Vision

To extend our students’ intellectual horizons, creating knowledgeable, accepting and respectful young adults, who understand the complexity and diversity of the origins of today’s world.

Intent

We enable our students to become inquisitive, lifelong learners with the skills and knowledge required to critique and understand the world around them, both physically and in the media.  We believe that History should enable students to broaden their understanding of the wide range of perspectives and lived experiences of past events.  We aim to instil acceptance of others through knowledge and understanding of a diverse range of historical events both nationally and globally.  We also believe that it is our duty to provide students with the skills and knowledge to understand current global events which will impact on their daily lives.  We also aim to show students how Poole and Dorset’s history intertwines with both the national and global developments studied at KS3.

The Magna History curriculum also aims to challenge student misconceptions about the past and about other peoples by ensuring that we take an accurate and objective view of historic events encountering each geographic location in multiple time periods, from multiple perspectives.

The History curriculum is designed to extend our pupils’ intellectual horizons, creating knowledgeable, accepting and respectful young adults, who understand the root of people’s differences. Our pupils are immersed in knowledge, which allows them to develop a secure understanding of English, British and world history until the present day. Students study history chronologically, beginning with prehistoric England, through medieval life, Britain’s changing role in the world, and culminating with the conflicts and changes of the 21st century that continue to shape the world we live in today. The curriculum is taught through a range of high-order concepts such as, cause and consequence, change and continuity, significance, interpretations and source enquiry.  We aim to both proactively and responsively challenge every student appropriate to their starting point and believe all students should have access to a breadth of knowledge.

As well as academic disciplinary knowledge, our curriculum will equip students for success in the 21st century, both as a result of the skills embedded in our lessons but also as a result of carefully selected subject knowledge.  Through this our students will finish their History studies with the ability to critique the world around and communicate for a variety of purposes, which will serve them well in the workplace.  We also make clear reference to relevant future pathways supported by history knowledge and skills.

As well as our exciting, demanding and varied curriculum, the History department offers a range of extra-curricular opportunities including school-wide competitions, trips and opportunities to engage with historians through a trip to Chalke Valley History Festival.

Implementation

At Magna Academy, our History curriculum is compulsory until students finish Year 9.  Students are taught by passionate, expert teachers who are committed to securing progress both in terms of academic achievement and global awareness and understanding.  

This History curriculum is full of opportunities to be immersed in challenging content and literature with appropriate scaffolding to enhance all students’ cultural capital as well as their historical knowledge.  The knowledge to be taught has been carefully selected to ensure connectivity between all key stages and where appropriate other disciplines.

Students will be exposed to a wide range of historical sources and interpretations.  This will provide opportunities to engage critically with material which stretches their understanding.  We also aim to challenge common misconceptions about the past, particularly surrounding British Imperialism, the Holocaust and life in the Middle Ages.  A breadth of knowledge across a variety of contrasting topics is supported by an assessment structure that recalls prior learning across KS3 and KS4. Knowledge organisers are used to support students in learning the fundamental facts of each topic. Students in history develop their vocabulary skills through explicit teaching of tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary.

History Curriculum Overview
History Age Related Expectations
History Assessment Journey

Impact

Students will make progress according to their understanding of cause and consequence, change of continuity, interpretation, source analysis and historical literacy. Throughout the year these skills are entwined into enquiries that facilitate accurate assessment of understanding and progression. The culmination of the History curriculum enables students to leave Magna equipped with the knowledge of how society’s problems have been dealt with in the past to help them deal with the issues of today.

Where next

Effective Revision

This is a very important time in the life of any student preparing for a variety of year group assessments, mocks or final course exams. In…

Effective Revision

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