Humanities – History and Geography
At Ashmount we want to inspire children’s curiosity to know more about the past and to develop a fascination of the world they live in and its people.
History
At Ashmount, children develop their knowledge of historical periods, events and significant individuals. Children learn key facts and concepts alongside skills such as chronological understanding, how to analyse and evaluate historical evidence, how to empathise with people from different eras and how to compare and contrast life in different periods. We have ensured that our topics meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and are both thought-provoking and interesting for the children.
In Key Stage One, children develop an awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time. They will learn about where the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods. They will learn to use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms and to ask and answer questions, choosing and using parts of stories and other sources to show that they know and understand key features of events. They will be taught some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.
In Key Stage Two, children continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study. They will investigate the connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms. They will address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance. They will construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information and understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
Geography
At Ashmount, children develop their knowledge of the world and its people. They learn about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments and gain an understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. We have ensured that our topics meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and are both thought-provoking and interesting for the children.
In Key Stage One, children develop knowledge about the world, the United Kingdom and their locality. They learning subject-specific vocabulary relating to human and physical geography and begin to use geographical skills, including first-hand observation, to enhance their locational awareness.
In Key Stage Two, children extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. This will include the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. They will develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.
By the end of KS2, children will have attended a range of educational visits with a historical or geographical focus linked to their topic. In addition, children will have had chance to engage in immersive role-play, handle artefacts, props and clothing and express their learning through drama, discussion, art and writing.
Curriculum Overview
See below for an overview of our History and Geography topics that are studied within each year group.