Westgate Academy
Learning and Growing Together
History Curriculum at Westgate
History Curriculum Intent
Through Westgate Academy’s history curriculum, we strive to ensure that all children leave our school having developed their historical knowledge and conceptual understanding through the study of our topics. We aim to develop children’s understanding of Britain’s past and its effect on the wider world. They will be equipped to think critically, weigh evidence, points of view and sources. We have designed our history curriculum to encompass the historical riches that our location has to offer. Westgate Academy is located in the historic quarter of Lincoln meaning that we have resources around us which can motivate, inspire and explore historical processes of change throughout time within the 4 key time periods that we teach. A stress upon local events and people in history is a bespoke feature in our school.
At the end of each topic, pupils should have grasped a body of knowledge regarding the key features and changes within those periods.
By the end of Key Stage 2, a Westgate historian will be able to…
Curriculum Drivers - CLEAR
Communication
- Teach historical vocabulary and terminology across the history curriculum
- Language exposure, understanding and application.
- Explore a wide range of areas to allow children chances to explain their views through debates, discussions, drama and presentations (oracy focuses)
- Opportunities, where possible, are created in other subjects to broaden the variety of ways to teach the children about their time period.
- Links to writing opportunities across all year groups.
Local
- Lincolnshire day linked to how it was impacted by their time period.
- Opportunities provided to visit a local site from their time period and make connections with the 4 areas of study.
- Use of Westgate’s own history is encouraged where possible (e.g. WW1 and 2).
Enriched
- Sharing work during Topic celebration events (using oracy skills)
- Sharing work around their classroom via displays.
- Writing linked to/informed by visits/trips/experiences.
- Reading linked to time period to increase historical understanding.
- Use of trips/workshop events to widen historical understanding.
Ambitious
- History curriculum is adapted, designed and developed to meet the needs of pupils with SEND, developing their knowledge.
- Challenging children to work more independently to formulate their own views about a person and event.
- High expectations in Topic books
- Exposure to quality texts, authors, videos and sources.
- Curriculum accessible for all children via differentiated tasks and support.
Remembered
- Recapping previous learning in starters/plenary.
- Use of flashbacks for key historical knowledge and application.
- Linking history learning to English/Reading/Science/PHSE learning.
- Opportunities to revisit/build on skills from previous year groups
- Opportunities to revisit learning covered in previous years
- Retrieval practice is used as a learning strategy in history.
Curriculum Content Coverage:.
Year 3 | |
The Romans | Term 1 |
| Pupils should be taught to: Place the Romans and their invasion of Britain within a chronological period. Pupils are told of key dates and associated vocabulary: B.C, A.D, C.E, Celts, empire, invasion. Sequence key events just before & during Roman occupation of Britain Explore the life of the Celts before Roman occupation. Explore the legends (Romulus and Remus) around the founding of Rome. Discover where the Romans came from and why they wanted to invade Britain (looking at its impact on everyday life). To understand a key event during the Roman period (Mt Vesuvius and Pompeii) Pupils meet in role character from the historical period: Marcia the Celt ( a local woman from pre-Roman times) To compare school life in Roman times to today. |
| Term 2 Pupils meet in-role characters from this period: Prasutagus (Boudicca’s husband), Emperor Claudius and Constantina (local Roman woman) Pupils are told of then recount The Iceni/Boudicca rebellion Pupils summarise the impact of Emperor Claudius’s invasion Pupils are given a tour of local Roman sites by in-role Roman-period local woman, Constantina-possibly via recorded format. Pupils devise an information leaflet for Lindum Colonia Pupils examine & research a key character from the period: Pupils explore a variety of artefacts & sources to glean information Pupils visit local museum, The Collection & complete questionnaires. Child initiated learning regarding schools in the Roman period Pupils re inact a Roman banquet with in-role Emperor Claudius. Pupils meet and experience Roman soldier & gladiator’s equipment via visitor By topic’s end, have a broad over view of the key events of the Roman period-specifically during their time in Britain. |
|
|
|
|
Year 4 | |
