History

History teaching focuses on enabling children to think as historians. We place an emphasis on examining historical artefacts and primary sources. Where appropriate, children are given the opportunity to visit sites of historical significance and we encourage visitors to come into the school and talk about their experiences of events in the past. We also book visits from actors and local museum staff who come to school in role as historical figures for the children to interview, or to join in with re-enactments of key historical events. We recognise and value the importance of stories in history teaching and we regard this as an important way to stimulate interest in the past. We focus on helping children understand that historical events can be interpreted in different ways and they are encouraged to ask searching questions. We teach children to understand how events in the past have influenced our lives today; we also teach them to investigate these past events and, by so doing, to develop the skills of enquiry, analysis, interpretation and problem-solving.