Teaching Staff

Curriculum Intent

The study of History is crucial in understanding our own experiences and the experiences of those around us, both past and present; it allows us to learn from and build on these experiences to shape our future. As a result of this, students of history develop social and emotional skills of empathy, compassion, kindness, respect and understanding which not only underpin the ethos of our Academy but prepares pupils for life outside of school. In developing an understanding of the rich fabric of human history and appreciation of the pivotal events that have shaped our world, pupils develop highly transferable skills such as cognitive reasoning, advanced analytical skills and a sophisticated grasp of both literacy and oracy. Such skills lead historians to careers in academia, law, journalism and politics. Perhaps most crucially, the pursuit of History is an exciting and challenging endeavour; it not only empowers but it inspires, it engages and broadens horizons and leaves us all with even more questions.  

History is not just a sequence of events but a rich narrative spanning the lifetime of human endeavour. At ASFA we build on the historical knowledge and understanding, pupils developed at Key Stage 2 by ensuring they have the opportunities to connect previously taught content to new historical enquiries. For example, pupils who have studied the Ancient Civilisations of Greece and Rome at primary level will learn how the culture and traditions of that time were lost during the Dark ages and re-emerged in Europe during the Renaissance. Pupils who studied the impact of Viking invasions on Britain will have the opportunity to use that knowledge in a wider enquiry on the global significance of Viking achievements. We also ensure that we fill gaps in prior learning by embedding recall and revisit activities allowing pupils to expand their contextual understanding of each period we study.   

As a diverse and inclusive Academy, the History Curriculum at ASFA is designed to embrace and celebrate the fascinating histories of people from all over the world. This allows our pupils to be exposed to new ideas, religions and stories from other cultures and crucially, to study the history, which represents themselves and their ancestors. As Marcus Garvey wrote ‘A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots’.  The history department has high expectations of all pupils. We are dedicated to ensuring our curriculum is not only engaging but is accessible to all learners with extra support for pupils with SEND requirements and English as an additional language. We recognise that all pupils are unique, and we aspire to ensure each pupil at ASFA enjoys history and makes strong progress throughout their time with us  

Our history curriculum enables to pupils to improve their cultural capital with wide ranging debates and discussions on the merits of big ideas that have impacted cultures the world over. Pupils will discuss creative indulgence in the Golden Age of Islam, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment and modern-day political theories such as Capitalism and Communism to broaden their understanding of how the world works. The history curriculum at ASFA is informed by a broad range of primary source material and modern historiography. In order to ensure pupils progress and develop an appreciation of how history is written, the History department strives to embed numerous strategies for improving literacy through reading and oracy. Pupils are exposed to texts ranging from medieval to contemporary sources, expanding both their vocabulary and fluency of expression as a result.