INTENT:

At IGHS we aim to create the very best historians underpinned by our strong Islamic ethos. Students will appreciate the interdependence, connections we share with each other, places and things over time. Students will be challenged to think, act and speak like historians examining the ways in which the lives, actions and decisions of people in the past have influenced who were are and how we live today.

Students will get to explore history globally, nationally and locally. They will learn to weigh-up evidence, to understand chronology, to evaluate interpretations and develop arguments. We do this by a consistent approach across the department ensuring all students develop the range of skills needed to become confident in their own opinions, make well supported judgements and expressing them articulately using keywords from topics and academic, historical vocabulary.

Our curriculum at IGHS goes far beyond what is taught in lessons, for whilst we want
students to achieve the very best examination results possible, we believe our curriculum goes beyond what is examinable. As a department we believe that the transferable skills gained in our subject are essential for life in the 21st century. We teach students the importance of challenging the provenance of information, evaluating different interpretations, and processing large amounts of information to create a coherent argument. We teach empathy and tolerance and an understanding of how history has created the world we live in
Today.

Our aim at key stage three is to provide students with a love of learning and a foundation upon which to encourage thought. Students follow the Pearson’s Edexcel 3 year program in KS3 which embeds prior learning and allows sequencing to build to key stage four which would in turn naturally flow onto Edexcel GCSE History.

IMPACT:

Extended writing tasks have been carefully considered within each unit of work to ensure that the students are making continued and accelerated progress throughout their five years at IGHS . This is focused around developing the student’s ability to recall knowledge and apply this successfully in a variety of ways.

The students receive detailed feedback on all summative assessments and clear direction on formative work completed inside and outside of lessons, this provides the tools for the students to use the skills more effectively in the future; the method of feedback provided is frequently changing to better allow the students to understand their strengths and areas for development. In our developing of the student’s historical understanding and ability to use this knowledge we have also garnered a love of learning which is seen with the eagerness with which the students arrive to lessons and their desire to continue their learning outside of the classroom.