Our History Curriculum - 2022-23
History Intent - 2022-23
Ogbourne St George C of E primary school acknowledges the value History has in connecting various subjects and cultures; as well as allowing our children to understand their place in the world.
We aim to offer a high-quality history education that will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past locally and internationally.
Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups.
It also helps children gain a sense of cultural capital for their own understanding of identity across social, political, and economic backgrounds. Because of this, we feel it is important for the subject to be taught discretely as well as incorporated within other curriculum subjects such as English and Art.
History Implementation - 2022-23
At Ogbourne, we utilise a knowledge-focused curriculum which allows our teacher subject knowledge to be conveyed to allow pupil engagement through the use of knowledge organisers which thematically organise the essential knowledge to be taught. When our pupils are equipped with the concepts and vocabulary required for the topic, they can really start to assess their own understanding of an historical topic and this informs.
These knowledge organisers are sent home and parents and carers are encouraged to discuss the concepts and vocabulary with their children. The knowledge organisers then become a point of reference for the children in their learning to help them engage and assess their own progress.
All humanities subjects centre around a ‘key question or objective,’ which threads through the learning and guides the lesson progression, giving purpose to history learning for our students as it is addressed throughout and encouraged discussion whilst addressing prior knowledge and misconceptions
Through key texts, which thread into history, geography and writing lessons, literary texts hold a centrality to the children’s learning, increasing their exposure to subject specific concepts and vocabulary in a variety of contexts.
Children are assessed on their ability to communicate a response to their key question by the end of the topic. Which is referenced throughout with use of organisers and lesson objectives This means of assessment is planned by the teacher and relevant to the year group ranging from information texts to exercises that answer the key question. This allows for teachers to assess the students’ depth of knowledge and ability to answer the key question by the end of a history topic.
History Impact - 2022-23
Outcomes in topic and literacy books, evidence a broad and balanced history curriculum and demonstrate the children’s acquisition of identified key knowledge. Children review the agreed successes at the end of every session and are actively encouraged to identify their own target areas, with support from their teachers.
Emphasis is placed on analytical thinking and questioning which helps pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world and are curious to know more about the past. Through this study, pupils learn to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. School trips around the local area and to national museums provide further relevant and contextual learning.
Impact can also be measured every lesson through key questioning skills built into lessons and child-led assessment such as success criteria aimed at targeting next steps in learning.
At Ogbourne, we want to ensure that history is loved by teachers and pupils across school, therefore encouraging them to want to continue building on this wealth of historical knowledge and understanding, now and in the future.
Our Geography Curriculum - 2022-23
Geography Intent - 2022-23
Ogbourne C of E Primary School aims to ensure high standards of teaching and learning in geography, based on the knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum. We implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. Geography is taught as a combination of focused topics at least once a year as well as regularly interlaced content with other disciplines across the curriculum.
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 and a well-rounded education. At Ogbourne, geography teaches an understanding of places and environments both close to home and in more exotic locations. Children learn about their local area and compare it to other regions in the United Kingdom and in the rest of the world. They develop the skills to draw and interpret maps in addition to those of research, investigation, analysis and problem-solving skills. Through their growing knowledge and understanding of human geography, children gain an appreciation of life in other cultures. Geography teaching also motivates children to find out about the physical world and enables them to recognise the importance of sustainable development for the future of humankind and the planet.
Examples of this include: - using the local area to follow maps in Key Stage 1, comparing the similarities and differences in environments and communities in Lower Key Stage 2, and debating world issues on pollution and sustainability in Upper Key Stage 2.
Our primary goal is to ensure all children at Ogbourne come to see geography as an exciting, relevant subject. The many cross-curricular links ensure pupils are able to see the subject in context to their own lives and the lives of the community around them from the local area to the wider world and as a result allow them to develop their own sense of global citizenship.
Geography Implementation - 2022-23
At Ogbourne, we teach geography in a planned, coherent way which is sequenced logically, ensuring that children learn and remember a rich body of geographical knowledge and acquire progressive geographical skills. Geographical skills are covered in depth throughout a pupil’s time at Loughborough. We provide a range of motivating experiences to engage our learners, including: visiting experts, outdoor learning in and around the school’s grounds, fieldwork trips, class trips and workshops.
In Key Stage 1, the children learn about local and national geography, acquiring basic map reading skills, learning what a city is, weather monitoring and exploring their local environment. Children will begin to compare where they live to places outside of Europe and ask and answer geographical questions.
In Key Stage 2, we expand further to international geography and delve deeper into human and physical geography. Map skills are developed further using digital maps, an increase in keys and symbols and children will also begin to use more fieldwork skills. Children will learn about geographical processes such as how mountains are formed, the journey of a river, the water cycle, erosion and deforestation. Through revisiting and consolidating skills, children build on prior knowledge alongside introducing new skills and challenges. All children expand on their skills in local knowledge, place knowledge, human and physical geography, geographical skills and fieldwork. Across both key stages, children have a range of opportunities to experience geography through practical engaging tasks both within and beyond the classroom. As will all Humanities subjects where topics can be interconnected we do so – this enables us to really engage with a subject and allow a memorable and embedded opportunity for the children to retain and build on previous knowledge in a new context.
Geography Impact - 2022-23
By the end of Yr.6 our learners will have gained a rich body of geographical knowledge and a wide range of transferable skills, which they can apply to other subjects and contexts. We assess regularly in order to build a rounded picture of each child as a geographer, using practical opportunities, quizzes, discussions and presentations. This enables teachers to set appropriate, progressive targets and challenge children in their thinking and learning. All children will use geographical vocabulary and gain a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. Children will begin to make relevant links from geography to other curriculum subjects, such as history and science.
We aspire for children to leave Ogbourne being able to debate and discuss geographical issues and to be able to reflect and form their own opinions on matters such as climate change and natural disasters. We measure our impact based on pupils’ confidence to ask and explore questions to further their own geographical knowledge and understanding. They will be inquisitive young learners and citizens who choose to understand global environmental issues and seek to make a personal difference in protecting and shaping the world we share. Children will realise that they have choices to make in the world, developing a positive commitment to the environment and the future of the planet. In this way, we prepare our learners fully for transition to secondary school and transition into becoming global citizens.