History
Our goal for History education is that children gain an increasingly mature and informed historical perspective on their world, by developing:
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strong understanding of chronology and historical terms;
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historical enquiry skills and understanding of the importance of historical sources as evidence; and
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knowledge of the characteristics of and developments during different time periods.
Our history curriculum differs in content from the National Curriculum. We believe that the understanding of chronology is essential for developing a secure knowledge base for history. Therefore, this is the main focus in the Early Years and Year 1 where children learn how to know something is in the past, through stories, including biographies, and their own and other historical timelines, such as inventions.
History periods are then taught sequentially, from the Romans in Year 2 to the end of World War 2 in Year 6, through the lens of these key historical concepts: cause; consequence; change and continuity; similarity and difference; and significance. These areas of learning form a sound base for further history study in secondary school and beyond. Children develop their disciplinary knowledge through sources, interpretations and evidence, such as artefacts.
Diversity is integrated throughout the periods and includes study of the suffragettes, Black History, different socio-economic and religious backgrounds, and The Slave Trade. Our curriculum reflects the fact that Black people and people of colour lived in Britain since ancient times; dispels the notion that there were no significant women in the past; and celebrates achievements of people from ethnic minorities, not portraying them as always oppressed. Through this approach, children learn to understand the diverse present in terms of the diverse past.
Learning is enhanced through visits to museums and galleries, such as: Museum of London, the Tower of London, Sutton House, the National Portrait Gallery, Hampton Court Palace, the Ragged School Museum, Florence Nightingale Museum, the William Morris Gallery, Charles Dickens Museum, the Imperial War Museum, the Jewish Museum, Islington Museum and the Churchill War Rooms.
Our history study is also linked to other areas of the curriculum such as art, geography, religious education, music, and our assemblies curriculum, where all children learn about key events and historical figures on days such as Remembrance Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. High quality texts underpin many aspects of each unit.