History in Early Years

The history curriculum in EYFS works towards the Early Learning Goal of Past and Present. Children talk about the lives of people around them (friends, families, trusted adults) and their roles in society. Children begin to create a concept of special times and celebrations they would experience in their family, locality and within the wider world. Children begin to think about similarities and differences between things that have happened in the past and things that are happening now, looking at their own lives and others. History in EYFS is largely discussion based, drawing on what has been read in class: the settings, characters and events encountered.

History in Key Stage One

In history in Key Stage 1, children begin building a knowledge and understanding of British history by looking at changes within living memory and changes in national life. Children have the ability to participate in wider learning opportunities during Key Stage 1, through museum visits and local history walks.

Children begin to build the ability to describe history using words and phrases relating to time and can identify similarities and differences between time periods. Children are able to use stories to show understanding of history, asking and answering questions.

History in Key Stage Two

In history in Key Stage 2, children embark on their chronological journey through History: local, national and international. Our history curriculum has been built so that children develop their substantive knowledge as well as their disciplinary skills, alongside challenging children’s conceptions of the world. In Key Stage 2, children have the opportunity to visit local museums, virtually tour national museums such as the British Museum as well as completing local history walks.

Children continue to develop a chronological secure knowledge of history and begin to establish clear narratives within and across periods of history they study. Children are able to note contrasts and connections over time and regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions. Children understand how knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources and that it can be biased. From this, children can construct informed responses by selecting and organising relevant historical information.