'The past is gone. History is is the study of how historians construct the past in the present’
History is about people – real people whose lives were sometimes exciting and sometimes frightening. Whatever their lives were about, there's a fascinating, and sometimes tragic, story behind them. As well as being exciting, studying history helps you to develop skills which can be used across the subjects you study.
At Unity Academy, history is a way for our students to explore our locality and how significant events have shaped who we are. During our lessons, the students have chances to develop their research skills using primary and secondary sources and artefacts. We aim to provide school trips and historical visitors for all year groups to allow them to explore further using the ‘hands on’ experience.
In Primary our teaching of History will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world to build respect, appreciation, and pride for their country. We aim for it to inspire pupils’ curiosity about the past to develop their understanding of key events. Children will ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. Through the teaching of History we endeavour to teach pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, including those of the present, the process of change, the diversity of societies and beliefs, whilst celebrating these differences.
In Secondary our students develop an understanding of key events in history and how they have shaped the world we live in today. They study a diverse curriculum enabling them to build their knowledge of their own heritage. Central to this will be the opportunity to widen their understanding of our local history. Our students engage with the work of historians, examine historical scholarship and study the process of how history is constructed. This is achieved by accessing a wide variety of stimuli material, within and beyond the classroom.
In KS3 students study aspects of history from 1066 to the present including depth studies on the Norman Conquest, Tudors and Stuarts, the slave trade, the Industrial Revolution, the Holocaust and the events of the Twentieth century. They also study the theme of migration through time and a pre-1066 unit on the Anglo-Saxons. Students then have the option to study at GCSE.
History N - 11 2023 - 2024