History
Intent – why do we teach what we teach in History?
Through our history curriculum we aim to give students the opportunity to study an overarching narrative of British history that is interwoven with diverse and global histories which speak to their own identities. We ensure that knowledge is taught, and retained, through a planned curriculum which is chronologically sequenced, driven by historical enquiries and underpinned by the second order concepts of change and continuity, cause and consequence, significance, similarity and difference, and interpretation. Our curriculum is shaped so that our second order concepts are continuously taught and revisited; each time deepening student’s understanding of the concept by teaching it through a new historical lens.
In EYFS, Chobham students are first exposed to ideas about the past through the use of fiction and non-fiction stories. This serves as useful preparation for the formal introduction of history in Year 1 where students are first exposed to some of the second order-concepts, namely continuity and change, and significance. Students will leave KS1 with an understanding of past societies and what makes specific events and individuals significant. Upon entering KS2, our students begin their chronological journey and are gradually exposed to a greater range of second-order concepts. As a result, Chobham students leave the primary phase with an understanding of each second-order concept, having been exposed to each one in different contexts. They will have a firm foundational knowledge of British and world history ranging from ancient history to present day.
At KS3, our curriculum builds upon the knowledge gained in the Primary phase. We aim for all students to have a strong sense of period for the Middle Ages, the Early Modern era and the 19th-20th century. Students should be aware of the interconnectedness of the modern world through their study of world history through the ages. By the end of KS3, every student is expected to have a strong disciplinary understanding of all second order concepts which they can use to construct historical arguments.
At KS3, our curriculum builds upon the knowledge gained in the Primary phase. We aim for all students to have a strong sense of period for the Middle Ages, the Early Modern era and the 19th-20th century. Students should be aware of the interconnectedness of the modern world through their study of world history through the ages. By the end of KS3, every student is expected to have a strong disciplinary understanding of all second order concepts which they can use to construct historical arguments. In both KS4 and KS5, students reinforce their understanding of the second order concepts through studying a range of topics in breadth and depth. Students leave KS4 and KS5 respectively, with a secure sense of both British and world history. They will have developed into independent thinkers with the confidence to construct convincing lines of arguments and to formulate a judgement on a historiographical issue.