The Tudors Term 1: | Pupils are introduced to the Tudors and the main events and themes. Place the Tudors within their chronological place in history, with particular reference to where they are found in comparison with previously covered topic-periods of Romans, other known historical periods & events plus the 21st century. Pupils to sequence events within the Tudor period (such as monarchs) Understand the rise of the Tudors in the Battle of Bosworth, Identify a key figure: Henry VIII and the causes/effects of his life, Learn about the Lincolnshire Rising of 1536, (impact on Lincoln) Listen to a range ofTudor music (featured in music lessons throughout terms 1 & 2). To know about the reformation act (understand differing views) |
Term 2: | Examine examples of Tudor exploration & individuals such as Raleigh Visit Gainsborough Old Hall for re-enactment & experience of an early-Tudor building. Apply a wide variety of historical & topic-specific historical terms: rising, Pope, reformation, Protestant etc Explore a key event of the Tudor period: The Great Armada exploring its cause and motivation. Apply a wide-variety of subject specific vocabulary: Catholic, Pope, Protestant etc Explore health care & practices during the Tudor period Explore Tudor crime & punishment-exploring local records of crime & punishment. Understand life during a Tudor Christmas and how it compares to modern day. |
| By topic’s end, have a broad over view of the key events and people of the Tudor period in England with reference within Britain of its medicine and punishment, to beyond Britain via explorations and war. |
|
|
Year 5 | |
Term 1 The Victorians | Pupils begin the topic with a S.W.Y K exploration and discussion. Chronologically order a range of time periods, including the Romans, Tudors, Victorians and the 21st Century. Chronologically order events that occurred within the Victorian era. Identify Visit local workhouse and understand why the importance of Victorian workhouses to everyday life. Drama opportunities to re-enact tasks. Also Debate the role of workhouses and consider more than one viewpoint. Compare Victorian childhood to Modern day child. Look at how Lincoln has changed since Victorian times (picture sources- use of ICT to do this). Develop an understanding of the Industrial Revolution – technology and inventions designed/created. Look at significance! Key person/people – Queen Victoria and role of key women during Victorian era (Seacole, Lovelace, Nightingale, Curie). Children learn about the suffrage via Chartists and Lincoln’s own Thomas Cooper etc. Explore the cause and effect of the Industrial Revolution Music for terms 1 & 2 covers Victorian music hall songs and what they tell us about Victorian attitudes. Music also covers central Victorian & early Edwardian composers including Elgar |
Term 2 The Victorians | Visit Lincoln Castle (former Victorian prison) and centre of the experimental “Separate System” of prisoner treatment. Tour Lincoln Castle and where public hanging took place in Victorian times, with reference to local examples from tourers. Understand about Victorian Lincoln prisoners, such as Joseph Ralph. Explore Victorian technology and explore its effect upon the British and people abroad. Explore and debate the impact of the British Empire and its impact on a global scale (where it went, what it did, how it got on, why it did it). Explore the impact of trade upon Victorian Britain and the wider world. Understand Victorian crime and punishment and compare to modern day crime and punishment. Learn about Victorian Christmas traditions. Children learn about the suffrage via Chartists and Lincoln’s own Thomas Cooper etc. By topic’s end, have a broad over view of the key events of the Victorian period, aware of influential people, the role Industrial revolution had on technology, the changing roles of men, women and children and crucially, the British Empire’s power on the world. |
Year 6 | |
The World At War: Term 1 – World War 1
| Chronological place of the war years within a wider historical chronology of other time periods. Chronological ordering of events within the 20thCentury. Pupils use and create time lines for 1914-1918 Explore the causes of why W.W I started and the reasons (differing opinions of the war started). Locate the countries involved during WW1 (allies, enemies, neutrals). Pupils access a range of sources and views to discuss and debate the 1st Battle of the Somme 1916. Pupils make note of the involvement of ex-Westgate pupils recorded on the Lincolnshire Regiment log of remembrance. Understand why the World War ended using a range of sources to formulate an opinion of which factor was significant. Lincolnshire day – the design and creation of the tanks. Explore the Armistice, via data and source material. Music for terms 1 & 2 covers music of the war years-both the Great War & W.W II. |
