There is much debate about the value of a history policy, not least how long it should be!! A couple of examples are provided here to give you a feel for contrasting ways of doing it. An OFSTED inspector would be happy with either. What matters most of course is, ‘Does it have a positive impact on the quality of teaching and learning and standards in history?’ Some policies are just too short to say anything meaningful. Others, running to over four pages, are in danger of finding the reader ‘flicking through’ and never finding anything that steers them clearly in the right direction.
5 key things you need to know about YOUR history policy
1. There should be a strong opening section on why pupils should study history, but much of what appears in sample policies is written for older pupils. What you want is a clear statement about what history brings to the Key Stage 1 curriculum. You can then make sure these contributions are visible in the planning and the teaching and learning. If they are not, what is the point of having them. And that is where policies often fall short. They must guide colleagues and
