History at Birch Hill Primary School

At Birch Hill Primary we aim to widen the chronological understanding, historical enquiry and knowledge of learners in a variety of ways. Pupils are inspired to reflect upon their own role as a citizen in modern Britain and develop a knowledge and understanding of the past in Britain and of the wider world. Our history education enables children to think critically, ask perceptive questions, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop judgment.

National Curriculum Aims

The national curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils:

• Know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
• Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind
• Gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’
• Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses
• Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed History – key stages 1 and 2
• Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

Delivery

Our curriculum is designed to be coherent and sequenced, building on children’s previous learning. It offers links to the wider community through visits to local historic landmarks and museums as well as interesting talks from visitors. Learners will be given the opportunity to gain perspective, empathy and compassion which will help them to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change as well as their own identity in an ever-changing world.

History in Action

Year 6 Victorian Day

Year 4 Oxford Castle

Year 2 Natural History Museum