History Department Handbook

2013-14 Mr J. Wilson (JWI)

2 PB History Department Handbook

Table of Contents
1.1 Our Vision 1.2 Staff 1.3 Aims & Objectives 2.1 KS3 2.1i Year 7 The changing world 2.1ii Year 8 The 20th Century the most significant century? 2.2 KS4 2.2i Year 9 2.2ii Year 10 2.2iii Year 11 2.3 Other qualifications 3.1 General Remarks 3.2 What makes a good History lesson? 3.3 Teaching and Learning Strategies 3.4 Marking, Assessment, Recording and Reporting 3.5 Monitoring of Teaching and Learning 3.6 Teaching pupils with Special Educational Needs in History 3.7 Teaching the Able and Talented in History 4.1 Observations 4.2 Assessment 4.3 Homework 4.4 Behaviour and ethos 4.5 Rewards and Sanctions 4.6 Literacy 4.7 Numeracy 4.8 ICT 4.9 Social Media 4.10 Citizenship 4.11 Educational Visits 4.12 Professional Development

1. The Department

4
4 4 4

2 Syllabus

4
4 5 5 5 6 6 6 6

3. Teaching in the Department

7 7 8 8 9 10 11 12 12 13 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17

4. Policies

12

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4.13 Absence 5.1 Rooms 5.2 Books 5.3 Audio-Visual 5.4 Information Technology 5.5 Staff generated material 5.6 Subscriptions A1 Responsibility Matrix A2 Job Descriptions Job Purpose Duties and responsibilities Person Specification A3 Useful Websites A4 Key Stage 3 assessment levels A5 GCSE Assessment levels (A*-C)

17

5 Resources

17
17 17 18 18 18 18

Appendix

19
19 20 20 20 20 21 22 24

Schemes of Work

25

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1. The Department
1.1 Our Vision

We as a department value the teaching of history as being crucial to the development of any human being. It really is true that in history lessons we teach students about the triumphs of mankind, as well as the grave mistakes we have made. The aim of this department is to produce excitement, curiosity, and scepticism in our students; so that they may challenge facts and push themselves to really understand the world they live in.

We learn from history that we learn nothing from history

George Bernard Shaw

1.2 Staff

Full time Staff Mr James Wilson BA (Hull) P.G.C.E. (Worcester) Mr Darren Hart Mr Oliver King We will also have 2 P.G.C.E. students joining us from local Universities JWI DH OKI

1.3 Aims & Objectives

To be completed in Sept with Staff

2 Syllabus
2014 will see the total transformation of the History national curriculum by the DfE. In particular, Secondary schools will no longer teach pre 1750 history to students, pre-1750 studies will be completed in primary schools. In preparation for this change, the KS3 syllabus will see a complete overhaul in 2013. The academic year 2013-14 should be seen as an interim period whereby staff are trialling new topics to see if the students respond well or not. Obviously during this period there may be some overlap between teachers and this is fine. The sole aim is to make sure that the syllabus is agreed by all teaching staff by September 2014. Teachers should refer to the following passage in their planning:
Building on the study of the chronology of the history of Britain in Key Stage 2, teaching of the periods specified below should ensure that pupils understand and use historical concepts in increasingly sophisticated ways to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts. They should develop an awareness and understanding of the role and use of different types of sources, as well as their strengths, weaknesses and reliability. They should also examine cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social aspects and be given the opportunity to study local history. The teaching of the content should be approached as a combination of overview and in-depth studies.
Aim of 2014 Draft Curriculum Department for Education, 2014 Draft History Curriculum

2.1 KS3

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2.1i Year 7 The changing world

Autumn 1 Autumn 2 Spring 1 Spring 2 Summer 1 Summer 2 Skills in History (introduction unit + Bromsgrove mystery) What happened during the slave trade? How have governments been toppled in History (French Revolution) How have governments been toppled in History? (America/Russia) What were the effects of the Industrial Revolution? What was life like in Victorian Birmingham (Local History)

2.1ii Year 8 The 20th Century the most significant century?

Autumn 1 Autumn 2 Spring 1 Spring 2 Summer 1 Summer 2
How different was Britain at the start of the century? Why is the Titanic disaster such a significant event? Why is the First World War known as the Great War? Was Hitler the only person to blame for the Second World War? Why was the Second World War a world war? Why should we remember the Holocaust?

