History
At All Saints, our History curriculum is designed to inspire and nurture children’s innate curiosity about the past to help them build a growing understanding about the world around them. Children develop essential enquiry skills through questioning, thinking critically, sifting arguments, and weighing evidence to create realistic perspectives and judgements. They will also gain an understanding of the historical chronology that has shaped the British Isles as well as providing context within the wider world.
Through examining the process of continuity and change, diverse societies and beliefs, the children are able to make connections and establish their own identity as part of our ever-changing, living history.
From Year 3 to Year 6, History is taught through a project-based approach. Children work independently and in groups to research concepts and events so they can begin to describe and interpret our historical past. Through visits and visitors, we endeavour to bring history to life – for example, the Living History Day in Y4, a variety of play-in-a-day opportunities and visits to historical sites and museums. Rich discussion is a key feature of our History curriculum where children learn how to use evidence (historical and contemporary sources) to unlock the mysteries of the past and to use this to glimpse into the future.
History is not just about knowing facts and dates, it is about the development of key life-skills such as deep, critical thinking; the identification of bias; questioning others; building an argument - to name just a few. It is our desire at All Saints that children engross themselves in history to learn from the past but also to develop skills that will help them to thrive in secondary school and beyond.
“A people without a knowledge of their past history, origin and culture, is like a tree without roots.”
Marcus Garvey
“Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
George Santayana
