History

Black History Month takes place every October in the UK.

It is an entire month dedicated to celebrating the contributions of Black communities and individuals.  It is an opportunity to learn how they have helped shape the dynamic and diverse country we have today.

It is also about raising awareness of the contribution Black people have made to our freedoms, culture and society.

From Roman times onwards, Black people have been an integral part of Britain, and the National Curriculum supports teaching about their contribution.

One of the key aims of the history curriculum is to know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day. This includes how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world, which helps build an understanding of a shared British history.

Although Black History Month only happens once a year, the teaching of Black history doesn’t begin and end there. The curriculum supports children learning about it all year round.

Some of the famous people we will be learning about in our school are listed below.  This is just a sample of the amazing people our students could research.

Mary Prince

Author and Abolitionist 1788 - 1833

Mary was born into slavery, she eventually escaped and wrote her autobiography. This was the first book telling the life of a black woman to be published in Britain. She paved the way for black authors of the future.

Sir Trevor McDonald

TV Reporter/ Journalist He was the first black male journalist on British TV. He received a knighthood from the queen for his services to journalism.

Naomi Campbell

Supermodel First black woman to appear on the cover of French and British Vogue magazine. Naomi speaks out against racism in fashion.

Ade Adepitan

Wheelchair Basketball Player & Television Presenter

Sir Lewis Hamilton

Formula One Racing Driver

Sir Lewis Hamilton is a 7 time Formula 1 world champion and winner of over 100 races

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

Composer Samuel lived between 1875 and 1912.

He went to the Royal College of Music in London. Despite the many injustices he faced, he was invited to play in the White House by President Roosevelt. Samuel paved the way for future black classical artists

Olive Morris

Olive Morris lived at a time when black people didn't have the same rights as other people. She campaigned for civil rights in London and Manchester.

Intent

By linking learning to a range of topics, children have opportunities to investigate and interpret the past, understand chronology, build an overview of Britain’s past as well as that of the wider world, and to be able to communicate historically.

We develop children with the following essential characteristics to help them become historians:

• An excellent knowledge and understanding of people, events and contexts from a range of historical periods, including significant events in Britain’s past;
• The ability to think critically about history and communicate ideas confidently to a range of audiences;
• The ability to support, evaluate and challenge their own and others’ views using historical evidence from a range of sources;
• The ability to think, reflect, debate, discuss and evaluate the past by formulating and refining questions and lines of enquiry;
• A respect for historical evidence and the ability to make critical use of it to support their learning;
• A desire to embrace challenging activities, including opportunities to undertake high-quality research across a range of history topics;

A developing sense of curiosity about the past and how and why people interpret the past in different ways.

Implementation

We will implement these intentions through following the CUSP format, which draws on prior knowledge and learning and guidance of the National Curriculum.  Links will be made to locality and significant individuals (including their achievements or legacies) Some areas of enquiry across KS1 will be revisited in KS2 to help pupils develop links and understanding between historical periods and how they interlink through developing a wider understanding as they move up the school.

Teachers will plan at least one trip or external visitor per year to link with their learning and help develop the keen minds of historical enquiry amongst our pupils.

Support for staff will be offered so that members of staff feel supported with their teaching and planning of history.

Wherever possible, children should be given hands on experiences of learning about the past and its impact upon modern society through practical lessons and carefully planned for trips to enrich pupil understanding.

Impact

Emphasis is placed on analytical thinking and questioning which helps pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world and are curious to know more about the past. Through this study pupils learn to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. We will be able to measure this through monitoring of the tracking grids and also reflective responses given to a half-termly deeper thinking question. These responses should be independent to gauge pupil understanding.

Overview History for 2024/2025