History at Ingatestone and Fryerning C of E Junior School

Effective mastery of history encourages all pupils to think critically about the past and evaluate the impact of historical events on the modern world. It should inspire curiosity and encourage pupils to ask questions about the past.

Pupils are encouraged to compare and contrast customs and beliefs from one society to another, therefore enabling them to evaluate different ways of life and make their own judgements. Greater time is spent developing historical skills such as interpretation and enquiry. The most confident children: select the most appropriate source of evidence; evaluate the reliability of sources and form their own opinion about historical events from a range of sources.

As a result of this, pupils will have a comprehensive understanding of the past and develop critical thinking skills. They will be able to confidently explain concepts to other pupils.

Teachers will start topics by finding out what pupils know already and what questions they have about a subject.

Planning will include short starters which recap on previous learning, encourage recall of facts and pose thought-provoking questions. Geographical vocabulary will be discussed. Higher order questioning during lessons ensures that pupils can deepen their understanding by empathising with people of the past and analysing their motivation and decisions. In addition, children are encouraged to ask their own deep-thinking questions and are given opportunities to reflect, discuss and debate with their peers. Marking will include a reflective question to encourage the pupil to think even more deeply. 

Displays will include key vocabulary and open-ended questions to promote thinking.