The World At War: Term 2 – World War 2 | Use of workshops to recreate what it was like during the Blitz. Identify and explain how WW2 started (rise of Nazism and their views) Remembrance on 11.11. makes specific reference to ex-Westgate pupils of The Great War (webinar for 20/21 year). Explore the legendary Christmas truce. To understand why W.W II began. Sequence, chronologically, events of W.W II Explore rationing as a cause of wartime conditions and deprivations. Explore at how opinions were formed, looking at the holocaust. Explore a key campaign of .W II: D-Day Explore the end of W.W II & discuss/debate the justification of the two nuclear bombs used to halt Japan’s military intentions (no surrender, chemical agents to attack America & use of child terrorists etc) Explore the post-war years. RE lessons forge a cross curricular link via local heroine, Janie Hett of the Brigg & Lincolnshire Red Cross. RE cross curricular link to look at the effect of following charismatic leaders such as Adolf Hitler. |
| Key character: covered in R.E: Churchill & Hitler to relieve curriculum burden in 2020. |
| By topic’s end, have a broad over view of the key events of the War Years-period, why both wars started and ended and the varying opinions of key events. |
Skills/Key subject disciplines
Year 3 and 4 |
During year 3, pupils should be taught to begin to use a small selection of historical sources, mostly pictorial and physical (artefacts etc). Introduce pupils to the life experiences of people of the pre- and during Roman period via visiting in-role characters: Celt, Iceni King, Emperor & local Roman woman. Pupils are given opportunities and teaching regarding where the Roman period came in chronological time. Pupils are introduced to historical vocabulary such as B.C, C.E, A.D and circa. Pupils compare and contrast Celt/pre-Roman life & that after the Roman invasion. Pupils look for cause and effect in oppression/invasion and rebellion of the Iceni under Boudicca. Pupils compare and contrast viewpoints regarding Roman rule and the Iceni rebellion. Pupils give simple recounts of key events. Pupils are given opportunities to look at artefacts and simpler texts regarding the period and life within the periods covered. In Year 4, pupils place the Tudor period within a historical chronology of our nation. Pupils should be taught to begin to use a wider selection of historical sources-both pictorial and written, including local historical maps in term 4 within geography-based topic work. Introduce pupils to the life experiences and opinions of people of the Tudor period via enactments and explorations of The Lincolnshire Rising & Reformation e.g. Anne Askew and the Spanish Armada. Pupils revisit terms such as B.C, A.D, circa and are introduced to new vocabulary such as: armada, Protestant etc. Pupils look at the cause and effect of the actions of the Pope and Henry VIII such as the reformation and the Lincolnshire Rising. Pupils give progressively more thorough and information-led recounts of key events within the Tudor period.
Flashback tasks: Year 3 to use flashbacks to start lessons in order for children to recall prior learning taught in Year 3 and also from infants school (e.g. key dates of time periods)
Flashback tasks: Year to use flashback task to recap learning taught in Year 4, as well to recall prior learning in Year 3 that links to the L.O (e.g. key people lesson can be used to recall key people from Roman Period). |
Year 5 and 6 |
During year 5, pupils extend recall and awareness of chronological order within historical periods-including those studied in Years 3 & 4. Pupils have experience of ordering events and developments within the period studied. Pupils examine the cause & effect of the major events & features of the period such as The Industrial Revolution’s continuance, The Empire & treatment of the poor & criminals of society. Pupils develop and demonstrate their ability to consider more than one viewpoint within discussions including those not adopted by them. Use a wider variety of source materials-both pictorial and text. Pupils are introduced to and encouraged to apply a widening range of topic-history-specific vocabulary such as Chartist, Empire, industrialisation etc (see separate vocabulary list). Pupils make more independent use of provided and found sources to formulate views and opinions. Pupils begin to carry out more independent research from provided and found sources for debates/presentations. During Year 6, pupils extend recall and awareness of chronological order within historical periods-including those studied in Years 3, 4 & 5 and beyond. Pupils have experience of ordering events and developments within the period studied. Pupils extend awareness of common themes within history such as revolution and reform. Pupils examine cause and effect within events at home and abroad e.g. 1914. Pupils independently identify significant points and exclude the less relevant from discussions and recounts. Pupils more confidently identify cause and effect within the period’s key events. They can answer and create questions based upon their own and guided researches and discussions. Pupils are capable of recognising how opinions and source materials may differ. Pupils use an extensive vocabulary of historical vocabulary gleaned from this year and earlier. Pupils have an improving understanding of individuals’ motivations and justifications for actions.
