History

Intent:

Seaham High School History Department intends to deliver an engaging study of the past that illuminates the world today. Students will gain a substantive knowledge of key historical events and understanding of the “Big Picture”. First order concepts will be integrated with the development of the skills of explanation, source and interpretation analysis. These attributes are essential in the study of history, the whole school curriculum and in life.

 

The History Department will contribute to the whole school curriculum intent by:

• Constructing a curriculum that is ambitious and designed to give all learners the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life.
• Having a curriculum that is sequenced in order to provide the cumulative acquisition of knowledge and skills for future learning and employment.
• Enabling students to feel confident to debate, discuss their knowledge, and respond to feedback to ensure that they are making progress.
• Encouraging resilience to cope with the demands of the new curriculum and its demands. Students across KS3 and KS4 will understand how to revise and prepare for examinations.
• Empowering students to make informed decisions, communicate effectively, reflect, adapt, and be independent, critical thinkers.
• Contributing to whole-school initiatives including the promotion of literacy, numeracy and staff well-being.
• Ensuring that the 6Rs are built into each learning episode and that their importance is reinforced in every lesson.

 

Implementation:

• Teachers within the History Department have a very good knowledge of the subject and courses they teach.
• Teachers will present subject matter clearly, in line with agreed schemes of work. Teachers will check learning and understanding systematically, identify misconceptions accurately and provide clear, direct feedback. Teachers will respond and adapt their teaching as necessary.
• Over the course of the curriculum, the learning programme is designed to encourage learners to remember the content they have been taught and to integrate new knowledge into broader themes and concepts.
• Teachers and leaders will use assessment effectively, to check understanding and to inform consolidation and intervention.

Impact:

• Learners within the History Department at Seaham High School will develop substantive and disciplinary knowledge and as a result will achieve well.
• Students will demonstrate this confidence in first and second order concepts through assessments, class work and their ability to coherently discuss their learning.
• Learners will be ready to move to the next stage in their education, employment or training. They will have embodied the school vision statement of ‘engaging minds and broadening horizons’ and, where applicable, will gain a GCSE History qualification.