Aims - Our Intent
The study of History at Ashurst CE Aided Primary School develops children’s abilities to explore, appreciate and understand the world in which we live and how it has evolved. History is about real people who lived, and real events which happened in the past. It is concerned with sequence, time and chronology and is the study of evidence from and about the past; it gives us a sense of identity, set within our social, political, cultural and economic relationships. History encourages children’s curiosity about the past in Britain and the wider world and plays an essential part in preparing us for living and working in the contemporary world. Children consider how the past influences the present, what past societies were like, how these societies organised their politics, and what beliefs and cultures influenced people’s actions.
As they progress from EYFS through KS1 and into KS2 children develop a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people. They see the diversity of human experience, and understand more about themselves as individuals and members of society. What they learn can influence their decisions about personal choices, attitudes and values. In history, children find evidence, weigh it up, discuss their ideas and reach their own conclusions. To do this they need to be able to research, sift through evidence, and argue for their point of view – skills that are valuable in adult life.
It is our aim for the children to:
• broaden their understanding of the past from their immediate past to our local history, to history of the U.K and finally history of the wider world.
• know that history is the study of the past and that historians use a variety of specific and general skills and techniques to investigate the past.
• know that different culture’s historical events took place around the world at the same time- and that the history of different cultures does not exist in isolation, for example the Maya civilisation and the Iron Age took place at a similar time but on different continents.
• understand that information can be presented in a variety of ways and that these sources of information need to be investigated and questioned for validity and usefulness
• know that events, people and places in the past can have an impact on our world today and on the future.
• have a secure knowledge of the chronology of significant events, people and time periods locally, nationally and in the wider world. This chronological understanding will become more in-depth as the children progress through the school.
• use their historical understanding and to apply this in a variety of contexts and situations, for example, by considering the similarities and differences between different periods or ways of life or by making links between main events, situations and changes.
Teaching and Learning Approaches – Our Implementation
The Early Years Foundation Stage
In Early Years History is taught as an integral part of the topic work covered during the year. Children learn about the world around them by finding out and exploring, asking questions, showing curiosity about objects, events and people and using their senses to explore the world around them. Children’s understanding of History is first developed through finding out about past and present events in their own lives, and those of their families and other people they know. In the Foundation stage history makes a significant contribution to developing a child’s understanding of the world through activities such as looking at pictures of famous people and artefacts in history or discovering the meaning of new and old in relation to their own lives.
We provide opportunities for children to:
- communicate thoughts, ideas and feelings and to build up relationships with adults and each other
- listen to and interact with stories from the past
- talk about personal experiences of the past
- use drama and dance to act out historical events
- Incorporate communication, language and literacy development in planned activities in each area of learning
- Learn in an environment that reflects their place in the world through signs, notices and books
- Develop spoken language through conversations between children and adults, both one-to- one and in small groups, with particular awareness of, and sensitivity to, the needs of children for whom English is an additional language, using their home language when appropriate
History Planning
The school has a long-term History plan which includes the main objectives of the curriculum that children will study in each topic in each Key Stage. The objectives are progressive and linked directly to the National Curriculum Framework.
During Key Stage 1, children learn about people’s lives and lifestyles. They find out about significant men, women, children and events from the recent and more distant past in Britain and the wider world. They listen, and respond to stories and use sources of information to help them ask and answer questions. Children learn how the past is different from the present and how people communicated what they knew and the importance of eye-witness accounts. They begin to discuss, be aware of and use correct historical vocabulary.
During Key Stage 2, children develop their Historical enquiry from KS1 and study a wider range of significant people, events and places from both recent and more distant past. They learn about change and continuity in their own area, in Britain and in other parts of the world. They look at history in a variety of ways, for example from political, economic, technological and scientific, social, religious, cultural or aesthetic perspectives. They use different sources of information to help them investigate the past both in depth and in overview, using dates and historical vocabulary to describe events, people and developments. They also learn that the past can be represented and interpreted in different ways. Children practice historical enquiry skills, including asking historical questions, collecting and recording information and identifying different views. They use secondary sources of information with accuracy, including artefacts and photographs.
Throughout their History journey at Ashurst children take part in roleplay and discussions, and they present reports to the rest of the class. Children engage in a variety of detective or problem-solving activities. Wherever possible, children take part in ‘real’ historical activities, e.g. interviewing visitors who have specific historical knowledge, visiting relevant sites and carrying out fieldwork.
SEND Provision and Equal Opportunities
There are children of differing ability at Ashurst. We recognise this fact and provide suitable learning opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child.
Children identified as needing extra support in English will be given appropriate help to access the History curriculum in the classroom. Planning in History takes into account the targets set for individual children in their Individual Support Plans (ISPs). Their learning will be supported and incorporate specific approaches to enable them to learn, make progress and be successful. Children will be provided with challenges matched to their needs through a range of teaching strategies including:
• using texts that children can read and understand
• using visual and written materials in different fonts and colours
• using different coloured overlays
• using ICT, other technological aids and taped materials
• using alternative communication such as signs and symbols
Ashurst CE Aided Primary School, has universal ambitions for every child, whatever their background or circumstances. Children learn and thrive when they are healthy, safe and engaged. In order to engage all children cultural diversity, home languages, gender and religious beliefs are all celebrated. Our curriculum includes a wide range of texts and other resources which represent the diversity and backgrounds of all our children.
