History is about events that have taken place in the past, whether it is 1000 years ago, 100 years ago or last week. It is also about people: people from this country and from other countries around the world. It is about people’s actions, the reasons for them and the evidence that remains of them. It is about changes that have occurred and the causes and consequences of these changes. History is about the relationship between the past and the present. Skills developed through historical enquiry have a wide application to everyday life and historical awareness promotes responsible citizenship. History should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.

Aims

At Sheerness West Federation we aim to provide pupils with a thorough understanding of the past of both Britain and the wider world. We aim to ensure that children are able to think critically when examining evidence and can develop their own opinions, which they can then back up with their historical knowledge.

In Foundation Stage:

• To develop a sense of time through events in stories and in children’s own lives and their family relationships using appropriate vocabulary.
• To develop an awareness of time and change. Learning about seasons and life cycles through photographs and artefacts.

In Key Stage 1:

• To develop an awareness of history and a sense of chronology through the study of the lives of people and events in the more distant past
• To know where the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework.
• To understand the methods of historical enquiry through using a variety of sources to compare lives, past and present, and question events in the past.

In Key Stage 2:

• To extend the depth of historical enquiry and broaden the range of study by questioning how and why events occurred.
• To be able to make connections and note contrasts and trends over time.
• To interpret and communicate historical knowledge in a variety of ways, through art and drama as well as the written word.
• To increase awareness of events, people and societies from the past, in order to gain a better understanding of the present.