History
Introduction
At Hempstead Infant School our aim is for children to experience the breadth of the curriculum through discovery and exploration. History is taught throughout each year group either as discrete lessons, cross curricular teaching or daily discussion. Although The National Curriculum provides the details of what should be taught, our children are encouraged to build upon this by developing skills and knowledge. These skills are enhanced by the sharing of ideas and the provision of opportunities for interactive and independent learning in lessons that are not only engaging, but culturally relevant and inclusive for all children.
EYFS
In our Foundation Stage history is built upon a child’s personal history of themselves and that of their family, by looking at the changes within living memory and examining how they have changed since starting school. Children will also begin to use the vocabulary associated with the passing of time and discussion enables children to talk about the order of their day and the significant events in their own lives.
Key Stage 1
In Year 1and Year 2, we build upon the history of themselves and that of their family by enabling the children to talk more about the significant events from their own past. Whilst developing an awareness of the changes within living memory of both themselves but also of their family and society by using an ever wider vocabulary of everyday historical terms and a range of common words and phrases relating to the passing of time. Children will learn about the lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements. They will learn about the similarities and differences between life in different periods and will begin to gain the skills to interpret events, and examine how people throughout history (eg Queen Victoria, Mary Seacole, Florence Nightingale, Christopher Columbus) have affected our lives and those of people in that era. Children will begin to know where they fit into the wider chronological framework by comparing life today with life in the past, by examining what we know already and what clues have been left behind. Our children will begin to recognise why events happened and use stories to show that they know and understand.
