At Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School, History and Geography is taught through the Creative Curriculum; this means that areas of study are taught within contextual situations and children can apply a variety skills when finding solutions to questions posed in lessons.  We try to make the Creative Curriculum meaningful and contextual which brings situations and events to life and makes experiences, concepts and dates memorable.   The children are also given opportunities to carry out investigations where they need to research and evaluate evidence.  They use and develop critical thinking skills in these contexts and are able to produce reports or viewpoints about different events and contexts. Furthermore, pupil learning champions support the curriculum throughout the year by working with the subject leader on school improvement.

Each class works on their question led topic for a week at the start of term, five times a year.  This allows them to become highly immersed and engaged in the topic and also gives them the opportunity to understand the topic and concepts at a deeper or mastery level. We use Thinking Actively in a Social Context (TASC) and; Build a Team when teaching the Creative Curriculum.  TASC provides the children with a structure to approach issues and problems posed within lessons. The TASC wheel helps them to research design, refine, share and evaluate their work. Build a Team teaches the children to critically appraise a problem and then assemble a team which would have the necessary skills to build a solution.

The Creative Curriculum is therefore designed to develop knowledge and skills that are progressive in both History and Geography, as well as transferable giving children an understanding of our ever changing world and their role within it.

At Our Lady’s, we develop the following essential characteristics of geographers:

• a secure knowledge of where places are and what they are like, both in the locality, Britain and the wider world;
• a comprehensive understanding of the ways in which places are interdependent and interconnected;
• an extensive base of geographical knowledge and vocabulary;
• fluency in complex, geographical enquiry and the ability to apply questioning skills, as well as effective presentation techniques;
• the ability to reach clear conclusions and explain their findings;
• developing fieldwork skills, as well as other geographical aptitudes and techniques, including map skills;
• the ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about current issues in society and the environment;
• a genuine interest in the subject and a real sense of curiosity about the world and the people who live here.

At Our Lady’s, we develop the following essential characteristics of historians:

• a secure knowledge of a sense of time – with a coherent, chronological understanding;
• a comprehensive understanding of cause and consequence as well as continuity and change;
• an extensive base of historical knowledge and vocabulary;
• to think critically, enquire, interpret, question and challenge sources, opinions and information based on historical context of key events;
• effectively use a range of artefacts and sources; focusing on analysing origin, purpose, accuracy and reliability;
• the ability to express well-balanced opinions, rooted in very good knowledge and understanding about historical events;
• a genuine interest in the subject and a real sense of curiosity about the world and their place in it.