Curriculum Aim

The history curriculum at Kingfisher Academy remains national curriculum compliant, whilst being malleable for the nature of our student cohort, who may join us at different times. Through a thematically driven Key Stage 3 program, our children and young people (CYP) will build up a coherent knowledge of Britain’s past, with time dedicated to developing an understanding of history in the wider world and the forces which have driven change. The content taught and skills embedded through its delivery enables and encourages students to create perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence and sift arguments; all of which allows students to develop a talent for creating a well-developed and thoughtful judgement concerning various periods, people and moments from the past. 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 from various perspectives. CYP will engage with evidence and analyse sources, helping them to understand the complexity of the world and dissect conflicting historical narratives. Studying history provides context for current issues and aims to teach CYP how different interpretations of the past are constructed. As with all humanities subjects at Kingfisher, a key aim is to foster a love of learning and a passion to learn about the past.

Context

Secondary school aged CYP on Emerald Lodge have 1 humanities lesson a week, with units alternating between history and geography. Units of work are designed to welcome CYP in at any point of the year and can be delivered as a jumping on point for students who may not have studied much history.

Key concepts, skills and knowledge

The following concepts are embedded into individual units:

• Chronological understanding
• Similarity and difference
• Change and continuity
• Cause and consequence
• Interpretation
• Significance
• Source analysis

CYP will develop and apply the following skills:

• Critical thinking
• Analysing sources, interpretations and conflicting narratives
• Extended writing and evidence-based development of an argument
• The broad ‘threads’ that can be identified over centuries and millennia (Technology / Church and State / The law / Economics / People power)
• Significant people, events, developments and discoveries
• The interlinked nature of cause and consequence between different times and places; a ‘meanwhile, elsewhere’ understanding of the wider world
• The reasons for different historical interpretations of people, places and events. An ability to understand the differences in historical perspectives, the rationale behind differences in historical perspectives and, crucially, an ability to construct your own thoughtful and evidence-based interpretations.

The following knowledge is delivered at the Becton Centre:

• Timelines: Identifying the past
• The ancient world
• The medieval world
• The modern world

Curriculum Overview