History

During history lessons, children will follow a high-quality curriculum, which develops their curiosity about the subject. We want to teach our children about Britain’s past and the wider world and how it has influenced us today. In Key Stage 1, children will learn about history using their living memory, then move gradually towards ‘source investigation’ with the main focus being oral history and primary observations. They will then extend the chronological range beyond living memory looking at how their local area has changed since 1950, in Year 1, then studying the Victorian era in Year 2, comparing them with today, preparing pupils to think about longer blocks of time.

In Key Stage 2, in the autumn term, all children study the chronology of British history and gain a better understanding that humans and their ancestors have been living on these islands for over one million years. There is a consistent thread through each year group, with pupils studying the leadership and legacy of their ancestors and their impact on British life today, enabling us to make adjustments to their long term memory, by threading these studies together with a common theme. Further periods and other civilisations will be studied throughout the year to enhance this understanding. Our aim is to ensure that children enjoy and love learning about History, while gaining this knowledge and skills in chronological order, not just through experiences in the classroom, but also with the use of fieldwork and educational visits. The focus of each history unit has been carefully thought through to prevent numerous lessons of shallow learning and encourage deep thinking and historical enquiry, that exposes pupils to the best of what has been said and done, while deepening their understanding of their society and local community, through learning about what has ‘gone before’ and how it shaped the way we live in Easington Colliery, today.