At PB, GCSE study starts at the beginning of year 9. The aim is to slowly settle the students in year 9 and try to gain an understanding of strengths and weaknesses. At present we follow the OCR SHP course, and our new students will study Edexcel SHP History. Both courses have terminal examinations at the end of year 11, although students may be entered early in year 10, and complete an HPQ qualification in year 11, centred on an aspect of history which interests them; this will be discussed at the beginning of the 2014/15 year, the aim of this qualification would be for the more able to gain more points and become more ready for A-Levels at PBII. The aim over the next few academic years is have the GCSE cohort split on ability, then the top band would complete the OCR Modern World Course as a gifted and talented stretch and challenge strategy. The benefit of the Ed-excel course is that it is broken up into 3 equally weighted units, each with an 1hr 15m exam and one piece of controlled assessment (again equal weighting). This will be easier to administer over three years as per the current 3 year GCSE model used at PB.

2.2 KS4

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The 3 year overview: Term 1 (12 weeks) Term 2 (12 weeks) Term 3 (12 weeks) Term 4 (12 weeks) Term 5 (12 weeks) Term 6 (12 weeks) Term 7 (12 weeks) Term 8 (12 weeks) Term 9
Transition Unit: Starting out in GCSE History Unit 3 Source Enquiry The impact surgery in Britain 25% Unit 2 Depth Study Life in Germany 25% Unit 4 Controlled Assessment Vietnam 1960-75 25% 8 weeks

17 weeks

19 weeks

20 weeks

Unit 1 Development Study Medicine 1350-present day 25%

22 weeks

Revision

16 weeks

2.2i Year 9
Tbc Tbc Tbc

2.2ii Year 10 2.2iii Year 11 2.3 Other qualifications

The HPQ qualification could also be trialled by the History department this year. A standalone qualification, the Higher Project Qualification offered by AQA will stretch students even further in their History studies. The project aims to build on GCSE skills and give students a GCSE A*-C equivalent qualification. The project itself will contain a 500-2000 word report along with either a recorded presentation, artefact, event or a host of other ideas which can be discussed with the appropriate groups. The project itself is run totally independently by the students, which means minimal output by the teacher, freeing up a member of staff to complete other departmental duties mentoring PGCE/NQT/School direct etc. Citizenship will also be taught by JWI this year. The Ed-Excel course will be taught using the Pearson textbooks. There is scope of these students also completing a short course GCSE.

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3. Teaching in the Department

3.1 General Remarks
The Department teaches all students up to the end of year 8 when the subject becomes an option. Year 7 are taught once a fortnight, and Year 8 are taught once a fortnight. At KS4 students receive two lessons a fortnight. In year 9,10,11 students are in mixed ability history classes, although there will be an attempt to change this to classes set on ability in the near future. The Department prides itself on the quality of teaching the students receive and constantly is at the forefront of educational change, often experimenting in the classroom to try and achieve equilibrium between exciting fast paced lessons and the basic course content necessary to achieve success. The Department is a close knit hive for like-minded teachers who share good practice and always try to work collaboratively in the creation of the syllabus.

3.2 What makes a good History lesson?

In the History classroom we aim for pupils to acquire and develop: an overview of the past; an increasingly firm understanding of organizing concepts; more purposeful and increasingly analytical enquiry; a grasp of the importance of historical interpretation.

To achieve these aims: History lessons should be set within medium and long term planning to enable progression in knowledge understanding and skills and ensure pupil are engaged and learn through varied and balanced teaching. It is essential that pupils are taught in a way that links new work to prior learning and enables pupils to develop an overview of the past. Lessons should be inclusive, allowing all pupils to understand and enjoy History. During planning the ability range and character of a class must be considered, to involve lower attaining pupils and help them to communicate what they know and to extend the most able. History teaching should be motivating and engaging, the significance of what is being taught always being made clear to pupils. A teachers historical knowledge and interest is vital for arousing and maintaining pupils interest and for the development of knowledge, understanding and skills. The teacher will lead learning through well-paced explanation, effective questioning, exposition and review. Economic use of time and resources will ensure that pupils contextual understanding is firmly established while their historical skills are developed and reinforced. Resources and learning strategies will be selected to develop conceptual understanding and to provide increasing challenge as progress is made. The excellent history teacher will constantly raise the stakes. Progression in the understanding, use of and evaluation of historical evidence is ensured when pupils are encouraged to ask questions of historical sources, rather than rely on low level and formulaic approaches for example simplistic notions of primary and secondary evidence.