Flashback tasks: Year 5 and 6 to use flashback tasks to recall prior learning taught within their year, as well as from previous years (e.g. Year 6 to recall key events from other time periods can compare their significance to change).
|
Vocabulary
YEAR 3 VOCABULARY & HISTORY-SPECIFIC TERMS | |||||
Romans, Celts, Iron Age, Pre-Roman, Hill forts | century, Celts, empire, invasion, rebellion and circa. ancient, | Emperor, conquest, | Resistance Local, national | Gladiator, centurion,
| Past Present B.C A.D C.E |
|
|
|
|
|
|
YEAR 4 VOCABULARY & HISTORY_SPECIFIC TERMS | |||||
Tudor, succession, Yorkist, Lancastrian, succession Bosworth | Protestant, Catholic, Pope, relics, monarch empire, century, invasion, rebellion and circa. ancient, | Armada, invasion. Rising Divorced Beheaded Died Survived | Martyr, Justice, justice system Reformation
| Exploration, Explorer Physicians, barber-surgeons Crime Punishment
| Past Present B.C A.D C.E |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
YEAR 5 VOCABULARY & HISTORY_SPECIFIC TERMS | |||||
Workhouse, asylum Victorian Victoria Queen | Ancient, empire, invasion, rebellion and circa. Industrial Revolution Revolt Pollution | Technology, Technological development, century, inventions, paupers
| Empire, colonization, expansion, suppression, liberation, commonwealth, independence, nation | Chartist, Suffrage, universal suffrage, Luddites Asylum Poor Rich | Past Present Future B.C A.D C.E |
YEAR 6 VOCABULARY & HISTORY_SPECIFIC TERMS | |||||
World War | Fascist, democratic, Chronological, order, | ancient, century, decade, empire, invasion, rebellion Countries Continents Somme Armistice Poppy Conscription. | Serbia, Bosnia, assassination, neutrality, attrition, Hindenburg, strategic, remembrance, armistice, militarism, alliance, imperialism, nationalism | Nuclear, Nuclear deterrent, Cold War, Communist, Total war Civilian Refugee Ration ARP Evacuation
| Bomber Command, bombing, Total War Nazi Truce Anti-Semitism |
Implementation
At Westgate, in terms 1 & 2, each year group have at least one history lesson per week. Some lessons may be extended sessions, depending on the aim of each lesson, but lessons are at least one-hour long. Year Groups have a celebration and summary of their topic-coverage for parents at term 2’s end.
Where possible, year groups cross reference their history learning through other subjects, to ensure wider opportunity to learn and understand about their time period. This is to ensure there are diagonal, vertical and horizontal links between year groups and subjects. Examples in Year 5 include: the work of Medieval Lincoln Bishop Hugh of Avalon, the murder mystery of Little Saint Hugh and the looting and destruction of “holy” relics in the time of Henry VIII.
Children will have the opportunity to be involved in at least one history-based trip (local restrictions permitting), to develop their knowledge about their time period.
Topic days or launch days are used to motivate and inspire children to want to learn about their new area of historical study.
To ensure retrieval practice is taking place, flashback tasks will be used within each lesson. This is to flashback to either prior learning or to learning completed in previous year groups. The focus is to maintain a high level of retention in historical knowledge.
Over the first two terms, each year group will cover the following, core points: order chronological dates, study a key person and a key event, use sources to find out about an event or person, understand the local history during their time period and compare/contrast information to formulate an opinion. These core points mean children can develop their historical skills in formulating opinions, understand new concepts and use a variety of sources. These core points are assessed through a multiple choice quiz at the end of the topic’s study period.
