Mr M Murray – Head of History

Intent

The History Department’s vision at Holy Cross Catholic High School is to engage pupils into the exciting, important and enjoyable subject of History.

The History Department at Holy Cross aims to:

• Engage, interest and excite pupils in History as a subject that is important, relevant and has key career benefits.  Our inclusive rewards policy recognises performances of all pupils regularly throughout the year.
• Embed key historical skills, such as chronology, sources and interpretations as pupils learn about History as a discipline.  Our assessment framework is structured to gradually build these skills and to enable pupils to progress from Beginning to Mastery.
• Build an understanding of substantive knowledge through learning about key events and periods in British and World history.  The curriculum is structured around a balance of chronological, depth and thematic topics, which enable pupils to grow in historical understanding as they progress through the school.
• Enrich the curriculum by taking pupils outside the classroom to Warwick Castle, International Slavery Museum, Battlefields of WW1 in Belgium and France, Berlin, Auschwitz and Krakow.  The History Department also leads the whole-school commemorations of Remembrance and Holocaust Memorial.

“The biggest challenge facing teachers is how to ignite the first spark, which lights up one source of history and then another, zigzagging across the marsh, connecting and linking and writing bright words across the dark face of the present. History matters – it is thrilling, absorbing, fascinating, delightful and infuriating. It is life“.

Stephen Fry, Making History

Curriculum Map

Curriculum Journey