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Pupils should be encouraged to think about interpretations of people, events and developments in history, making inferences and establishing hypotheses. The teacher will build vital confidence in pupils by modelling these processes and thinking out loud. How is a good History lesson organised? a prompt and orderly start with a lively and engaging starter activity to establish early teaching points, to retrieve previous knowledge and to identify quickly any gaps in knowledge a clear lesson aim (and objectives where appropriate) in line with the Scheme of work. This is usually communicated to pupils but it may be discovered as the lesson unfolds. a clear link to previous learning and a clear pathway to what will be learned in future lessons; a New learning / Developing thinking phase in which the whole class are introduced to main learning activity (or activities) its relevance is explained and the process modelled whenever possible. The widest possible variety of teaching and learning strategies should be considered for the main learning activity - active learning strategies (learning by doing) should always be favoured. Pupils must understand how this part of the lesson relates to the learning objectives. The task should be challenging and achievable; it will often need to be differentiated to be appropriate for all of the class; The main learning activity will rely on a well selected main resource or resources that are stimulating, motivating and accessible for all pupils. Constant reference to the learning objectives, and a constant willingness from the students to progress. Mini-plenaries throughout the lesson to check learning. A structured plenary to review learning and create an opportunity to reflect on the learning process itself this can help develop the pupils thinking skills. Plenaries are short and may take place at the end of the lesson or may be broken-up into a series of shorter plenaries throughout the lesson; An orderly end and dismissal from the lesson.

The History department tries to use the widest possible range of teaching and learning strategies. Our schemes of work seek to include a range of tasks with little repetition throughout any particular scheme. A new KS3 curriculum is planned for September 2013 including a project based learning module which will culminate in a showcase of students work. Students will be asked to evaluate their learning and to comment on their favourite piece of work in the pupil voice surveys at the end of a unit. This can be used to evaluate the success of certain tasks in any scheme. Diversity of tasks within the schemes of work is essential; there may be a number of optional tasks a teacher could use depending on the class being taught. A history ambassador scheme will also be established to ensure that students have direct input into the growth of the department. These ambassadors will be used in interviews as well as using them as guinea pigs for any change we wish to implement.

3.3 Teaching and Learning Strategies

3.4 Marking, Assessment, Recording and Reporting

The History department at Perry Beeches regard assessment as a critical element of teaching and learning. Regular, valid and purposeful assessment of students progress informs teachers and most importantly students themselves, how they are doing and what they must do to improve. We fully acknowledge the principles of assessment for learning, as part of the learning process, rather than in addition to it.

PB History Department Handbook 9 We aim: To assess students achievements in a variety of ways. To always inform students ahead of assessment that a particular piece of work will be formally assessed. To always provide success criteria. To give consistent, frequent and helpful feedback to students about all aspects of their progress. To enable staff to build a clear and accurate picture of students abilities; this will then inform future teaching and learning. To inform parents about progress, achievements as well as problems in their childs journey in History. To collect meaningful data on students progress and to use this information to set appropriate targets, both for the department, teacher and student.

We will achieve our aims through setting formative assessment tasks as part of day to day teaching, marking key assessments and homework. We will always strive to provide opportunities for selfassessment and peer-assessment. In line with PB whole school policy in this area, we: Will keep a central record of student achievement in KA & FFA in the Key Assessment Record form (KAR form) in the front of the exercise books. Aim to mark work, normally within two school weeks of completion, responding meaningfully to what pupils have done; Comment on both effort and attainment, set subject specific targets. Keep mark books which record completion of homework, grades awarded and levels achieved; Report to parents in line with national requirements, pupils attainment and progress in History Provide opportunities across both key stages, for pupils to complete self/peer assessments to evaluate their own progress; To keep a central record of end of unit examinations for pupils to allow the tracking of pupil progress and target setting; Use the school system of rewards, awarding credits and praise postcards; Aim to use assessment as a positive tool to support and encourage learning. To input all data onto a shared mark book on the VLE

3.5 Monitoring of Teaching and Learning

Teaching and learning within the Department will be monitored by the HOD and other teachers of History. Monitoring is not intended to be intrusive or indeed coercive: it is first and foremost a way to ensure the sharing of good practice and to promote collaborative innovation; secondly it is also a way to ensure consistency in standards. We aim to monitor: The curriculum to ensure it matches the needs of all students. The quality of teaching Pupils attitudes towards learning Pupil Progress Teaching and learning strategies employed

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How we intend to monitor: Lesson observations, both formal and informal (see observation section) Shared mark books Scrutiny of students work Pupil focus groups Meetings between HOD and teaching staff

Frequency of monitoring It is intended that the HOD will observe each teacher as part of their performance management, but also encourage peer observation and an open door climate It is intended that a representative sample of student work will be scrutinised by the Department once a term Assessment data will be analysed throughout the year Learning walks will also take place at least once per term

Teachers will be asked to update markbooks on the VLE so that at any one time the HOD has an overview of achievement within the Department. This is not necessarily going to be a reflection of the high standard of teaching students receive, but will certainly give some indication of the impact it is having on student achievement.

3.6 Teaching pupils with Special Educational Needs in History

The History department is committed to creating the best possible learning environment for all pupils by identifying areas where students may need extra help to fully understand the historical concepts that are being taught. Areas of the History Curriculum, which some pupils find difficult: Chronology Source evaluation Interpretation Structured writing.

