History

We are Historians!

Aim

At Thurcroft Infants we aim to inspire curiosity and excitement in our children about the past using EYFS and National Curriculum guidance and meaningful experiences.

We want to inspire children’s curiosity to find out more about people and events from different historical time periods and equip them with the skills they need to ask questions and think critically to develop their historical knowledge.

Curriculum design

Our history curriculum includes a well-established mix of history-led and integrated topics learning about the history of their local environment, community as well as the wider world around them.

Our curriculum design includes both substantive and disciplinary elements to allow our children to learn key knowledge, develop an understanding of historical concepts and chronology and also practise the skills needed to be historians.

Our topics are planned around enquiry questions so that, along with the new substantive learning that is introduced with each enquiry, the disciplinary concepts and skills can be revisited, refreshed and rehearsed by our children in a progressive way throughout their time at Thurcroft Infants. The aim of this is to support the shift or learning from the children’s ‘working’ to their ‘long-term’ memory.

We have developed a progressive and cumulative curriculum that is relevant to our children, showing how historical knowledge builds over time and being backed up wherever possible by physical evidence and artefacts from the past.

Curriculum delivery

At Thurcroft Infants our children study one history topic per term. This is to keep history fresh over the course of the year. Learning is also cross-curricular, eg, incorporating geography, literacy and art as appropriate in order to support connections across subject areas.

All classes produce a curriculum floor book containing evidence of history learning in each class and how history is accessed by the children. This provides an invaluable tool for the children to look back on independently to discuss previous learning and gives handy reminders of practical learning that did not produce written evidence.

All classes from F2 upwards also have a class timeline, giving a visual representation of the concept of going back through time. Significant historical figures and learning are added to the timeline throughout each year to allow for recap and retrieval of previous learning.

In the EYFS, historical learning begins with ‘Understanding the World’. Our children are introduced to and begin to develop an understanding of the difference between the past and the present, as well as their own life story and family history. We share a large range of traditional rhymes, poems and texts (fiction and non-fiction) that help the children to understand concepts such as similarities and differences, past and present, and begin to talk about their roles in society and aspirations, as well as those of family members. Children will learn to sequence familiar events, eg, their school day and are introduced to significant people and events outside of their own family in creative and age-appropriate ways. Children will also have the opportunity to re-enact past events in practical ways, eg, recreating a family holiday using the small world resources.

In KS1 our children will build on their Early Years experiences and deepen their understanding of the past, gaining more thorough questioning skills and becoming more analytical thinkers. They will compare their own experiences with those in different historical periods, eg, when investigating how toys have changed over time. The children will also study specific historical events in greater detail, eg, the Great Fire of London. The children also learn about history that is relevant to Thurcroft and the surrounding area and study key historical events from different time periods and the impact of these on life today. Lessons are adapted to ensure they are accessible to all of our children.

Impact

Our approach at Thurcroft Infants produces children who are excited and motivated to explore, question and compare the past and its impact on life today. They are interested in the lives of significant people and have a strong sense of their own identity. By the end of each school year children will have made good progress in all areas, meaning they are able to move on to the next stage in their learning. They will be able to share their knowledge of past historical events and figures and make comparisons to the present day in a relevant and age-appropriate way. Children will be able to talk enthusiastically about the things they have learned in their history lessons, confidently and eagerly sharing their understanding about this learning. Our children leave Thurcroft Infants with transferrable skills and are well-equipped and prepared for the next stage of their learning and beyond.

Exploring Chronology in EYFS