What children learn in history lessons

We want children to think and behave like an historian. We want children to be able to make connections between and within subjects and periods in history so that they remember key concepts and vocabulary that help them make sense of history. Children will be able to discuss the area of history in some depth. They will have an understanding that other civilisations have contributed positively to Great Britain and left a legacy that has shaped our current lives and ways of working. Children are encouraged to learn from the past to inform our present and future, and by doing so, develop an understanding of the importance of British Values.

Our approach to teaching history

Children are taught how to be a good historian using and applying disciplinary knowledge: thinking and behaving like a historian through the use of rich narratives, handling original and/or reproduced artefacts, visits to historical places and first and second-hand accounts. Children will build up and extend their substantive knowledge of historical events through an enquiry-based approach to learning, they will be supported to make connections between historical concepts, other subjects and periods in history. There is a focus on recurring concepts and vocabulary to help children to retain that knowledge, make connections between past learning and help them to make sense of future learning. 

Children’s achievements in history

Children express what they know, remember and can do in a range of creative ways that showcases the substantive knowledge they have gained over a unit. They will be able to articulate what a historian does and how they behave. They will know that historians cannot be certain and that the validity of evidence needs always to be considered when seeking answers.