Outcomes – Our Impact
At Ashurst we strive to enable our children to be fully literate and articulate; children who are prepared for their secondary education and later life. Through engaging lessons, we aim to foster a love of History and for children to develop an historical awareness and understanding of their place in the world. Children develop the skills to work independently or collaboratively, and to ask, as well as answer, historical questions. Children are knowledgeable about key National and International events such as Remembrance Day and present assemblies which showcase their understanding of these events to the wider community. They engage freely and respectfully in discussions with guests to elicit more information and are respectful of others experiences.
Children are encouraged to consider how artefacts have been used in the past and how these have changed over time. They consider the views of eye witnesses and secondary sources through interview and research when discussing events, people and civilisations. They undertake fieldwork by interviewing family and older friends about changes in their own and other people’s lives.
Ashurst children are encouraged to have a growth mind-set and to develop the skills of perseverance and resilience. Through the study of History, children have the opportunity to develop their understanding of their own and others cultural heritage.
All children deserve the opportunity to experience happy, fulfilled and successful lives. At Ashurst CE Aided Primary we acknowledge that mental wellbeing is a normal part of daily life, in the same way as physical health. At Ashurst CE Aided Primary we nurture our bodies, minds, each other and our environment. By providing opportunities for learning outdoors, we aim to connect children and staff with the natural environment. We embrace the benefits this brings for mental health and physical and emotional wellbeing.
We promote pupils’ self-control and ability to self-regulate, and strategies for doing so. This will enable them to become confident in their ability to achieve well and persevere even when they encounter setbacks or when their goals are distant, and to respond calmly and rationally to setbacks and challenges. This integrated, whole-school approach to the teaching and promotion of health and wellbeing has a potential positive impact on behaviour and attainment.
Pupils will also be taught about the benefits of hobbies, interests and participation in their own communities. We encourage children to recognise that they are social beings and that spending time with others, taking opportunities to consider the needs of others and practising service to others, including in organised and structured activities and groups, are beneficial for health and wellbeing.
Children should be inspired to follow their dreams when they leave school, whether that be to secure a job, begin vocational training or go on to further education.
We have a shared responsibility to prepare our children to achieve mental, physical and economic wellbeing in a local, national and global context.
Our aim in History is to increase pupil’s wellbeing by express their feelings and thoughts about historical events. This can help them process emotions and develop critical thinking. By discussing historical events and figures from diverse backgrounds we can encourage empathy by understanding different perspectives. We highlight examples of resilience and perseverance in history by discussing how individuals and communities overcame challenges during significant events. For example, we may explore the lives of children during different historical periods and how they coped with difficulties. We aim to compare historical events with current events and to discuss how lessons from history can be applied to modern-day challenges, thus promoting a growth mindset.
Cultural Capital:
At Ashurst we aim to support every child to gain the confidence and the ability to understand and contribute to a varied cultural awareness. We believe that taking children’s learning experiences beyond what they already know is a fundamental part of becoming an educated citizen in society.
History contributes to this through
• engaging children on a journey beginning with their own chronology and then developing an understanding key historical eras throughout the history of the world.
• providing rich opportunities for personal development, through its teaching of world knowledge, cultural diversity and understanding others’ values through listening to their views and beliefs
- enabling children to understand how different individuals and groups’ decisions have affected the world as we know it today, to reflect on these and be able to make informed choices of their own in the future.
• prompting children to ask questions and seek explanations about how evidence is gathered and which evidence is presented.
• Visits and visitors to inspire and encourage pupils to question what is important and what is valuable.
providing children with opportunities to identify people and groups who have been successful and in questioning why, to understand the role of failure and resilience in achieving that success.
• helping children begin to identify different systems of governance and leadership and how these have shaped our society.
Resources:
Resources are found in topic folders and drawers. Larger items are in the cubby holes upstairs.
Assessment:
All children are tracked using the in-school tracking system. After each unit of work, class teachers assess children based on their historical knowledge and understanding linked to the objectives in the National Curriculum.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Subject Leaders - To have an impact on raising standards of attainment for Geography across the whole school.
- Adapt and use the Programme of Study for History across the whole school to meet the needs of our children.
- To monitor the whole schools and individual needs.
- To be able to assess individual professional development opportunities and needs.
- To monitor and maintain high quality resources.
- To maintain an overview of current trends and developments within the subject.
- To ensure, together with the Head Teacher an effective programme of moderation and assessments.
- To ensure a regular and effective programme of analysis of short-term planning is in place.
Health and Safety
Visits are an essential part of the History Curriculum and help to develop high quality discussions and reflection alongside historical enquiry and skills. Children learn best when the learning environment is ordered and they feel safe, so every visit is well organised and provides a stimulating and valuable experience. The children prepare for their visits and, on their return, use their experiences to good effect in the classroom.
Monitoring and Evaluation
This policy will be reviewed by the History subject leader, in consultation with the staff, as and when elements of History are identified or prioritised within the School Development Plan.
This policy was adopted in: September 2025
The policy is to be reviewed in: September 2026