History

Similarly to Science and Geography, History are taught through an enquiry-based approach. Children explore, investigate and answer questions in order to gain knowledge and understanding of a given topic, local, national or worldwide. Each topic helps to build upon children’s current knowledge and skills. The teacher plans for cross-curricular links across other subjects such as Art and Design to enhance this learning further. A wide range of visits and visitors support this learning.

History in the EYFS

The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum supports children’s understanding of History through the planning and teaching of ‘Understanding the World’. This aspect is about how children find out about past and present events in their own lives, their families and other people they know. Children are encouraged to develop a sense of change over time and are given opportunities to differentiate between past and present by observing routines throughout the day, growing plants, observing the passing of seasons and time and looking at photographs of their life and of others. Practitioners encourage investigative behaviour and raise questions such as, ‘What do you think?’, ‘Tell me more about?’, ‘What will happen if..?’, ‘What else could we try?’, ‘What could it be used for?’ and ‘How might it work?’ Use of language relating to time is used in daily routines and conversations with children for example, ‘yesterday’, ‘old’, ‘past’, ‘now’ and ‘then’.History in KS1 and KS2.

History in KS1 and KS2

Please have a read of our Humanities overview below.

• History Overview 

For each of the units, we have created Knowledge Organisers to highlight the key concepts, facts and vocabulary our children will know and understand by the end of a unit. We build upon children’s vocabulary each year when developing key skills within History.

Key Stage 1 Cycle A

• Why are my toys more fun than my grandparents’ toys?
• Why was mining so important to our area?
• Have we always liked to be beside the seaside?

Key Stage 1 Cycle B

• Why are Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong important?
• What was our school like in the past?
• What would we find exciting about our town?

Lower Key Stage 2 Cycle A

• How can we rediscover the wonders of Ancient Egypt?
• Why do we remember the Ancient Greeks?
• Who were the Maya?

Lower Key Stage 2 Cycle B

• Who first lived in Britain?
• Why were the Romans in Durham?
• Local History Study

Upper Key Stage 2 Cycle A

• Were the Saxons really smashing?
• Were the Vikings really vicious?
• How did the Industrial Revolution change Britain?

Lower Key Stage 2 Cycle B

• How did the railway change the world and what role did the North East play in this?
• How could Hitler convince a nation?

Throughout the year, we hold events in school to celebrate historical figures and events, not to mention to understand and raise awareness of important geographical issues such as climate change.

Some of last year’s events included:

• Black History Month
• International Women’s Day
• Remembrance Day
• National Recycling Week
• Holocaust Memorial Day
• Climate Week