The New Secondary Curriculum Regional Subject Briefing Importance statement

Starting point. Creating a departmental vision. The construction of any curriculum begins with questions about the purpose and philosophy of the curriculum. The new orders for history offer departments a ready made statement of history’s importance and purpose.

The importance of history History helps pupils to ask and answer questions of the present by engaging with the past. It fires their curiosity and imagination, ….. It helps them develop their own identity through an understanding of history at personal, local, national and international levels. Pupils find out about the history of their community, Britain, Europe and the world. They develop a chronological overview that enables them to make connections ….. As they develop their understanding of the nature of historical study…..They appreciate why they are learning what they are learning and can debate its significance. History prepares pupils for the future, equipping them with knowledge and skills that are prized in adult life, enhancing employability and developing an ability to take part in a democratic society. It encourages mutual understanding of the historic origins of our ethnic and cultural diversity, and helps pupils become confident and questioning individuals.

Discussion points. To what extent does your department agree with the statement? Is there anything you feel should be added or challenged? How does your current departmental rationale compare to the statement from the curriculum document? Are there any areas of significant similarity or difference? What has been the relationship between the choice of content (or knowledge) and your departmental rationale? How does the new curriculum’s statement of importance support areas of content you currently teach? Does certain content lend itself to the concepts in the revised curriculum? Can you agree a new departmental rationale that reflects upon the importance statement in the history curriculum, your own departmental beliefs about the purpose of history and the strengths and weaknesses of your current provision?

Next Steps. What role should history play in the life of your pupils and school? Develop the statement of importance by considering the needs of your pupils and school. For example your school may serve a community of diverse ethnicities and religions, this is now a historical concept but you may wish to reflect it in your departmental rationale by highlighting the phrase ‘History contributes to the knowledge and understanding of other countries and cultures in the modern world, and encourages mutual understanding of the historic origins of our ethnic and cultural diversity’.

How does your current PoS support your new rationale for history and the revised concepts, processes and content? Choosing the knowledge that you teach should be a reflective and considered process. It needs not only to support the teaching of the concepts and processes of the new orders but also your rationale. eg: How is your unit on the Peasants’ Revolt going to support the rationale? How will it build the concepts and skills? How will it contribute to other areas of knowledge?

What new areas of content can you choose to support both the rationale of history in your school and the progression of historical skills and concepts in your pupils? How might a unit on the British Empire be developed? What content would you wish to include and exclude? Which units might allow pupils to develop their ‘personal, family or local history’? How would doing so contribute to your vision of history and the development of pupils’ attitudes towards it?

What do you want your pupils to have gained from their study of history at KS3? What would be your ideal end result? If they study no more history in their lives what would you want them to have taken from your curriculum? How can your curriculum encourage pupils to continue their study of history? How is this reflected in your departmental rationale and curriculum plan?