Our aims

Our history curriculum covers a wide range of topics of great interest  to the children, at the end of their time with us they will have a good historical knowledge of the wider world and of their own personal history.

How we teach history

We offer a coherently planned history curriculum which aims to develop skills and concepts which are transferable to whatever period of history is being studied. These key historical skills and concepts, which are revisited throughout different units, are: Chronological Understanding, Historical Enquiry, Knowledge and Understanding of Events, People and Changes in the Past, and Organisation and Communication. 

The coverage of recent history enables children to acquire an understanding of time, events and people in their memory and their parents’ and grandparents’ memories.  Children will build a deep understanding of the variety of previous ages, cultures and lifestyles of historic and significant civilisations. Children will become aware of differing ways people lived, and what was successful for them and what wasn’t. Children will build on their ability to compare their own lifestyle with that of an ancient civilisation. Additionally, throughout these topics, children will gain enquiry skills as they consider the stories behind discoveries of artefacts and what those artefacts could mean, and they will begin to question the validity of sources of information.

The range of civilisations studied will help to slowly build a timeline of significant points in History, which will be visualised for all pupils on a large timeline display, detailing the history topics studied across year groups. 

History topics utilise a lesson sequence whereby prior learning is always considered and opportunities for revision of facts and historical understanding are built into lessons. This allows for this revision to become part of good practice and ultimately helps build a depth to children’s historical understanding. Historical vocabulary is also revised, and it is expected that as a child progresses, they will use this vocabulary confidently in class and discussion.

Our children as historians

A passion for history is instilled in the children across the school, therefore encouraging them to want to continue building on this wealth of historical knowledge and understanding, now and in the future. Through stimulating and thought provoking lessons and planning pupils are inspired to develop a love of history and see how it has shaped the world they live in.