History

The history curriculum at Corpus Christi is designed to match, fulfil and exceed the aims of the broader National Curriculum whilst also allowing for teachers to reflect their individual expertise. It is our belief that the KS3 curriculum should be structured chronologically and be interleaved with reoccurring themes that allow pupils to build upon and apply prior learning in order to progress in their studies. The curriculum will enthuse and inspire pupils of all abilities and backgrounds particularly as we continue the development of the curriculum to reflect a greater range of histories. A thread a black history begins in year 7 with the enquiry into the Ivory Bangle Lady and this thread can be found to continue throughout the KS3 curriculum. In short, this should be a curriculum in which every pupil can find their place.

All pupils will become proficient in using second order concepts in their study of history, becoming skilled in explaining causation, identifying change and continuity, constructing narratives and reaching judgements. With teaching adapted to provide the support necessary for every pupil regardless of ability or background. In addition to this they will have used a wide range of historical source material with skills of analysis being developed throughout the key stage to enable pupils to reach supported and considered judgements using a range of historical evidence. The key stage 3 scheme of work will embed a wide range of substantive concepts that all pupils will be able to apply to their studies throughout KS3 and beyond. These concepts will enable pupils to make meaning of the wider world around them both during their time in school and in the adult world. Our curriculum is a constantly evolving process that will adapt and change as new scholarship emerges and will always reflect themes that become pertinent to our pupils. 

At the centre of history teaching is the extensive subject knowledge of the individual teacher. This is an area that must constantly be developed, improved and shared through departmental development and wider CPD. However, as a caveat to this, all teachers are aware of the negative impact created by cognitive overload. There is always a balance between delivering the content to the pupils whilst also allowing knowledge to be practised and retained in the long-term memory. New content will always be introduced in small steps whilst regularly revisiting previous content.

Aims

The national curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils:

• know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological
  narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped
  this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
• know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of
  ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features
  of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind
• gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’
• understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses
• understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed
• gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

Local History at Key Stage 3

At Corpus Christi we believe that pupils should be exposed to examples of local history throughout the curriculum and not as a discrete unit. At times, the local perspective will be used as a window to the wider history of world whereas, at other times we will come from a national or wider world perspective and return to the local area.

In year 7, pupils will gain an understanding of the local area following the Norman Conquest and the establishment of Fulwood as a Royal Forest and local references in the Domesday Book. Later enquiries in year 7 will refer to the Catholic opposition to the Reformation with opportunities to consider the role of Lancashire Martyrs.

During year 8 pupils will, again, consider the local perspective when studying the English Civil Wars and the 1648 battle of Preston before citing the example of the Pendle witches when explaining the 17^th century witch craze. Our study of the Transatlantic Slave Trade will also introduce pupils to source material that reveals slave trading voyages left from both Preston and Poulton. This allows pupils to make meaning of the topic much closer to home. The wider connection of the North West with slavery is enhanced with a visit to Liverpool in the summer. Finally, having studied the changing face of Britain during the industrial revolution, pupils will use images and source material that allows them to assess the extent of change on Preston and the local area.

As pupils move into year 9 and study the 20^th Century, they will have the opportunity to consider the experiences of men from Preston who enlisted as “Pals” in the First World War before analysing the impact of war on the town and, in particular, the experience of women in the Dick Kerr factory. Following this enquiry, pupils will study the suffrage movement and this will include detailed of analysis of the role of Edith Rigby, Preston’s very own Suffragette.

“A high-quality history education 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. 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, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.”

National Curriculum.