Humanities (History, Geography and RE)
East Hanningfield C of E Primary School
How do we teach history?
History Intent:
Throughout our history curriculum we aim to inspire a passion for learning about the past in Britain and the wider world. We encourage children to be curious to know more about the past and to have the skills required to explore their own interests. History lessons focus on working as historians and developing historical skills and there are many opportunities for the curriculum to be enriched through historical visits, visitors and events held in school. Children will leave East Hanningfield with a knowledge and understanding of historical events locally, nationally and internationally and how they have impacted on our lives today. They will develop perceptive questioning skills that enable them to use and evaluate historical evidence as a source of information and think critically.
Special Educational Needs Disability (SEND) / Pupil Premium / Higher Attainers
All children will have Quality First Teaching. Any children with identified SEND or in receipt of pupil premium funding may have work additional to and different from their peers in order to access the curriculum dependent upon their needs. As well as this, our school offers a demanding and varied curriculum, providing children with a range of opportunities in order for them to reach their full potential and consistently achieve highly from their starting points.
Implementation:
To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in history, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. History is taught as part of a termly topic, focusing on knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum. At East Hanningfield C of E, we ensure that history has the same importance given to it as the core subjects, as we feel this is important in enabling all children to gain ‘real-life’ experiences.
The history curriculum at East Hanningfield C of E Primary School is based upon the 2014 Primary National Curriculum in England, which provides a broad framework and outlines the knowledge and skills and taught in each Key Stage.
When teaching history, the teachers should follow the children’s interests to ensure their learning is engaging, broad and balanced. History teaching focuses on enabling children to think as critically. A variety of teaching approaches are used based on the teacher’s judgement.
Educational visits are another opportunity for the teachers to plan for additional history learning outside the classroom. At East Hanningfield C of E Primary School, the children have had many opportunities to experience history on educational visits. The children have explored local museums and had visitors into school to share history learning and have hands on experiences.
Impact:
Within history, we strive to create a supportive and collaborative ethos for learning by providing investigative enquiry based learning opportunities. Emphasis is placed on investigative learning opportunities to help children gain a coherent knowledge of understanding of each unit of work covered throughout the school.
Our history curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. We focus on progression of knowledge and skills and discreet vocabulary progression also form part of the units of work.
We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:
- Assessing children’s understanding of topic linked vocabulary before and after the unit is taught.
- Summative assessment of pupil discussions about their learning.
- Images and videos of the children’s practical learning.
- Interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice).
- Moderation staff meetings where pupil’s books are scrutinised and there is the opportunity for a dialogue between teachers to understand their class’s work.
- Annual reporting of standards across the curriculum.
- Marking of written work in books.
East Hanningfield C of E Primary School
How do we teach Geography?
Geography Intent:
Our Geography curriculum aims for children to understand and appreciate the wider world and the different communities living within it with curiosity, fascination and respect for our diverse planet and its natural and human environment. We aim for children to develop an understanding of the challenges that our world faces. Children will leave East Hanningfield having acquired the skills and knowledge to allow them to become the future Geographers of tomorrow.
Implementation:
To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in geography, we implement a curriculum that is progressive and coherent through the whole school. Geography is taught as part of the termly topics in Year B and by revisiting learnt skills and knowledge in Year A. At East Hanningfield C of E Primary School, we ensure that geography has the same importance given to it as the core subjects, as we feel this is important in enabling all children to gain ‘real-life’ experiences. Our children are enthusiastic and inspired by geography as a subject and are developing their understanding of social issues around geography and what these mean for their world in the future.
The geography curriculum at East Hanningfield C of E Primary School is based upon the 2014 Primary National Curriculum in England, which provides a broad framework and outlines the specific knowledge and skills and taught in each Key Stage for challenge and progression. When teaching geography, the teachers should follow the children’s interests to ensure their learning is engaging, broad and balanced.
Geography teaching focuses on enabling children to think as geographers. A variety of teaching approaches are used based on the teacher’s judgement. Geography provides excellent opportunities to enhance the learning of more able pupils through the investigations, analysing sources and writing extending pieces.
At East Hanningfield C of E Primary School we provide a variety of opportunities for geography learning inside and outside the classroom. KS1 takes part in weekly outdoor learning sessions or forest school sessions. Educational visits are another opportunity for the teachers to plan for additional geography learning outside the classroom. At East Hanningfield C of E Primary School, the children have had many opportunities to experience geography on educational day visits and residential trips.
Impact:
Within geography, we strive to create a supportive and collaborative ethos for learning by providing investigative and enquiry based learning opportunities. Emphasis is placed on investigative learning opportunities to help children gain a coherent knowledge of understanding of each unit of work covered throughout the school.
Our geography curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. We focus on progression of knowledge and skills and discreet vocabulary progression also form part of the units of work. Children will deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes and how this affects landscapes and environments.
We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:
- Assessing children’s understanding of topic linked vocabulary before and after the unit is taught.
- Summative assessment of pupil discussions about their learning.
- Images and videos of the children’s practical learning.
- Interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice).
- Moderation staff meetings where pupil’s books are scrutinised and there is the opportunity for a dialogue between teachers to understand their class’s work.
- Annual reporting of standards across the curriculum.
- Marking of written work in books.
External measures are also used to measure the impact of our geography curriculum.
As a school we follow The Essex Sacre Essex Agreed Syllabus for RE
Being a Church of England school, the curriculum is taught with a Christian ethos and direction. Children take part in daily worship activities and have a collective worship assembly each morning. Children are encouraged and adults model our Key Christian Values in action daily. Being a Church of England school, the curriculum is taught with a Christian ethos and direction.
Our RE curriculum is designed to reflect our community, with a main focus on religions which are close to our community, such as Christianity, as well as offering lots of opportunity for in-depth learning about other religious communities across Britain and the world. We believe this diverse offer develops the whole child, underpinned by our school vision and values of compassion, community and responsibility. Through our vision and values, we aim to support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development so children are socially aware and respectful of all faiths and are prepared to be compassionate members of our local and worldwide community as they take the next step in their lives.