HISTORY @ HAYES
OUR CURRICULUM PURPOSE
Who does not love a good story? A tale of intrigue where the plot can twist and turn in ways that were not obvious at the start. History is a messy, complex study of humans whose decisions, personalities and flaws have helped shape our world today. Our job as a History department is to help students navigate this difficult and sometimes confusing path. As a History department, we believe that by students critically engaging with evidence from a wide range of sources they can gain an understanding of how individuals and events have been represented in the past and explore the reasons why and where our views about the world have come from. We want students to have access to a wide-ranging curriculum that embeds opportunities for us to discuss challenging concepts and ideas and to develop them as critical thinkers who will continue to ask questions long after the story has ended.
CRITICAL THINKING AND ENQUIRY SKILLS
KEY FEATURES OF LEARNING
We explore the past and the concepts of change and continuity, causation, interpretations, significance and evaluation are developed throughout our curriculum and at each key stage. Our lessons are shaped through enquiry questions that focus on how and why events have occurred. Enquiry and a curiosity about the past are developed through the use of enquiry lessons in each lesson and building on the key themes of religion and government.
At KS3 we look to give students a broad understanding of change over time, introduce them to some of the key events and concepts from the past that we then revisit throughout the three years. We look to encourage them to enjoy learning about the past and to challenge their traditional conceptions of the past.
At KS4 we build on the work already covered in KS3 and look at the progress we as humans have made over time in terms of medical advancements. We are able to develop students’ appreciation of how key political, economic and social changes have impacted and shaped the world we see today.
At KS5 we help them to understand how a key political ideology (Communism) has been interpreted and implemented in two different countries who had similar demographics. (China/Russia). We also look at the key developments in the relationship between two countries that are local to us and that has often been neglected. We give a way to study British history through a different lens which helped to reinforce the key social political ideas that were introduced at KS3 (imperialism, nationalism)
DEVELOPING LEARNERS
We want to develop empathetic young people and challenge stereotypes. Our curriculum provides opportunities for students to be empathetic learners who can communicate their opinions well. They are able to draw on their understanding of the past in order to become more aware of the challenges society is facing.
An introduction to Year 7 History
In this video produced for Year 6 Induction Day, Ms Robertson describes the experience of studying history at Hayes.