History
Intent
At Arlecdon Primary School, we aim to inspire pupils to become curious, reflective and knowledgeable historians who develop a fascination with the past and an understanding of how it shapes the present. Beginning in EYFS, children develop an understanding of the past through the Development Matters framework and the Understanding the World area of learning. Children learn to talk about members of their immediate family and community, name and describe people who are familiar to them, and understand the past through settings, characters and events encountered in books, storytelling and everyday experiences. These early experiences provide the foundations for historical understanding and chronological awareness. As pupils progress through school, they develop a secure understanding of British history and the wider world through the study of significant people, events, civilisations and local history. The curriculum is carefully sequenced to build both substantive historical knowledge and disciplinary skills, enabling children to think critically, ask perceptive questions, analyse evidence and consider different interpretations of the past. A strong focus on Arlecdon’s mining heritage and local history helps pupils develop a sense of identity, belonging and pride in their community while understanding how local events connect to national and global history.
Implementation
History is taught through a carefully structured and progressive curriculum from EYFS to Year 6. In EYFS, historical understanding is developed through the Understanding the World area of learning. In line with Development Matters, children learn to talk about members of their immediate family and community, comment on images of familiar situations in the past, compare and contrast characters from stories, including figures from the past, and develop an understanding of the past through books, storytelling, discussion, play and first-hand experiences. Opportunities for conversation, enquiry, role play and exploration help children begin to recognise chronology, change and continuity, providing strong foundations for future historical learning.
As pupils move through Key Stages 1 and 2, they study a broad range of historical periods, significant individuals, civilisations and events. Learning is organised to build knowledge over time, with pupils revisiting key concepts through curriculum threads including Power, Government and Religion, Trade, Ideas and Communication, Invasion, Migration and Settlement, Empire, Persecution and Resistance and Warfare and Conflict. Pupils investigate a range of historical sources including artefacts, photographs, maps, documents and oral histories to develop their enquiry skills and understanding of historical evidence. They learn to place events within a chronological framework, compare different periods and identify continuity and change. A rich local history study centred on Arlecdon’s mining heritage further strengthens pupils’ understanding of how history has shaped their local community. Educational visits, visitors and practical experiences enrich learning and bring history to life for all children.
Impact
By the end of EYFS, children demonstrate the Early Learning Goal for Past and Present by talking about the lives of people around them and their roles in society, knowing some similarities and differences between things in the past and now, and understanding the past through settings, characters and events encountered in books read in class and through storytelling.
By the time pupils leave Arlecdon Primary School, they have developed a secure and coherent understanding of Britain’s past and its place within wider world history. They can confidently discuss significant events, people and civilisations using appropriate historical vocabulary and demonstrate an understanding of chronology, cause and consequence, change and continuity, significance and interpretation. Pupils are able to ask thoughtful questions, analyse evidence critically and make informed judgements about the past. They understand how local, national and global histories are interconnected and can explain how historical events continue to influence the world today. Through their historical learning, children develop curiosity, respect for different cultures and perspectives, and a lifelong interest in the past. They leave Arlecdon as confident historians, well prepared for the next stage of their education and equipped with the knowledge and skills to engage thoughtfully with the world around them.