Provision The History department believes in equal opportunity and consistency in the teaching of History. All pupils follow the same schemes of work and cover exactly the same topics but the schemes of work have the flexibility to pitch the information to the pupils attainment levels. This can mean that the aim and outcome of the lesson as well as the set tasks can vary slightly from teaching groups to maximize the attainment of pupils. a) b) c) d) e) Differentiated text books and worksheets. Writing frames provided. A range of AFL activities. A good use of visual resources i.e. picture writing frames. Key words and concepts displayed around the class room.

Teacher expectations a) The teacher should have high expectations at all times but must make judgments of realistic attainment for each group. In doing so they must then tailor the lessons directly to that group of pupils needs.

PB History Department Handbook 11 b) Pupils must be assessed regularly. Their achievements should be viewed in context of their prior attainment. c) Seating plans should be made with SEN data in mind. d) Teachers should use Teaching assistants effectively during the lesson. e) Teachers should keep a confidential list of pupils on the SEN register in their planner so that of their progress can be easily monitored f) Where a teacher suspects a child may have a learning difficulty then they should follow the school procedure of forwarding their concern to the SENCO.

3.7 Teaching the Able and Talented in History

The provision for Gifted and Talented students is essential in nurturing the progress of the high ability pupils and enabling them to reach their full potential in History. One of the members of the History department also has whole school responsibility for Gifted and Talented pupils. This involves planning and delivering termly workshops to all link staff. The following criteria must be applied to assess G&T historians: Literacy High Literacy level. Can interpret text to a high level. Synthesise information to present a cogent summary. Uses subject-specific vocabulary confidently. Is regularly involved in class discussion making relevant contributions and following an effective line of argument. Access complex source materials with growing confidence.

History Knowledge Extensive general knowledge and significant historical knowledge. A good concept of chronology and sequencing. Strong understanding of period as a result of study. Historical Understanding Grasps quickly the role of criteria in formulating and articulating historical explanation or argument. Understand and apply historical concepts to their study of History. Be able to draw generalisations and conclusions from a range of sources of evidence. Seek to identify patterns and processes in what they study while being aware of the provisional nature of knowledge. Recognise how other disciplines can contribute to the study of History and draw readily on what they learn in other subject to enhance their historical understanding. Enquiry Be able to establish and follow a line of enquiry, identifying and using relevant information. Be good at reasoning and problem solving. Think flexibly, creatively and imaginatively. Show discrimination when selecting facts and evaluating historical evidence. Manipulate historical evidence and information well. Question subject matter in a challenging way. Be intrigued by the similarities and differences between different peoples experiences, time, places and features of the past.

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Thrive on controversy, mystery and problems of evidence. Show resourcefulness and determination when pursuing a line of enquiry. Overall students identified as Gifted and Talented in History show enthusiasm for the subject. There must be an acknowledgement that there is a separation between the good pupil who answers questions to the best of their ability and the gifted student who also asks the challenging questions. Although the gifted student will reflect the majority of the criteria stated above it is recognised that that they will not possess all points on the list. They must however demonstrate skills from a number of the different categories to be included. Provision within the department: a) Extra Challenge questions incorporated into lesson planning. b) Flexibility with in the departmental schemes of work to allow additional or extended activities to challenge higher ability students. c) Trips to enhance learning. d) List of pupils that fit the above criteria. This is revised every year with the removal as well as addition of pupils. This list is kept totally confidential and pupils understanding and knowledge of the list must not create an elitist attitude amongst students. e) Provision of a GCSE course which aims to stretch and challenge gifted historians. f) The Chance for gifted historians to complete further qualifications.

4. Policies
4.1 Observations
It is the aim of the HOD to implement a positive approach to observations. Far too often observations are dreaded by teaching staff due to the fact they are badly managed and poorly held. Throughout the academic year discussions will be held as a Department to try to come to a perfect solution to this problem. The aim would be to create an ethos that teachers want their peers to come into their classroom to observe good practice. An open door policy will be encouraged, whereby teachers welcome any visitors to their room in appropriate lessons, and if there is a standard textbook lesson then teaching staff will close the door. As well as this an observation form is to be produced by the HOD that encourages good practice, rather than looking for the negative in a lesson. Staff will be asked to comment on what went well in lesson, and offer support for parts of lesson which could be improved. These informal observations will carry no Ofsted grading with them, as their fundamental aim is to encourage teachers not give them sleepless nights. This area is one that is very much open for discussion as the HOD is all too aware of work to rule and the sensitivity of the issue.

4.2 Assessment

The History department regard assessment as a critical element of teaching and learning. Regular, valid and varied assessment of pupils progress informs teachers, and most importantly pupils themselves, how they are doing and what they must do to improve. We fully embrace the principles of assessment for learning, regarding assessment as part of the learning process, rather than additional to it.

