History

How History Works at Adswood Primary School: The Silk and Stone Approach

At Adswood Primary School, History is delivered through the bespoke Silk & Stone Curriculum, which uses Stockport’s rich industrial and cultural heritage as a springboard to explore global civilisations and major historical eras. Named after the town's pioneering silk mills and red sandstone foundations, the history curriculum transforms pupils into "Stockport Scholars"—knowledgeable, critical thinkers who understand their local roots while developing a broad historical perspective.

1. Disciplinary Roles & Historical Lenses

Rather than passively memorising facts, pupils step into the shoes of historical investigators across the key stages:

• Key Stage 1: Children begin as The Time Traveller and The Story Seeker (Year 1), learning to identify artifacts and historical narratives, before advancing to The Heritage Keeper (Year 2) to understand how historical systems and preservation work.

• Key Stage 2: Pupils take on specialized historical roles such as The Path Finder, The 'Stoc' Builder (exploring local origins), The Undercover Apprentice, The Resilience Researcher (investigating hardships like wartime Stockport and the mills), The Heritage Decoder, and The Liberty Weaver.

2. Local Anchors to Global History ("Mirror and Window")

Every history unit anchors complex concepts in familiar local landmarks and stories (the "Local Anchor") before opening up to global history:

• The Mirror: Pupils reflect on Stockport’s local pioneers, industrial mill history, and wartime resilience during events like the Blitz.

• The Window: Pupils use local heritage as a lens to examine world civilisations, historical power dynamics, and social changes across centuries.

3. Curriculum Progression & The Guild Model

• KS1 Foundations: History begins with concrete observation of objects and chronological events ("The Foundation" in Year 1), moving into structural logic and historical systems ("The System" in Year 2).

• KS2 Mixed-Age Guilds: In mixed-age classes, history is taught through depth of disciplinary agency. Younger pupils act as Lead Witnesses (identifying facts, key historical figures, and timelines), while older pupils act as Expert Analysts (evaluating cause and effect, source reliability, and socio-economic impacts), scaffolding their younger peers' learning through peer coaching.

4. Oracy, Encounters, and Authentic Assessment

• Big Questions & Oracy: Every history unit is framed around a driving "Big Question" (e.g., investigating "The Power and the Price" of industrial expansion). Pupils use a "Toolkit of Talk Tactics" and historical "Specialist Code" (technical vocabulary) to debate key historical issues.

• Primary Encounters: Learning extends beyond the classroom with immersive visits to sites such as Quarry Bank Mill to experience the real-world environments of the past.

• Stockport Soapbox: Authentic assessment replaces traditional tests; pupils demonstrate historical mastery by presenting, debating, and defending their historical arguments orally at Stockport Soapbox events.