What makes a good history pupil at All Saints?

An awareness of, and interest in, the cultural richness which surrounds them at All Saints and a fascination with the diverse world which surrounds them. A strong knowledge and understanding of chronology, knowing the time between their units and where their unit of study fits on a timeline. The ability to research and question the reliability of sources. An understanding of causes and significance.

Why do we teach history?

Our history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. There is an emphasis on chronology and chronological understanding, allowing pupils to understand the time between their units and where their current unit of study fits on a timeline. We aim to inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past through an enquiry based approach. Teaching equips 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.

Aims of the history curriculum

• know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
• know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind
• gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’
• understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses
• understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed History – key stages 1 and 2
• gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military

Pupil voice

“I love history! I just wished we learned more of it, like more recent history.” Cameron (Y4)

“The past is just amazing. How they did things without the things we have now!” Jacob (Y4)

“It helps you to understand the world and how it was before your time.” Harry (Y3)

History is important because “you can look back and learn from the past.” Mila (Y1)

Links & Games

CBBC Horrible Histories (https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/shows/horrible-histories)

Horrible Histories Games (http://horrible-histories.co.uk/gory-games)

BBC Bitesize KS1 History (https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zkqmhyc)

BBC Bitesize KS2 History (https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zcw76sg)

National Geographic (https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/category/discover/history)