Intent
The GCSE Historical curriculum at Edith Kay Independent School has been designed with regard to the personal and social aspects that aid the building of the well-rounded character of the pupils at the school. The primary aim of the History curriculum is to provide pupils with an understanding of the history, cultural, and social makeup of the United Kingdom, the world, as well as London itself. The secondary aim of the History curriculum is to facilitate cross-curricular links with the core subjects of English and PSHE.
By the end of each academic year, pupils must be able to produce evidence of their understanding of the required examination skills. However, as part of the socialisation process, pupils will display signs of informed questioning and historical inquisitiveness.
Implementation
As the curriculum relies upon a vast array of diverse resources, pupils are provided with opportunities to access history in a way that is unique and more interactive for Edith Kay School. Pupils benefit from three History lessons per week and the chance to visit sites that are relevant to their learning. Each pupil has a specifically tailored programme which utilises scaffolded pedagogical practice as a foundation for all learning. EHCPs are used to inform planning for each lesson. Difficult subjects are sensitively handled in order to ensure a greater experience of learning within the classroom.
As History requires a large number of extensive thinking skills to be developed, historical first and second-order concepts being at the heart of the course, each lesson factors in a new skill. The curriculum is sequenced to allow attempts in at least one element of exam skill practice during each lesson so as to build the academic confidence of our pupils. Learning is carefully sequenced into modular sections, with each section aimed to be completed by the end of each term. This was designed to provide an element of structure for both the pupils and the department.
The History modules currently provided by Edith Kay Independent School are:
These modules were selected considering the locality of the school, as well as the cultural and social value that they provide to pupils. With London possessing a vast array of historical monuments, museums, artefacts, and more, it was decided to implement this programme in full.
Impact
By the end of the course, pupils must be able to decide the historical significance of their learning, as well as be able to understand the context of their locality. This is important considering the nature of the school, as well as the utility of history in the lives of children and young people. Pupils will also have potentially achieved a GCSE accreditation in the subject, depending on their ability and level.