As part of further enrichment opportunities, children receive one creative home-learning task about their period of study. This creative task can be completed in a variety of ways to ensure all abilities can be involved – with cross links to other subjects. This also encourages parental involvement with their child’s learning about history.
Opportunities to revisit learning
Teachers at Westgate are involved in the design and planning of the history curriculum. Horizontal, vertical and diagonal links are made evident throughout the history curriculum at Westgate. This can be viewed on the ‘Termly overview links’ document.
| Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | Year 6 |
Vocabulary | Vocabulary for time: B.C, A.D, C.E, circa, century to be referred to through all topics. | Past, present, ancient, B.C, A.D, C.E, empire, invasion, rebellion and circa | Past, present, ancient, B.C, A.D, C.E, empire, invasion, rebellion and circa | Past, present, ancient, B.C, A.D, C.E, empire, invasion, rebellion and circa |
Use of dates | Dates taught during their KS1 curriculum and within the Roman Period. | Chronology work to refer back to Bronze Age, Celts & Roman Britain periods | Chronology work to refer back to Bronze Age, Celts, Roman Britain periods and Tudors’ period | Chronology work to refer back to Bronze Age, Celts, Roman Britain periods, Tudors’ period and Victorians whilst also projecting forward from 1945. |
Key people | Compare and contrast key people within the Roman period and their KS1 studies. | Compare and contrast key people and how significant they were to the Romans.
| Compare and contrast key people and how significant they were to the Romans and Tudors. | Compare and contrast key people and how significant they were to the Romans, Tudors and Victorians? |
Key events | Compare and contrast key events within the Roman period and their KS1 studies. | Compare and contrast key events and how significant they were to the Romans.
| Compare and contrast key events and how significant they were to the Romans and Tudors. | Compare and contrast key events and how significant they were to the Romans, Tudors and Victorians. |
Local source | Revisit Romans’ impact on Lincoln. | How does the Tudor’s impact on Lincoln compare to the Romans?
| How does the Victorian’s impact on Lincoln compare to the Romans and Tudors? | How does the World Wars impact on Lincoln compare to the Romans, Tudors and Victorians? |
Opportunities to return to learning & cross curricular links
Assemblies: An opportunity to enrich children with the history curriculum and local knowledge. Assemblies are of specifically history content-much of it local history.
English – In role writing is a feature of all year groups. Recounts of trips and in-role visitors also appear on a regular basis. Use of letters from evacuees in Lincoln with music cross-curricular sessions. Year 5 use Census data as a key source. Year 6 take part in producing poetry for the Christmas Truce and Remembrance day.
Maths – data, including analysis of measurements of height for Grantham Book of Victorian Criminals slides data. Year 6 use costing of food and skills to show how rationing impacted lives in World Wars.
Music: Lessons linked to history topics carried out in those terms. The history of music is a key element in much of the music curriculum which was devised for all year groups.
RE: Year 4 look at denominations and Catholic and Protestant practices are compared and contrasted. Year 6 cover a bespoke unit of “Inspirational People” which includes Lincolnshire’s Janie Hett (The Great War), Toussant Louverture, Churchill & Hitler among others.
Local Links
Establishing local links is an important part of Westgate’s history curriculum. In Year 3, use is made of a local re-inactor as a demonstrator of Roman weaponry. In role performers visit each Year 3 class as Marcia the Lincolnshire Celt. The Year 3 Eastgate Church trip, whilst part of RE curriculum covers specifically historical areas such as: The Medieval pogrom of Lincoln Jews, Medieval Bishop Hugh’s rebuilding of the Cathedral and his work in Lincoln, Medieval Little Saint Hugh and Henry VIII’s & Roundhead vandalism and theft of “holy” relics in our Cathedral. The Cathedral trip also looks at Lincolnshire sailors and explorers via the Seamen’s Chapel: Banks, Franklin, Smith & Flinders-each representing a different century.
Year 4 visit Gainsborough Old Hall and act out a feast Henry VIII would host. They would also understand what a Tudor house would look like and games a child would play in Tudor times. Pupils look at Lincolnshire religious martyr, Anne Askew. Year 4 pupils study the 1536 Lincolnshire Rising against Henry VIII’s church and monastic reforms.