PB History Department Handbook 13 We aim: To assess pupils achievements in History in ways that are varied, interesting, valid and fair; To always inform pupils what is being assessed and provide success criteria; To give consistent, frequent and helpful feedback to students about all aspects of their progress; To enable staff to build a clear and accurate picture of students abilities that informs future teaching and learning; To inform parents about progress, achievements and problems in their childs learning in History; To collect meaningful data on pupils progress and use the information to set appropriate targets, both for the department and to boost individual pupil achievement.

We achieve our aims through setting formative assessment tasks as part of day to day teaching, marking key tasks set in class and for homework, testing and by providing opportunities for self-assessment/peer assessment.

4.3 Homework

Homework is seen as a vital contribution to work done in class and an ideal opportunity to raise students interest in the subject by allowing the opportunity to work independently. Homework is set in accordance to the school homework timetable wherever this is practical and possible. The aim of homework should always be to stretch and challenge the students, it does not necessarily need to be linked to the classwork but rather it should try to engage the student. Homework tasks will include: follow-ons from classwork, reading, worksheets, research, homework booklets and revision. Help from parents is always appreciated and the department encourages the use of ICT in the completion of homework. However it must be noted that students do not gain any GCSEs for cutting and pasting from the internet! The History Department aims to contribute to a very strong whole school ethos which promotes learning and high expectations. We aim to do this by: Having very high expectations of our students Modelling of appropriate behaviour by staff Promote good Citizenship Promote community and global Citizenship Relate lesson material to everyday life Promote the importance of an education in future success Involve pupils in the teaching, ask them what they enjoy, give them some ownership over activities in the lesson Set high expectations for behaviour and relationships Promote inclusivity through teaching styles, selection of resources and management of the learning environment Model negotiation and conflict resolution Be consistent

4.4 Behaviour and ethos

4.5 Rewards and Sanctions

The Department offers a number of rewards throughout the year: a) The Merit System (input school stuff here) b) Head of Department Commendation: Where any student has produced an outstanding piece of work or worked on a piece over a long period of time this may be commended by the Head of

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History. Once a term students who have been put forward for a commendation in history will enjoy a morning brunch with the History department. c) The Northumberland Prize Annual essay competition, the winner will be awarded 20 Amazon token. d) The Warwickshire Prize Awarded to the student with the highest Controlled Assessment grade in the year (20 Amazon voucher). e) The Worcestershire Prize Awarded to the student which the Department think has worked to an exceptional level all year (10 Amazon prize each year group). If needed the Department will authorise the following behaviour sanctions: a) Teacher detention First and foremost the classroom teacher must try to resolve the problem themselves first. Students respond to higher sanctions quicker if they are a last resort. b) Department detention c) Phonecall home d) Parent meeting e) Removal from the course

4.6 Literacy

The History department incorporates the whole school literacy policy into daily teaching. Subject specific vocabulary is displayed on the wall for all Key Stage 3 units. Help words are on display for extended writing. Pupils are given guidance on how to write information down in specific genres, i.e. newspaper article, diary or letter. Teachers comment on punctuation, spelling and grammar in line with the whole school marking policy. Strategies used to improve pupils literacy skills: a) b) c) d) e) f) Subject specific vocabulary displayed. Key words for each lesson are recorded in pupils books. Full sentences are insisted on when answering questions. Students are encouraged to start sentences without the use of linking words such as because. Pupils are encouraged to write in script (joined up writing). Mnemonics are used to help pupils with their writing i.e. PEE in every paragraph (Point, Example, Explanation). g) Examples of good writing are demonstrated before tasks are begun.

4.7 Numeracy

The History Department supports the Numeracy policy of the school and will continue to reinforce and enhance acquired numeracy skills. Many of the units contained in the scheme of work give scope to develop numeracy skills. The following areas of study are examples of the contribution to the development of key numerical concepts: Statistics Students are asked to consider the casualty figures of The Battle of The Somme as part of their enquiry into the effectiveness of the Battle. Graphs Students produce graphs to illustrate the increase in life expectancy during the Industrial revolution.

PB History Department Handbook 15 Percentages Students make basic calculations when considering how much of the population of Britain was lost during The Plague. Dates Timelines are produced that indicate dates in chronological order and that also enforce the concept of positive and negative numbers when studying BC / AD years. Handling data When studying population change in Britain, students examine figures via a database. Roman numerals During the study of the Romans and Church, Crown or Parliament; students are introduced to the use of numerals still in everyday use today. Scale and awareness of space Students consider scale during the study of Russia/USSR when they compare the vastness of the Russian Empire to Britain today. Distance and length of time Students consider the distance that people travelled and the length of time that they were kept in inhumane conditions during the Slave Trade.

