History

Intent 

At Anston Park Infant school we aim to inspire our children to have a passion for learning about the past and wish to ignite the children’s curiosity to find out about and ask questions about history. We want to make history relevant and fun for the children. The children will explore different periods in history and learn to explain why past events can be interpreted in a range of ways by looking at the validity of different sources of information. Through the planning and delivery of exciting lessons children will enjoy learning about a range of historical periods and events and they will be able to describe these events in simple ways. The children will also learn to consider how life was similar and different in the past and understand the concept of ‘then’ and ‘now’.

History teaching at Anston Park Infant school will consist of the following areas:

Cause and Consequence- Children will learn about different events from the past, for example ‘The Great Fire of London’ and use their knowledge of the event to give several clear reasons as to why the event took place.

Chronological understanding- Children will develop an understanding of change over time and they will be able to make links between different periods of history and how these impacted upon one another. They will develop a confidence to use key vocabulary to describe the passing of time and will know that life was different in the past.

Historical Interpretation- Through the exploration of a range of sources (such as diaries, photographs, written experiences) children will learn that there are different versions of events that happen in the past. They will begin to understand that some sources of information are more valuable than others and will develop the confidence to question the validity of a source.

Change and Continuity. – Children will learn about different periods in history and will be able to compare the similarities and differences that exist between different time periods.

Vocabulary- Children will be introduced to and encouraged to use appropriate historical vocabulary when talking about different historical concepts.

In the Early Years Foundation Stage the children will be encouraged to explore and talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of their family members. They will do this through hands on experiences such as role play or small world play that encourages them to re-enact a past event they have been involved in such as a trip to the doctors. Children will begin to learn how to sequence familiar events such as their daily routine and they will be taught to use simple everyday language related to time, again through play based activities. Children will be introduced to key events in history in simple ways such as by making firework pictures or building pretend Bonfires outside to mark Bonfire Night. The children will have opportunities to play with toys from the past and visitors such as some of the children’s grandparents will be invited into school to talk about their childhood and how it is similar and different to childhood today.

Implementation 

At Anston Park Infant School all history lessons will be well planned and differentiated to ensure they are accessible to children are all abilities. Staff will ensure that they bring history to life for the children by providing exciting, hands on learning opportunities that really inspire and enthuse the children to be curious about the past.  We will make links to local historical events for example the children will learn about coal mining  and as part of that will discuss and learn about what the life of a miner was like at Dinnington Colliery. Where relevant to the topic visits will be planned to historical sites or places of interest to give the children first hand experiences of what life was like in the past. Visits that the children have really enjoyed in the past include; The National Coal Mining Museum, Coinsborough Castle and Cusworth Hall. We also bring figures from the past to life for the children by inviting in visitors to the school who act out the roles of key historical figures such as Samuel Peeps. These visitors enable the children to develop their questioning skills as they are given lots of opportunities to question the person about their life or the event they are related to. The visits also encourage the children to question the validity of sources by getting them to think about whether people may always be telling the full truth about a past event. We also have themed days in school where children dress up and pretend to live in the past, for example the children have attended Victorian school and have really been able to learn about and empathise with what life was like for a Victorian child. In all history lessons children will be challenged by thoughtful questions that encourage them to use their historical knowledge and skills, they will also be encouraged to ask their own questions to deepen their understanding of a concept.

Impact 

At the end of each year group all children will have made progress in all area of history and will have moved onto the next level in their learning . This will be evidenced by the children’s ability to share their knowledge of historical events and figures, explain changes over time, explore different sources and understand that some may be more reliable than others and use key historical terms accurately. When asked by SLT or the History subject leader children will talk enthusiastically and confidently about the geography lessons at Anston Park Infant school and will be able to share the knowledge and skills they have learnt.