Vision
At Rivers Academy we want our students to develop an appreciation for the past to enable them to become well rounded human beings. We aim for our students to leave having developed a broad range of knowledge, skills and morality in order for them to contribute to the multicultural global society in which they live and make a positive contribution to it. We endeavour to make our lessons interesting and exciting, igniting interest in our students, whilst making links between historical events and the modern world. All members of the department are passionate historians who aim for all students to achieve their very best.
Intent
We firmly believe that every child has the right to surpass the expectations they have for themselves and become Global Citizens who are informed, challenged and engaged. We enable our students to become lifelong learners that have a wider understanding of the world around them through confidently applying a range of skills to assess that information.
Our students are immersed in knowledge, which allows them to develop a secure understanding of English, British and world history until the present day. Students study history chronologically, beginning with Norman England, through medieval life, Britain’s changing role in the world, and culminating with the conflicts and changes of the 20th century, all of which continues to shape the world we live in today. The curriculum is taught through a range of high-order concepts such as, cause and consequence, change and continuity, significance, interpretations and source enquiry. We aim to challenge every student and believe they should all have access to a depth and breadth of knowledge, regardless of their prior understanding.
As well as academic knowledge, our curriculum will equip students for success in the 21st century, both as a result of the skills embedded in our lessons but also as a result of carefully selected historical enquiries. Through this our students will finish their Historical studies with the ability to critique the world around them and communicate for a variety of purposes, which will serve them well in the workplace. As well as our exciting, demanding and varied curriculum, the History department offers a range of extra-curricular opportunities including visiting speakers and local visits and trips.
Implementation
At Rivers Academy, our History curriculum is compulsory until students finish Year 9. Students are taught by passionate, expert teachers who are committed to securing progress both in terms of academic achievement and global awareness and understanding.
This History curriculum is full of opportunities to be immersed in challenging content and literature with appropriate scaffolding to enhance all students’ cultural capital as well as their historical knowledge. The curriculum taught has been carefully selected to ensure connectivity between all key stages and where appropriate other disciplines.
Students will be exposed to a wide range of historical sources and interpretations. This will provide opportunities to engage critically with material which stretches their understanding. We also aim to challenge common misconceptions about the past, particularly surrounding British Imperialism, the Holocaust and life in the Middle Ages. A breadth of knowledge across a variety of contrasting topics is supported by an assessment structure that recalls prior learning across KS3 and KS4. Assessment for Learning sheets are used to support students in learning the fundamental facts of each topic. Students in History develop their vocabulary skills through explicit teaching of tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary using Literacy Mats.
History CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
History AGE RELATED EXPECTATIONS
History ASSESSMENT JOURNEY
Impact
Students will make progress according to their understanding of cause and consequence, change and continuity, interpretation, source analysis and historical literacy. Throughout the year these skills are entwined into enquiries that facilitate accurate assessment of understanding. The culmination of the history curriculum enables students to leave Rivers Academy equipped with the knowledge of how society’s problems have been dealt with in the past to help them deal with the issues of today.