History
"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."
Albert Einstein
Intent
At Thomas A' Becket Infant School, we believe that history should spark children's curiosity about the past and help them make sense of the world around them. Our history curriculum begins with children's own experiences, memories and family stories before broadening to explore significant people, events and places from Worthing, Britain and the wider world. Through this learning, children begin to understand how the past has shaped the present.
Through our history curriculum, we aim to:
- Spark Curiosity by inspiring children to wonder about how people lived, worked and celebrated in the past and how their lives may have been different from our own.
- Build Chronology by developing children's understanding of the passing of time, from events within their own lives and living memory to significant events and people beyond living memory.
- Develop Historical Enquiry by encouraging children to ask questions, explore artefacts, photographs and stories, and discuss similarities and differences between the past and present.
- Develop Vocabulary and Communication by providing opportunities for discussion, debate and partner talk, enabling children to explain their thinking, share ideas and use historical vocabulary with confidence.
- Make Meaningful Connections by helping children link their own experiences with family memories, local history and significant people from the past, developing an understanding of how life has changed over time.
Implementation
History is brought to life through exciting, engaging and memorable learning experiences that encourage children to become active historians.
As part of our creative curriculum, children learn through first-hand experiences, workshops, visitors, local walks, Curiosity Cubes and practical activities that make history meaningful and relevant. Access to real artefacts helps children make connections with the past and inspires them to find out more.
Talk is at the heart of our history curriculum. Through discussion, debate, partner talk and pupil voice opportunities, children explain their thinking, justify their opinions, ask questions and develop confidence in using historical vocabulary.
Drama, storytelling and role play immerse children in historical learning, enabling them to explore what life may have been like in the past and understand different experiences and perspectives. High-quality fiction and non-fiction texts are carefully chosen to bring significant people, events and periods of history to life.
Timelines, retrieval activities and knowledge organisers help children develop their understanding of chronology. Through regular opportunities to revisit prior learning, children recall key knowledge and vocabulary, make links with new learning and build their understanding over time.
Learning is celebrated through My World books, class books, photographs and pupil voice, allowing children to reflect on their learning journey and recognise themselves as young historians.
Impact
By the time children leave Thomas A' Becket Infant School, they have developed a curiosity about the past and a growing understanding of how history has shaped the world around them. They can talk confidently about significant people, events and changes over time, using appropriate historical vocabulary to explain their ideas.
Children understand basic chronology and can place events, people and experiences in sequence. They ask questions, discuss evidence, make comparisons between the past and present and begin to think critically about the information they encounter.
Most importantly, our children leave Reception and Key Stage One with a love of history, the confidence to share their ideas and the foundations needed to continue their historical journey as enthusiastic young historians.