4.8 ICT

It is a clear aim of the department to allow all pupils, but particularly those in KS3, the opportunity to use IT as a tool to complement their use of text books as a source of information. This is most clearly demonstrated by pupils using the internet for project research although this needs to be carefully supervised and it must always be made clear to pupils that cutting and pasting of material is never acceptable. Pupils do, of course use IT in other ways. Pupils produce posters, timelines, PowerPoints, movies and websites as part of their studies

4.9 Social Media

The department has a central twitter account @PBhistory. The main reason for using twitter with PB History department is that it is a valuable tool to advertise and allow academic and the education industry to see what Academy is doing. Twitter is extensively used in the education industry now as a showcase of outstanding practice and many schools may be interested in the excellent work we do here. @PBHistory will not use automation which generate tweets from RSS feeds. If you follow us, you can expect tweets covering some or all of the following: Alerts about new content on our website Information about events being planned and reports on events Information about support that can be offered Examples of excellence Deadline reminders Links to History related websites Revision advice helpline for homework

Following We will only follow other history departments and historians, other school department accounts and the Schools Twitter account on Twitter. We will not follow students back. Being followed by us does not imply

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endorsement of any kind. Followers will be removed and reported if spam or inappropriate content is tweeted. Availability We will update and monitor our Twitter account(s) during office hours, Monday to Friday. The Twitter account may occasionally be available outside these hours. At some points it may be unavailable and we accept no responsibility for lack of service due to Twitter downtime. @Replies and Direct Messages We welcome feedback and ideas from all our followers, and endeavour to join the conversation where possible. However, we are not able to reply individually to all the messages we receive via Twitter. We will try to read all @replies and Direct Messages and ensure that any emerging themes or helpful suggestions are passed to the relevant people at PB. Documentation All tweets, retweets, Direct messages and replies will be documented and kept for reference. Moderation will be carried out by HOD. The Twitter account will follow the schools E-Policy. Before content is posted it will be checked by the schools SLT as under the schools internal policy including use of images, work and persons involved in the content.

4.10 Citizenship

The department recognise and value the significant contribution that History can make to the teaching of Citizenship as a cross curricular theme at KS3. Our GCSE course provides further opportunities for Citizenship learning to those who opt for History at KS4. As part of the process of ongoing review of the History Curriculum we will continue to identify and develop opportunities for Citizenship learning and highlight these in our planning.

4.11 Educational Visits

The History department regard visits as an enormously beneficial part of learning in History. Visits provide pupils with: a) Opportunities to learn through a wide range of sources, including artefacts, archaeological remains, performers and specialists b) Ideas about career opportunities for those who enjoy the study of History c) Social experiences which enhance the enjoyment of History History teachers are invited to discuss proposed trips with the department. The whole school policy on Educational visits should be followed once the department have agreed on a proposed trip. It is hoped in this intial year of teaching to organise a trip to the Belgian battlefields of WWI, as part of an enrichment project linked to various year groups.

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4.12 Professional Development

When CPD opportunities are posted to HOD, he will email them to all History staff. Although the opportunities for CPD courses are dwindling in the UK education system, staff are encouraged to look for as many opportunities they can. Performance management interviews will highlight staff needs. One must never neglect to remember that simply observing outstanding teaching can often have a bigger benefit than a 6 hour course in the city centre. With the increase in social media, Twitter has become a vast pool of teachers you can utilise for advice and guidance. Many great ideas have been born from this new movement. Teachmeets are informal CPD events that are held locally whereby teachers can showcase the good work they are doing on a daily basis. Teachers within the department are encouraged to create a professional twitter account and join in this rapidly expanding network of teachers collaboratively working together to progress as teachers.

4.13 Absence

When it is known in advance that staff are not going to be in school, cover should be left with their cover buddy as indicated on the list below. Cover work should be more than just watching a DVD. Long gone are the days whereby work can be left to make sure the class are simply quiet for the hour. Work should by purposeful and a continuation of the course, every hour is precious, especially on the GCSE course. Please ensure that all photocopying and resources are gathered before the absence. When cover is emergency cover the usual school cover line should be notified as soon as possible. If possible Mr Wilson should be notified via email/text message (any info will be treated as confidential). In these situations cover can be set using the cover folders on the VLE or textbook work. Staff are encouraged to place some standalone lessons in this folder to use in case of emergencies. In both cases seating plans stored electronically in the VLE shall be used so please make sure these are updated regularly to avoid confusion. Absent Teacher Mr Wilson Oliver King Mr Hart PGCE Students Cover Buddy Mr Hart Mr Wilson Oliver King Mr Wilson

5 Resources
5.1 Rooms 5.2 Books
The history Department has two full time classrooms in the school rooms 25 & 26. Both classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboards, projectors and laptop sockets. The Department is well aware that there is often a forgotten resource in the classroom books. Not necessarily text books as often these are too prescriptive. Rather staff should encourage students to engage with historical texts and some general reading history books. Some of the specific books we use are mentioned in the Syllabus section. It is an aim of the Department to improve the provision for the Upper and Lower School.

