History curriculum statement:

• 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.
• Promote a sense of independence through an understanding of 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.
• Problem solve by understanding 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.
• To develop communication skills by knowing and understanding of 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.
• Build self-esteem and confidence through gaining 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.
• Incorporate cross-curricular skills by inspiring pupil’s curiosity to know more about the past by using Art, DT and literacy skills to achieve the relevant outcomes.

Textbooks used KS3-

History- Aaron Wilkes-

Invasion, Plague and Murder 1066-1509.

               Renaissance, Revolution and Reformation 1509-1745

               Industry, Invention and Empire

               Technology War and Independence

Primary-

History is incorporated to cross-curricular topics. History and Geography are the main alternating subjects studied. For example; a topic on Italy would be geography based looking at the human and physical features, language, customs and traditions of the country of focus, the History element would be encompassed in a study of the Romans and their impact on Britain. The cross-curricular activities also may include, Music, Art, DT and Modern Foreign Languages.

Primary topic is taught in a 2-year rolling programme.

KEY STAGE 1- Pupils should develop an awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time. They should know where the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods. They should use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms. They should ask and answer questions, choosing and using parts of stories and other sources to show that they know and understand key features of events. They should understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.

 Pupils study: Explorers, Famous people, Great Fire of London, WWI, Changes in Living Memory and Castles and Knights.

KEY STAGE 2- Pupils should continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study. They should note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms. They should regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance. They should construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information. They should understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.

LKS2 – Pupils study the topics of: Tudors and Stuarts in Northants, Ancient Greece and the Olympics, Bygone Beaches, Romans, Saxons, Stone Age & Iron Age and Childhood.

UKS2- Pupils study the topics of: The Maoris of Australia, Ancient Egypt, Viking Invaders, Mayans & Aztecs, WWII including D-Day, Native Americans, History of leisure – theme parks.

KEY STAGE 3: Pupils should extend and deepen their chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, so that it provides a well-informed context for wider learning. Pupils should identify significant events, make connections, draw contrasts, and analyse trends within periods and over long arcs of time. They should use historical terms and concepts in increasingly sophisticated ways. They should pursue historically valid enquiries including some they have framed themselves, and create relevant, structured and evidentially supported accounts in response. They should understand how different types of historical sources are used rigorously to make historical claims and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed.

Yr7 – Pupils study from 1066, The Battle of Hastings through medieval times, knights and castles, the Peasants Revolt and Black Death then on to Henry VIII and his wives and the succession of “Bloody Mary”. The pupils have opportunities for cross-curricular projects such as to designing and creating shields following the strict rules of heraldry. A visit to Rockingham Castle is usually part of this unit of study.

 In term 6 the year groups undertake a local history study: “Corby, then and now”. This looks at the development of the small village of Corby and the impact of the opening of the steelworks and its subsequent closure. This topic includes a visit to Corby Town and The Old Village to compare and contrast the different areas of the town and look at the historical buildings.

Yr8/9 Cycle A – Pupils’ studies start with Elizabeth I, the lady herself, the events of the Spanish Armada and her relationship with Mary Queen of Scots. We look at Tudor times, schooling, meals and housing. Then we move to James I, the Gunpowder plot, witchcraft, pirates and the exploration of the USA. Next comes the Civil war, Charles I, the Roundheads and Cavaliers, the impact of Cromwell’s governing of the country with his new Model Army. Then the subsequent rule of Charles II and how he took revenge for his father’s death. The events of the Great Fire of London and the Great Plague finishes off our studies. In term 6 our specialist study is the “History of Crime” where we explore the ways crimes and punishments, of different eras from the Romans onwards.

Year 8/9 Cycle B – Pupils’ studies start with the introduction of the Industrial Revolution, housing, factories and machinery. The Impact of the railways on society is explored and we look at different Victorian jobs. Later we start to investigate parliamentary reform and the steps taken by groups such as The Luddites and the Swing Rioters trying to gain the vote for the common man. We look at life from 1901 to present day starting with the Titanic, the match girls strike and the Suffragettes. From there we look at The Great war, then WWII including Churchill’s leadership. We finish our KS3 history units with an in depth look at life from the 1920s through to the 2000s and on to today and the impact of terrorism on our lives in the UK.

In KS4 History we have introduced an Entry Level qualification, leading to a GCSE.

Entry Level history to enable learners to:

• develop and extend their knowledge and understanding of specified key events, periods and societies in local, British and wider world history
•  develop and extend their knowledge of the wide diversity of human experience
•  engage in historical enquiry to develop as independent learners and as critical and reflective thinkers
• develop the ability to ask relevant questions about the past, to investigate issues critically and to make valid historical claims by using a range of sources in their historical context
• develop an awareness of why people, events and developments have been accorded historical significance and how and why different interpretations have been constructed about them
• organise and communicate their historical knowledge and understanding in different ways and reach substantiated conclusions.

We will be delivering the curriculum over a 2-year cycle. Studies include the Norman Conquests, Crime & Punishment, People’s Health and the Making of America.