History
The purpose of the study of History as set out in the National Curriculum is as follows:
A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.
In our school this means from the Early Years through to the end of Key Stage 2 we aim to stimulate the children’s interest and understanding about the life of people who lived in the past. We aim for children to develop a sense of identity and a cultural understanding based on their historical heritage. We teach children to understand how events in the past have influenced our lives today; we also teach children to investigate these past events and, by so doing, develop the key concepts and skills of enquiry, analysis, interpretation and problem solving.
Threshold Concepts
These are the key aspects of History chosen to build conceptual understanding within the subject and are repeated many times over the course of the primary curriculum and beyond.
- Investigate and interpret the past: This concept involves understanding that our understanding of the past comes from an interpretation of the available evidence.
- Build an overview of world history: This concept involves an appreciation of the characteristic features of the past and an understanding that life is different for different sections of society.
- Understand chronology: This concept involves an understanding of how to chart the passing of time and how some aspects of history studied were happening at similar times in different places.
- Communicate historically: This concept involves using historical vocabulary and techniques to convey information about the past.
Here are some useful websites to support history. Please speak to your child's class teacher for log in details or for more information.