Hackney New Primary School

Intent

At Hackney New Primary School, we provide children with the opportunity to develop a wide breadth of knowledge about the past and how this has shaped our world today. We aim to deliver stimulating and thought-provoking lessons that develop children’s curiosity in the past, developing a strong understanding of chronology, identity and a cultural understanding through their historical knowledge. 

Through knowledge-rich and skills-based lessons children are able to develop academic excellence, becoming lifelong historians. By the time students leave Hackney New Primary School, students will have developed a coherent and chronological knowledge of key historical time periods and events that have impacted and moulded their local community, Britain and the wider world. Impactful and engaging lessons will ensure children are curious historians who apply key skills and concepts to develop their understanding outside of the classroom; thinking critically, weighing up evidence, sifting arguments for bias and developing perspective and judgement of the world around them.

The aim of history teaching here at Hackney New Primary School is to stimulate the children’s interest and understanding about the life of people who lived in the past.  We teach children a sense of chronology, and through this they develop a sense of identity, and a cultural understanding based on their historical heritage. Thus they learn to value their own and other people’s cultures in modern, multicultural Britain. We teach children to understand how events in the past have influenced our lives today. 

At Hackney New Primary School we are a Rights Respecting School. Our History curriculum supports the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the teaching of it. Through the curriculum children learn and embed the understanding of:

Article 2 - No discrimination

Article 7 - Name and Nationality

Article 13 - Sharing thoughts freely

Article 14 - Freedom of thought and religion

Article 15 - Setting up and joining groups

Article 17 - Access to information 

Article 28 - Access to education

Article 30 - Minority culture, language and religion

Article 31 - Rest, play, culture and arts 

Article 38 - Protection in war 

It is important to us at Hackney New Primary School to take into account children’s lived experiences, and all year groups explore historical themes relating to our locality. We make full use of the resources within our local area, enabling children to develop a deep understanding of their locality and their own identity. Hackney is a very diverse community and as a result we have ensured that our curriculum is representative and develops an understanding of the wider world and the diversity that should be celebrated within it. 

Our History curriculum breaks the barrier and provides ample opportunities for our children to understand people as fully human, and to understand their perspectives, from a diverse background. By the time children leave Key stage 2 they will have:

• Learnt that half of people in the past were women, many of whom have had an impact on our living world
• Learnt that black people and people of colour have lived in Britain since ancient times
• Learned about a Non-European society, 
• Developed an understanding of changes within living memory and events beyond living memory
• Built an understanding on the story of Britain
• Investigated local history and why Hackney is the way it is
• Learned about Britain Beyond 1066
• Investigated significant individuals who have impacted History
• Studied the Windrush generation and the impact it has had on members 
• Learned about ancient civilizations
• Learned that the diverse past helps to understand the diverse present. 
• Studied History at different levels – from the local to the global. 

