History
“History gives answers only to those who know how to ask questions.”
Hajo Holborn, German-American historian
Intent:
History at Bedfont Primary inspires pupils to be curious about Britain's past and that of the wider world. Our curriculum gives pupils the opportunity to learn about local History, significant people from the past and important events and time periods in British and World History. Through an question-led approach, pupils at Bedfont Primary have the opportunity to develop skills of critical thinking, chronology and interpretation. History at Bedfont Primary aims to stimulate pupils' interest and understanding of the past, allowing them to develop an awareness of how the past has influenced our lives and will shape our future. Our approach to teaching History at Bedfont Primary School is inclusive and supports all children on their journey to becoming historians.
Implementation:
All children study History at Bedfont Primary School, covering all objectives from the EYFS framework and National Curriculum through different sequential topics.
Pupils in Nursery and Reception study History through the Understanding the World area of the EYFS framework. Pupils develop their understanding of the past by talking about significant events in their lives and the lives of their daily members. They also identify similarities and differences between themselves and other children, families and traditions.
Pupils in Year 1 - 6 follow the National Curriculum through half termly topics. Children study a tailored History curriculum with carefully selected topics that develop their understanding of the local area, British History and that of the wider world. In History at Bedfont, children focus on the disciplinary concepts:
- Chronological knowledge
- Cause and Consequence
- Continuity and Change
- Significance
- Similarity and Difference
- Historical Enquiry
All lessons start with retrieval questions to recap on the previous learning and links to the current learning. Children have the opportunity to make links between their learning through our substantive concepts: Culture, Economy, Empire, Settlement, Society, Achievements and Legacy.
In Key Stage 1, children learn about changes within living memory, significant people, places and events. Children build their chronological knowledge through the introduction of timelines, they have the opportunity to identify similarities and differences, and explore historical evidence.
In Key Stage 2, children further develop their historical understanding, using both the historical substantive and disciplinary concepts. They learn British history in chronological order and have the opportunity to explore world history that happens concurrently using their curriculum narrative. Pupils note connections, contrasts and changes over time and develop a rich historical vocabulary. Children have the opportunity to develop their curiosity about the past by conducting their own historical enquiries and exploring varied sources. We use a curriculum narrative that follows a class through KS2 allowing children to identify the key knowledge, themes and concepts covered in each topic. Through this, they develop a secure chronological understanding of the time periods and make links between the topics studied.
Curriculum Documentation