History Vision Statement

Our history curriculum is designed to create and develop a sense of awe and wonder and promote the question ‘why?’  The children will be provided with the tools to research and find out answers to their own questions which will give them a deep understanding of the period they are learning about and how it fits in/overlaps with others.

 From Nursery to the end of KS2 we want to inspire children to have a solid understanding of chronology where they know how everything fits into the historical past and how it is linked to the present and the future. This will be enhanced by the use of our class and whole school timelines which reflect their current learning, deepen pupils’ awareness of periods previously studied and challenge children to ask questions and go further.  We believe high quality history lessons encourage critical and independent thinking; enhance the ability to weigh evidence and generate arguments through debates and drama. They will often be given choices on how to present their findings to peers and adults which will draw on skills from other areas of the curriculum. Teachers will provide opportunities for the children to put history into real-life that is applicable to today using the museum loans, artefacts, visitors and where possible trips.  

Childrens' knowledge is assessed at the start of particular units in order to see if this has been embedded in previous year groups.  This will ensure lessons are sequenced and built upon what has previously been learnt.  Teaching strategies are used in lessons to regularly check the children's knowledge using growth mindset strategies. 

Adaptations are made to suit children of all abilities and support is given where possible.

The children in Nursery bought in their pictures in from home.  They talked about how they had changed from being a baby to now.

Year 6 

We have looked at the story of Athelstan, Alfred The Great's grandson. 

The children chose their own groups and performed the story using drama. 

They then looked at the Danelaw and how it worked. They created their own maps identifying which areas of the country were split into specific kingdoms. 

Some examples of lines form the drama include,

Athelstan: But grandfather, I don't want to be famous. I don't want to be a king. 

Narrator: Athelfleda was a powerful queen and also a good teacher. She taught Athelstan to love books and learning and her warriors taught him fighting skills. She taught him how to lead an army into war and she also taught him how to make peace. 

The children worked in teams and chose who should be which character. They then created their own maps identifying the Danelaw which can be seen below. 

Year 1

We chose which astronaut we wanted to find out about.

Year 5

Year 5 had chance to work on papyrus paper which is the paper that the Ancient Egyptians used all those years ago. We looked at different hieroglyphics and had a choice of what message we wanted to write on our papyrus paper.

The children in Year 6 have been developing their knowledge on Lindifarne and the raid that ahppened there.

After reserach, they chose how to present their work. Here are some examples below. 

We have also used drama to act out the story of Alfred The Great, how he came to power and his struggle against the Vikings. 

Year 6 are developing their knowledge of chronology, we are investigating where local history fits into the timeline of eras in Britain. Children continue to research about the Preston Guild both at home and in school and they have chosen how to present this. Children have researched what remains the same about the Guild in the 21st century and what has changed over time. 

Year 3 have been looking at the transition from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age. The children have been choosing which aspect of the Bronze Age to further research and create an informative leaflet on. 

Year 1 - Space

We learnt about Neil Armstrong and then put the events of his life in order onto a time line.

Y1 - We wrote a post card or letter to a family member as if we were Neil Armstrong. We recounted the events of the moon landings.

Year 6 have independently created their own Viking longships. We developed our knowledge on the ships then followed instructions to create a model of one. 

The Vikings built fast ships for raiding and war. These ships were called ‘dragon-ships’ or ‘longships’. Viking longships could sail in shallow water, so they could travel up rivers as well as across the sea. In a raid, a ship could be pulled up on a beach, the Vikings could jump out and start fighting, and then make a quick getaway if they were chased. A longship had room for between 40 and 60 men and they slept and ate on deck. There was some space below deck for stores, but no cabins. A ship carried everything needed at sea - drinking water, dried meat and fish to eat, tools and weapons, and furs to keep warm. 

The children looked at how the seaside was different in the past.

The children in Reception enjoyed playing with old toys and talked about how they were different from the toys they have at home.

Year 1 - Wash Day

We explored the 'Wash Day' artefacts. We talked about what they were and what job they did.

Year 3- The Beaker People

We have been looking at the transition from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age and looking at different sources of information to make a replica beaker.

Year 6- The children in Year 6 enjoyed a visit to the school from a Viking. During the day, the children were given talks about the different aspects of Viking life, such as the food they ate, the clothes they wore and the ships they built to travel. The children were then able to take part in a Viking workshop, trying a number of different activities.