History
At FCC, we aim to fire students’ curiosity about the past both in Britain and the wider world. Students are encouraged to develop a chronological framework of British and overseas history that will enable them to make sense of the new knowledge they acquire, allowing them to understand how and why we arrived ‘here’ and help them to make sense of the present, their own identity and the challenges of their time.
It will also enable them to become empathetic thinkers who are able to understand how diversity and history are inextricably entwined. Contrary to many peoples’ beliefs, history is not just about dates and battles, kings and queens, facts and figures. The story of the past is open to interpretation. Much of our history is a carefully edited and even stylised version of events. It is not only a record of what happened but is constructed and contested, made up of competing narrative, like a ‘tapestry of different stories woven together’ by whoever was in power at the time. Therefore, as well as analysing historical evidence our students are encouraged to consider the political/ideological/ religious/cultural context in which it was created. We aim to give our students the tools to unpick this so they can see how different narratives have been constructed and why.
This will help them become analytical and moral citizens with a life-long love of history. They will be able to question human motivation and societies with skill and confidence, becoming independent learners who value hard work, want to ask questions, think critically and understand the relevance of the past on the world and society today. By being fluent in their thinking, talking and writing they will be able to articulate their knowledge and understanding and ultimately enhance their lives in and beyond the classroom.
Our curriculum aims to provide a firm foundation for those who opt for History at GCSE with a focus on the key second-order concepts that will enable students to have a greater awareness and understanding of the complexities of the subject that underpin it post 14.
Finally, it is also our goal that EOTC opportunities are enhanced across all years within KS3. Furthermore, we envisage two other developments. Firstly, we hope in the medium term to adapt our curriculum so that it fits more logically with the topics and skills that other departments are following at KS3, so that knowledge and skills in History are not treated in isolation but as part of a bigger whole. In addition, we aim to create a student body made up of students across the school who will monitor the curriculum and be empowered to suggest changes, so that the curriculum remains relevant and accessible, yet robust and challenging.
With an emphasis on enquiry, our KS3 curriculum is designed to arouse interest with enquiry questions that interweave the big questions and themes of history with the personal individual stories that make the past such an exciting and interesting place. Throughout the KS3 curriculum, students are encouraged to work with ‘real’ sources of evidence and frame and reflect on their work through the three lenses of power, beliefs and the experiences of ordinary people’s lives. By adopting this approach, they should then be able to draw threads between different periods of the past and be able to make judgements as to the extent of change over time. Each lesson will also promote key knowledge and disciplinary ‘takeaways’ so that students can make links between developments in the past, think like historians and develop historical skills as well as substantive knowledge.
Our students will have confidence in discussing history and will be able to make links between the present and the past, as well as between two or more different periods. This will be shown through student voice questionnaires, their exercise books and in discussion. Furthermore, low-stakes testing, assessments and examination results will enable us to assess the success of the new KS3 curriculum. Option take up at GCSE and A level will also act as key indicators.