At Walkington School we value historical study highly as a vital element of learning both who we are and about the world around us.
Without understanding where we come from and how we got here, it is difficult to appreciate our current place in the world. History is one of the key foundation blocks, along with other branches of science and the arts, which gives young people cultural capital, and the ability to make sense of the world they see around them. It goes beyond a simple, yet important, fascination with people and events of the past, providing children with a set of skills that allow children critically filter the bewildering amount of information they encounter in their daily lives.
We aim to give all our pupils the skills to successfully transfer their natural inquisitiveness and curiosity into deeper, more critical study as they continue through their education, and a also a vocabulary to understand the evolution and changes in human development.
By the time pupils leave us, our ultimate aims are that all our children:
- See History as an ordered but everchanging continuum, and to identify the events in the past that shape our present and our future lives
- Understanding that no historical change occurs in isolation: that every event has an identifiable cause and effect.
- Develop critical thinking skills – enquiry, analysis and interpretation enabling them to look at the past, the present and events in the future from a broader perspective.
- Develop a sense of chronology across numerous period of human history.
- Through the study of various characters from the past, foster an enduring interest in human life far beyond their own locality and lifetime.
The school recognises that each pupil will be at a different point in terms of their understanding of art by the time they transition to KS3; however we are committed to providing a learning pathway which is inclusive for everyone irrespective of abilities.
This intention also aligns closely with our aim of promoting the “Global Competencies” outlined by the OECD.