Implementation

History is taught for half of the year in every other half term. Teachers are given the core knowledge and skill progression map for each unit as well as medium term planning, short term planning and key vocabulary for each topic and lesson. Consideration is given to ensure progression across topics throughout each year group across the school. By the end of Year 6, children have a chronological understanding of British history from the Stone Age to the present day. They are able to draw comparisons and make connections between different time periods and their own lives. Interlinked with this are diverse studies of world history, such as the ancient civilisations of Greece and the Benin Empire. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) follows the ‘Development Matters in the EYFS’ guidance which aims for all children in reception to have an ‘Understanding of the World; people and communities, the world and technology’ by the end of the academic year.
In the Spring term, the whole school celebrates Hackney History Week, our very own bespoke focus week which aims to have the children  understand the history of migration to Hackney and how this has contributed to the diverse borough they are growing up in. Each year group studies the migration story of one of our Hackney communities. We have developed a close relationship with the Hackney Museum, who we have been collaborating with on this project for the last few years. These bonds with our local organisations enable us to ensure that our teaching and learning stays abreast with current historical thinking. 
Whilst planning predominantly stems from the National Curriculum, additional resources are used to shape our approach. As a school we are a member of the Historical Association (HA). Our curriculum ensures that it is accessible to all children. Consideration is given to adaptive teaching, both on creating stretch and challenge for greater depth, as well as how learners will be supported in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion, with learning which meets their needs, ensuring they are also making good progress from their initial starting points. We use the concept of ‘low threshold, high ceiling’ to ensure that all learners can access our curriculum, but also such that no limits are placed on those pupils who are able to take their learning to a deeper level. Where possible, we use ‘active learning’ in our lessons to stimulate, engage and ensure deep thinking and learning takes place. We endeavour to provide ‘sticky learning’ experiences that remain with the children and help with their knowledge retention and understanding.
Themes are planned throughout the year that allow for skills and knowledge to be embedded and built upon. Children with differing levels of need have a broad curriculum offer, linking into National Curriculum themes; History is taught in line with national expectations and we have ensured that our curriculum  incorporates woven strands of prior learning. Our curriculum has a robust knowledge and skills progression. Alongside explicit skills teaching, topics are sequenced and revisited each year to ensure that previous knowledge and skills are built upon ensuring progress of each area of History.
History at HNPS is taught by HNPS teachers with the support of class teaching assistants, where applicable. Throughout the school teachers are implementing the evidence informed practice of I do, We do, You do to ensure all children are accessing learning. This is a model of teaching which is also known as the ‘Gradual Release of Responsibility’ Model. It enables our pupils to learn new knowledge through precise teaching, and gives them a chance to practise, with support, before embarking on independent application. Skills are constantly modelled by the teachers, whilst responsibility is gradually released to the learners until they are ready and secure to apply them independently in a range of contexts. 
Hackney New Primary School uses a mixture of formative and summative assessments to ensure core knowledge is learnt and then retained over time. Outcomes of work are regularly monitored to ensure that they reflect a sound understanding of the core knowledge and that skills are progressively demonstrated by our pupils. Our knowledge-rich approach ensures that we have high expectations for our pupils’ historical knowledge.  We use a mixture of Prove It, Test It and Beats Its at the start of each lesson to help ensure children are retaining key knowledge and are deepening their knowledge and making connections with their knowledge constantly. 
Throughout the year the profile of history is raised through the celebration of important occasions, including Black History Month, Remembrance Day, Hackney History Week, Pride Week and religious celebrations, with workshops, assemblies and learning days. At these times, pupils broaden their understanding of the world around them and become curious as to how historical events have shaped the world we live in today. Cross-curricular consideration is given to guarantee that history continues to be promoted during times when pupils are not being taught history. Historical fiction and non-fiction books linked to previously covered units are shared with pupils in English and guided reading lessons as well as being available in Reading Corners in all classes, which helps embed previously taught knowledge.

Impact

From EYFS right through to the end of KS2 children will develop academic excellence in History. They will have gained a coherent and chronologically sound knowledge of key historical time periods and events, both that have shaped Hackney (their local community), Britain and the wider world. Through active and sticky learning in lessons children are curious historians, applying key skills and concepts to develop their understanding outside of the classroom; thinking critically, weighing up evidence, sifting arguments for bias and developing perspective and judgement of the world around them. Progression of knowledge and skills has been carefully mapped and History as a result is ensuring that children leave HNPS having;

• Learned that half of people in the past were women, many of whom have had an impact on our living world
• Learned that black people and people of colour have lived in Britain since ancient times
• Learned about a Non-European society, 
• Developed an understanding of changes within living memory and events beyond living memory
• Built an understanding on the story of Britain
• Investigated local history and why Hackney is the way it is
• Learned about Britain Beyond 1066
• Investigated significant individuals who have impacted History
• Studied the Windrush generation and the impact it has had on members
• Learned about ancient civilizations
• Learned that the diverse past helps to understand the diverse present. 
• Studied History at different levels – from the local to the global. 

As a Rights Respecting School children will have embedded and understood these key rights through our History curriculum:

• Article 2 - No discrimination
• Article 7 - Name and Nationality
• Article 13 - Sharing thoughts freely
• Article 14 - Freedom of thought and religion
• Article 15 - Setting up and joining groups
• Article 17 - Access to information 
• Article 28 - Access to education
• Article 30 - Minority culture, language and religion
• Article 31 - Rest, play, culture and arts 
• Article 38 - Protection in war