will develop an understanding of how History has had an impact on our lives today both locally, nationally and internationally.

Children will be encouraged to be independent and critical thinkers, fostering an understanding of ‘why’ as well as ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘when’ and ‘where’.

The curriculum provides a rich variety of topics that cover The Stone Age to World War II and Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece.

Children are assessed at the end of each unit in a quiz format. These quizzes assess both knowledge and skills.

The key historical skills (set out in the National curriculum) underpin the planning, teaching and learning of History at Holy Innocents’. Key skills which we aim for the pupils to develop are; analysing and debating the reliability of sources, making comparisons between historical periods, devising historically valid questions, drawing conclusions from sources and making links between events. By focusing on these skills we aim for the pupils at Holy Innocents' to become inquisitive, enquiring and informed Historians.

Each unit being planned includes opportunities for children to investigate, handle artefacts, pictorial evidence, watch historical footage, take part in role play activities, visit relevant sites and museums and where appropriate, experience oral history, engaging with historical characters and ways of life.

Lessons will be planned so that there is time for discussion and debate, fostering an environment of enquiry which enables children to revise and justify their opinions as well as encouraging children to ask as well as answer questions about history.

Children will also be taught historical facts and be encouraged to gain a factual base of historical knowledge, they will be encouraged to remember for example key dates and events in British and World History and the names and impacts of important historical figures.

Cross curricular links, particularly with Geography, Art and English will be evident. Children will consolidate writing skills and reapply them in an alternative and more independent context, this type of activity may, for example, allow the children to put themselves in the shoes of the historical characters they are learning about and approach their learning from a different perspective.

Learning will extend beyond the classroom, with children being given challenging homework projects linked to their chosen unit of work and the opportunity for children to present their learning in History in Key Stage assemblies. Visits within History will enrich the lives of the children and they are able to discuss how the experience impacted their knowledge and understanding.

Children will gain a good understanding of historical terms and be able to use these both orally and in their written work.

The learning taking place in each class in History will be evident though engaging and interactive classroom displays, and time lines will be on display in each class throughout the year and will be refereed to during each unit of work taught.

Impact

Children are enthused about their History learning and are keen to extend this learning beyond the classroom.

Children experience a wide-ranging number of learning challenges and develop the skills to be independent and critical thinkers.

By the end of their primary education, children will have a chronological understanding of British History from the Stone Age to present day, as well as having explored the ancient civilisations.

Children will be able to draw comparisons and make connections between different time periods and their own lives.

Children of all abilities and backgrounds achieve well in History. Children talk enthusiastically about their learning in History and are eager to further their learning in the next stages of their education.

There is a proven track record of success in History that reflects the impact of deep learning. Children’s progress of learning will be evident in their books with reference to some questions they have asked and insightful comments they have made.

Fundamental British Values are evident in History and children understand how History can celebrate difference.

Geography

Intent

Teaching and learning will strive to enable the children at Holy Innocents' to become lifelong geographers who have the skills and attitudes to continue to appreciate the world around them.

Thorough the Geography Curriculum, children will learn about the Earth’s key physical and human processes whilst deepening their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes and how this affects landscapes and environments.

Whilst teaching the Geography curriculum, strong links will be made to the Environment and the challenges we face protecting it in this modern age (globalisation and sustainability).

Geography learning will not just take place in the classroom. Outdoor, practical geography activities will focus on children gaining a sound understanding of the key human and physical features of their local environment whilst employing their developing fieldwork skills.

Teaching will foster children’s natural curiosity about the world, and inspire curiosity and fascination about the world’s people, places, resources and environments.

Through their learning in Geography, children will be aware of their roles and responsibilities as Global Citizens.

The individual talents and abilities of pupils will be promoted to ensure that each child fulfils their full potential.

Implementation

From Early Years, teaching will focus on children gaining an understanding of where they live on a local, national and global level and to understand that they are British but also Global Citizens.

Geography will be taught through investigation and enquiry, with children developing an understanding of how Geography impacts our lives today both locally, nationally and internationally

Geography across the school is taught through a rich range of units which incorporate both Human and Physical Geography, in addition the development of key geographical skills. Links will be made between outdoor fieldwork skills and tasks in class and the different areas of Geography.

Children are assessed at the end of each unit in a quiz format. These quizzes assess both knowledge and skills.

Each year group will undertake field trips in our local community so that they can put their geographical skills into practice whilst becoming more familiar with their local environment.

Each Geography unit taught incorporates many cross curricular links with Maths, Literacy, History, Art, Computing, Spanish and Design Technology. Computing will be used as much as possible in order to enhance Geographical skills for example with the use of google Earth, Google 3d and Digimaps.

To link with our language learning, we have an International Day to celebrate the diverse cultures across the globe and learn more about what it is like to live in each place.

Children will gain a good understanding of geographical terms and be able to use these both orally and in their written work.

The learning taking place in each class in Geography will be evident through engaging and interactive classroom displays. A focus on maps being displayed throughout the school, will enable children to develop their map reading skills.

Impact

Children are enthused about their Geography learning and are keen to extend this learning beyond the classroom.

Children experience a wide-ranging number of learning challenges and develop the skills to be independent and critical thinkers.

By the end of their primary education, children will be equipped with knowledge about diverse places, people and environments and be competent in the geographical skills needed to analyse, interpret and communicate geographical information.

Children will understand that they are Global Citizens and have a desire to protect the environment in which they live and take action to do so.

Children of all abilities and backgrounds achieve well in Geography. Children talk enthusiastically about their learning in Geography and are eager to further their learning in the next stages of their education.

There is a proven track record of success in Geography that reflects the impact of deep learning. Children’s progress of learning will be evident in their books and include children’s fieldwork throughout the year.

Fundamental British Values are evident in Geography and children understand how Geography can celebrate difference.