Miss Williams is our History Lead.

At Southmead School, we understand that we are creating future historians. Our vision for history is to provide our students with skills that allow them to build an understanding of history in context. We also allow them to critically consider historical evidence thus preparing them for any historical avenues they choose to take later in their lives.

Our pupils study a wide range of historical periods and events that feature both local, and wider global, changes. Through the lenses of chronology, archaeological artefacts, understanding the religion and cultures of the past, multi-media and multi-sensory lessons, as well as key inventions and people, we seek to enrich our students’ historical appreciation and to help them to assemble their knowledge on multiple topics.

In line with the National Curriculum, we aim to ensure that:

• Our students are provided with rich and diverse histories to explore from across the world.
• Our students are equipped with an in-depth understanding of historical events and how this impacted our local area (and the British Isles) over time.
• Our students have an understanding of chronology and can use this both in their own lives and with regard to wider historical periods.
• Our students can question and think critically about sources; both archaeological and written documents.
• Our students understand the impact of historical events and periods on the wider global community.
• Our students are able to compare time periods, cultures and events by drawing on previously built knowledge in order to support their historical learning.
• Our students can use their historical knowledge in order to form their own opinions and interpretations of the past.
• Our students are able to increase and utilise wider vocabulary with regard to history.
• Our students have knowledge of historical enquiry and ways in which historical facts are supported and formed.
   

Our history programme is reviewed and monitored by our history lead, senior leadership and governors to ensure that our students are provided with high-quality and enriching learning experiences.

• All of our students are engaged in their various topics of history through many thematic approaches; using multi-media and multi-sensory lessons, a wealth of resources, and stimulating events such as launch days and school trips.
• Our Key Stage One students investigate a wide range of historical topics in order to build their understanding about the world and to underpin their wider knowledge needed for both learning other subjects and for their lives outside of school.
• Our Key Stage Two students explore a variety of historical eras, which are contextualised by chronology, while engaging with a diverse variety of cultures and places in order to expand their deeper understanding of how our world works and to enthuse them with a passion for history.
• Our learning journey in this subject provides our students with a clear progression of key historical skills, which will enable them to build on their chronological understandings; increase their subject knowledge and their interpretations of history; boost their ability to follow a line of enquiry; and add to their communication and organisational skills.
• Each year group’s own learning journeys will supply them with the tools to make links with a wider curriculum in order to establish critical thinking skills, cross reference and bolster learning elsewhere. Using historical figures; comparison of religions and events; understandings of belief and culture; students will be able to underpin their own learning through a multitude of subjects and throughout their life.
• Students’ share their achievements and are celebrated, thus building their self-confidence in their learning.

• Our pupils will become increasingly aware of how history has shaped the world we live in.
• Our pupils will develop enquiry skills which will allow them to follow and investigate their own historical interests.
• Our pupils will be able to make links between different historical time periods in order to compare and contrast, using their prior knowledge.
• Our pupils will have an understanding of sources and will develop critical skills to evaluate these.
• Our pupils will expand their vocabulary and be able to apply this to historical learning.