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Staff are responsible textbooks in their classes. HOD is to be informed of any missing or damaged books so the offending pupil can be billed.

5.3 Audio-Visual

The Department is well stocked in terms of accessible video files on the VLE, as well as a large collection of DVDs. Whenever staff see a viable resource that they feel should be added to the collection they should email HOD who will then arrange for it to be made available. The use of video clips should be encouraged as it can often bring a topic alive, but videos should never be used as a lesson filler, there should be some achievable outcomes planned to run alongside the resource.

5.4 Information Technology

Students will be given access to some of the networked computers during the course of their studies. In the near future it is hoped to access some notebook/tablet computers in the faculty which will enhance students use of ICT in the classroom. The department website will in the future, contain links to reputable websites that can be utilised by all year groups whilst also providing a wealth of revision material for those taking public examinations. Staff are encouraged to produce notes, worksheets and photocopied materials, all of which can be shared within the Department on the VLE. The Reprographics room will photocopy material with 24 hours' notice and staff also have access to a photocopier in the staff computer room via a number code. Staff are also encouraged to display posters and decorate rooms that they work in rooms that they use regularly in stimulating displays which capture students attention.

5.5 Staff generated material

5.6 Subscriptions

The Department is a member of the Historical Association. This gives staff and pupils access to lectures and cut price publications. We also receive the magazine the Historian. The Department also subscribe to the Modern History Review, History Review, Hindsight, and The BBC History Magazine. These can be found in Mr. Wilsons classroom. The aim will be to build up an electronic store full of the most useful articles.

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Appendix
A1 Responsibility Matrix

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A2 Job Descriptions

Perry Beeches Academy Teacher of History

Job Title: Teacher of History Responsible To: The Head of Department, Line Manager, Head teacher and Governing body. Main Purpose of the Post: To teach History across the age and ability range in the school. To support the Head of Department in the administration of the History department

Job Purpose

1. To implement and deliver an appropriately broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated curriculum for students 2. To plan individualised programmes of work for pupils of varying ability levels. 3. To co-operate with the Head of Department and other colleagues in the development of appropriate syllabuses, materials / resources and schemes of work. 4. To be familiar with developments at Key Stage 3 and 4 History and competent in use of I.C.T. 5. To monitor and support the overall progress and development of students as a teacher / Form Tutor 6. To facilitate and encourage a learning experience which provides students with the opportunity to achieve 7. To contribute to raising standards of student attainment 8. To share and support the schools responsibility to provide and monitor opportunities for personal and academic growth To contribute to the curriculum area and departments improvement plan and its implementation To plan and prepare courses and lessons To contribute to the whole schools planning activities To take part in the schools Continuing Professional Development programme by participating in arrangements for further training which includes Teaching and Learning INSET mornings. To continue personal development in the relevant areas including subject knowledge and teaching methods. To work as a member of Team PB and to contribute positively to effective working relations within the PB Family To complete relevant documentation to assist in the tracking of students. To track student progress and use information to inform teaching and learning To communicate effectively with parents of students as appropriate. To be a Form Tutor to an assigned group of students. To promote the general progress and wellbeing of individual students and of the Form Tutor Group as a whole. To register students, accompany them to assemblies, encourage their full attendance and punctuality and their participation in other aspects of school life To play a full part in the life of the school community.

Duties and responsibilities

Person Specification

The successful candidate will be committed to teaching History in a successful school and sensitive to the many histories which form the diverse heritage of its wider community. The person appointed should: Be a qualified teacher. Be able to communicate and liaise effectively with staff, pupils, parents and outside agencies, orally and in writing Be able to work as an effective member of a team Have a good knowledge of curriculum developments Be able to organise effective programs of work for pupils across the ability range and systems to monitor pupils progress and understanding in History Have good ICT skills Maintain high standards of discipline, appearance, punctuality and motivation in pupils.

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A3 Useful Websites
www.schoolhistory.co.uk Produced by teachers for teachers, pupils and parents. This site offers free resources, historical games and links to websites designed for students to understand. The best history site on the web for our students! Also contains a fantastic forum whereby teachers can find lesson plans and resources freely available. www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk Information is the prime asset of this website. It covers all aspects of the courses taught at PB, so if you want to know David Low was and why he is important, this is the site for you! www.learningcurve.pro.gov.uk This website from the public record office gives students the opportunity to view historical documents from the archives vast holdings. Activities based on the sources are provided and it is easy for parents and students to navigate. www.bbc.co.uk/history Resources and information on subjects showed on the BBC. A good overlap with our curriculum. In addition it has an excellent Battle of Waterloo game if you fancy being Napoleon for an hour. www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history A good revision guide that covers our GCSE syllabus and links with TV shows during February and April (shown 2am) dont wait up for them. www.johndclare.net Run by an ex-teacher. Full of revision notes for the Modern World Course.

