History Curriculum Intent

In History, we aim to deliver a varied and challenging curriculum to suit multiple learning styles. Our purpose is to encourage a passion for our subject alongside developing excellence of character. We instil and cultivate the skills required at GCSE from the start, with an equal balance of opportunities for fun. Pupils study events chronologically with an introduction of World History in Year 8. This is to enable them to access GCSE content, as well as contextualising who they are and where they have come from.

History will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It inspires pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching equips 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. The History curriculum at Meopham School aims to develop character by ensuring that all pupils: 

• Know the history of Britain as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day and know significant aspects of the history of the wider world

• Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence etc and are able to use these to analyse trends and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses  

• Can engage with historical enquiries, including how evidence is used 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

The scheme of work is organised chronologically. In Key Stage 3 this starts from Mediaeval times up until the end of World War Two so that pupils can create a Historical narrative of Britain and the wider world. In Year 9 they are taught thematic units chronologically. This gives pupils the opportunity to develop their understanding of chronology, thematic issues and interpretation. These themes are then built upon through the GCSE and A level units studied. 

Pupils are taught in mixed ability groups where they are offered guided choices in tasks of varying difficulty to promote progress for all. This lends itself to opportunities for all abilities to work independently, as well as in mixed groups, to promote progress through the teaching/ coaching of each other. This improves their resilience, reflectiveness, resourcefulness and reciprocity skills. The scheme of work has a careful balance of extended writing opportunities, coupled with oracy tasks (eg role play, source work and television show adaptations) to promote pupils’ ability to become well-rounded individuals. There are also a wide range of stretch tasks available every lesson to challenge pupils.

Pupils of all backgrounds and abilities are afforded the opportunity to thrive in History using scaffolding, differentiated task and live feedback to promote progress.