At Castle Primary School, we aim for children to explore history with a critical and enquiring mind. One that ignites a curiosity for the past with which they learn how history, in Britain and the wider world, has shaped the world we live in today.
At Castle Primary School, we want every child to see themselves as a historian. Through our Discovery curriculum, pupils develop a curiosity about the past and an understanding of how people, events and civilisations have shaped the world we live in today. We aim to inspire children to think critically, ask questions and develop a secure understanding of Britain’s past and its place within the wider history of the world. Drawing upon the curriculum vision of the CLF Primary Curriculum ‘I am a historian’, we teach children that history is the story of humankind and that historians investigate, interpret and make sense of the past through evidence.
Our curriculum develops children’s understanding of the key disciplinary concepts of chronology, cause and consequence, change and continuity, similarity and difference, and historical significance. Through engaging enquiries, pupils learn how to use sources, artefacts and evidence to ask questions, investigate the past and form their own interpretations. They are encouraged to make connections between history and other disciplines, particularly geography, helping them understand how people, places and events influence one another over time.
History at Castle is carefully sequenced across our mixed-age classes through a rolling programme, ensuring progression in both knowledge and disciplinary thinking. Pupils study local, British and world history, enabling them to build a coherent understanding of the past while exploring the diverse experiences of people across different times and places. Through this learning, children develop a sense of identity, place and belonging, whilst gaining an appreciation of how the choices and events of the past continue to influence modern life.
History is taught through our Discovery curriculum and is planned to ensure clear progression across our mixed-age classes. Learning is organised around meaningful historical enquiries which encourage children to think and work as historians.
Throughout their time at Castle, pupils study a broad range of historical periods, events, individuals and civilisations. These include changes within living memory, significant events in British history, local history, periods of invasion and settlement, ancient civilisations and societies from around the world. Children revisit key concepts throughout their learning journey, enabling them to deepen their understanding and make connections between different periods of history.
Some Discovery units take a Humanities approach, bringing together aspects of history and geography. These units enable pupils to explore how historical events, people and developments are shaped by place, environment and location. Whilst making meaningful links across disciplines, children continue to think and work as historians by asking historical questions, analysing sources, considering different interpretations and developing an understanding of chronology, cause and consequence, change and continuity, similarity and difference, and historical significance.
In lessons, pupils explore a range of historical sources including artefacts, images, documents, maps and accounts from the past. They are taught to question evidence, consider different viewpoints and recognise that interpretations of history may vary. Opportunities to handle artefacts, engage with primary and secondary sources, visit places of historical interest and explore local history further enrich learning and help bring the past to life.
Chronology is woven throughout the curriculum so that children develop an increasingly secure understanding of when events occurred and how different periods relate to one another. Knowledge organisers and carefully sequenced learning support pupils in remembering important knowledge and vocabulary, enabling them to build a rich and connected understanding of history over time.
History is taught through our Discovery curriculum and is planned to ensure clear progression across our mixed-age classes. Learning is organised around meaningful historical enquiries which encourage children to think and work as historians.
Throughout their time at Castle, pupils study a broad range of historical periods, events, individuals and civilisations. These include changes within living memory, significant events in British history, local history, periods of invasion and settlement, ancient civilisations and societies from around the world. Children revisit key concepts throughout their learning journey, enabling them to deepen their understanding and make connections between different periods of history.
Some Discovery units take a Humanities approach, bringing together aspects of history and geography. These units enable pupils to explore how historical events, people and developments are shaped by place, environment and location. Whilst making meaningful links across disciplines, children continue to think and work as historians by asking historical questions, analysing sources, considering different interpretations and developing an understanding of chronology, cause and consequence, change and continuity, similarity and difference, and historical significance.
In lessons, pupils explore a range of historical sources including artefacts, images, documents, maps and accounts from the past. They are taught to question evidence, consider different viewpoints and recognise that interpretations of history may vary. Opportunities to handle artefacts, engage with primary and secondary sources, visit places of historical interest and explore local history further enrich learning and help bring the past to life.
Chronology is woven throughout the curriculum so that children develop an increasingly secure understanding of when events occurred and how different periods relate to one another. Knowledge organisers and carefully sequenced learning support pupils in remembering important knowledge and vocabulary, enabling them to build a rich and connected understanding of history over time.
By the time they leave Castle Primary School, pupils will have developed a secure understanding of Britain’s history and its connections to the wider world. They will be able to place historical periods within a chronological framework, identify key causes and consequences of events, recognise patterns of change and continuity, and explain why people, events and developments may be considered historically significant.
Children will be confident in using historical vocabulary, asking meaningful questions and drawing conclusions from evidence. They will understand that history is shaped by different perspectives and will be able to construct and justify their own interpretations using sources effectively.
Most importantly, pupils will leave Castle as curious, knowledgeable and reflective historians who appreciate the diversity of human experience and understand how the past has shaped their local community, their country and the wider world.
In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children begin to develop their understanding of history through the Understanding the World area of learning. They explore their own lives, families and experiences, as well as the lives of people around them and within their community. Through stories, discussions, photographs, role play, artefacts and celebrations of significant events, children begin to recognise that some things happened in the past and that life has changed over time.
Children are encouraged to talk about similarities and differences between their own experiences and those of others, use language associated with the passing of time and begin to understand simple chronology. These early experiences provide the foundations for future historical learning by developing curiosity, questioning and an awareness of the past.
