History Curriculum Intent

Throughout our curriculum, students will continue to build on the key skills they were introduced to at KS2, through a broad and challenging spiral curriculum, by focusing upon:

• Knowing the history of Britain as a coherent, chronological narrative, from pre-Norman invasion to the present day and know significant aspects of the history of the wider world;

• Understanding historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity and difference and significance and are able to use these to analyse trends and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses;

• Engaging with historical enquiries, including how evidence is used and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed;

• Gaining historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts.

 

Through the study of History our students will:

• Develop Critical Thinking: Students learn to question and analyse sources, evaluate different interpretations, and distinguish fact from misinformation, skills vital in today's world;

• Understand the Present: History provides context, showing how past societies, governments, and cultures shaped current events, challenges, and institutions, creating respect for all;

• Build Identity & Empathy: our aim is that every student sees themselves in the curriculum, introducing a diverse learning experience that helps students understand different identities and creates empathy and understanding for others;

• Teach Life Lessons: Through stories of successes and failures, history teaches tenacity, the impact of human actions, and the importance of values like courage and responsibility;

• Foster Civic Engagement: Understanding historical threads in current issues (like voting or public policy) prepares students for informed participation in a democratic society;

• Create Well-Rounded Individuals: offer a framework for understanding change, progress, and the interconnectedness of events, making students more informed and thoughtful people.

 

 

What is the key knowledge students will gain in History?

At KS3, we offer a broad range of study closely aligned to the National Curriculum, including:

• Pre and Post Norman Conquest

• The Black Death

• The Reformation

• The Challenges of Monarchy

• Aztecs and Mughals

• The creation of Empire

• Industrial Revolution

• The fight for Universal Suffrage

• WW1 and WW2

• Rise of Dictatorships

• Post-War Britain

 

At KS4, we use the Edexcel exam board. Our curriculum focuses on:

• Crime and Punishment c1000-Present

• Early Elizabethan England 1558-1588

• USA at home and abroad 1954-75

• Superpower relations and the Cold War 1941-91

 

At KS5, we use the AQA exam board. Our curriculum focuses on:

• Angevin Kings 

• Tsarist and Communist Russia 1855-1964

 

 

How studying History will prepare Meopham students for the future:

Studying History will prepare our students for studying beyond by developing:

• Critical Thinking & Analysis: Learning to question sources, separate fact from fiction, analyse complex problems, and understand cause-and-effect relationships;

• Research & Evidence Evaluation: Developing strong research skills and the ability to assess the reliability of information, crucial in an AI future;

• Problem-Solving: Understanding how past societies tackled challenges, from economic issues to social injustices, provides frameworks for current problems;

• Communication: Improving written and oral communication through constructing arguments and presenting findings;

• Context for the Present: Shows how past events, decisions, and cultures shaped today's world, helping students understand their place in it;

• Cultural Competence: Fosters empathy, understanding of diverse cultures, and appreciation for different human behaviours and motivations;

• Ethical Development: Teaches responsibility and ethics by examining the consequences of past actions, encouraging students to make better choices.

Studying History links to other subjects by:

Refining extended writing opportunities which helps with English

Understanding chronology and dates which helps with numeracy

Being able to create convincing arguments which helps with oracy