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A4 Key Stage 3 assessment levels

History Department KS 3 Levels

Understanding You can describe what the past was like at certain times identify things that have changed and things that have stayed the same over time. Identify why some events happened Identify some consequences of historical events. You can Recognise that some events have a bigger impact than other events and begin to suggest reasons why this is. Describe why events have happened, and begin to suggest how causes can be linked together. Describe why different people throughout history have had different experiences (diversity). You can Explain why some things have changed and some things have stayed the same Explain why people have had different experiences because of who they are and when they lived. (diversity) Explain how different causes can be linked together. Interpretation You can Identify different points of view about the same event. You can describe different peoples views of the past. Use sources of evidence to help you find answers to questions. You can Suggest some reasons why different people have different viewpoints about the past. Suggest why some sources of evidence are more useful than others for particular investigations. You can begin to explain how and why different interpretations of the past have been created. Significance You can Identify which people, events and changes are judged more significant than others Communication You can Write in full sentences and paragraphs using facts to show your historical understanding.

Level Four Level Five Level Six

You can Suggest reasons why some events, people and changes might be judged as more historically significant than others.

You can Select and use facts in your answers. Use historical words to support and structure your answers.

You can Suggest what makes a historical event, person or change significantyou are beginning to suggest your own criteria for this.

You can select, organise and use relevant information to support your answers. appropriately use historical words to produce structured work.

PB History Department Handbook 23 You can Analyse how much things changed and stayed the same over time. Analyse the amount of diversity over time Analyse the strength of connections between causes of events. You can Analyse as in level 7, and also look critically at causes of events, diversity and change and continuity. You can Confidently explain how and why different interpretations of the past have arisen or been constructed. You can Explain how the significance of events, people and changes has varied according to different points of view. You can select, organise and use relevant information and make appropriate use of historical terminology to produce wellstructured work. You can Use historical terminology confidently, reflecting on the way in which words can change meaning according to context.

Level 7 Level 8

You can Analyse and explain a range of historical interpretations and different judgements about historical significance. You can Analyse and explain a range of historical interpretations and different judgements about historical significance.

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A5 GCSE Assessment levels (A*-C)

History Department GCSE Levels

Written comms Able to write fluently, using sophisticated language and uses historical terms accurately. A* Able to write clearly, using historical terms accurately. All points are developed and extended. A Able to write clearly using paragraphs, which are linked back to the question often. B Understandin g of concepts Able to demonstrate thorough understanding of historical periods, themes and topics Understanding of Causes Able to clearly and confidently explain how different causes are linked . Able to analyse the strength of the links to make clear and substantiated judgements. Factual detail Able to recall, select, organise and deploy their detailed knowledge accurately, effectively and with consistency. Understanding of effects Able to analyse the effects of events in both the short and long term, finding and developing links between effects of events. Source Analysis Able to consistently evaluate a wide range of source materials, by analysing the type, provenance and content of a source using detailed own knowledge.
Interpretation

Able to describe and explain the main concepts, showing clear grasp of links and wider effects of events. Is able to apply concepts to different events. Able to describe and explain the main concepts, showing an understanding of wider effects. Can give specific examples to back up points.

Able to use developed, reasoned and well supported explanations used to show how different causes combine to create events.

Able to provide specific, accurate and clear details of events studied.

Able to show the result and impact of events on a wide scale and analyse the extent of the effects when comparing and contrasting.

Able to analyse sources of evidence in terms of provenance, content and knowledge. Evaluates type of source in depth.

Able to provide insightful and reasoned explanations on how and why events, people and issues have been interpreted and represented in different ways. Able to provide reasoned comments on how and why events, people and issues have been interpreted and represented in different ways. Able to explain in part, how and why events, people and issues have been interpreted and represented in different ways.

Able to substantiate descriptions and explanations of different causes of events.

Able to recall, select, organise and deploy their historical knowledge with accuracy and relevance.

Able to explain the effects of events and compare and contrast the effects of different events.

Able to analyse strengths and limitations of sources using provenance, with some supporting knowledge.

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Able to write using full sentences and paragraphs at all times. Can deviate from the point at times. Able to show a good understanding , in structured explanations of historical periods, themes and topics studied. Able to describe causes of events in detail. Able to recall, select, organise and deploy their historical knowledge with accuracy and relevance. Able to describe effects accurately and show understanding of relevant consequences and changes Able to analyse strengths and weaknesses of sources using provenance or own knowledge. Able to recognise and comment on how and why events, people and issues have been interpreted and represented in different ways

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Schemes of Work