History
At Lambs Lane, we believe that the teaching of history is fundamental in helping children 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.
The curriculum at Lambs Lane is organised into four areas: enquiry, chronology, connections in world history and historical communication.
Lessons are taught at least one afternoon every two weeks and are interleaved alongside geography, with which there is a strong cross-curricular element. Concepts that thread through both geography and history include:
- Leadership
- Journeys and migration
- Civilisations and settlements
- Legacy.
Historical knowledge and skills are developed progressively from EYFS to upper key stage 2 and continuously revisited throughout the year. Children are encouraged to use their enquiry skills to ask perceptive questions, make hypotheses based on evidence, think critically and compare the past with the present.
Our history curriculum also intends to transfer cultural capital - the knowledge and experiences which support the children's understanding of the wider world. We offer all pupils with opportunities to gain knowledge of customs and traditions in other cultures as well as explore their own national culture during trips. Pupils are taught to analyse the similarities and differences between their lives now and the lives of people that lived before us. The concept of legacy plays a key role in these discussions, as our pupils are encouraged to evaluate what our society has learnt from the past and what each civilisation or era of history left behind that helps form our lives today.
Outcomes in the children’s creative curriculum books, alongside the class scrapbook, evidence the historical knowledge and skills that have been taught. There are a wide range of resources available for teachers to draw upon, including online resources. Assemblies and trips offer additional opportunities to explore the historical world in greater depth. On alternating years, year 3 and 4 go on a residential trip to Hooke Court to experience first-hand aspects of history, such as preparing food with flint or preparing for battle as Romans. Key stage one brings history to life when they build and burn London houses and visit the starting location of the Great Fire of London.
The Lambs Lane history curriculum aims to inspire pupils’ curiosity about the world, its inhabitants and cultures past and present, and to support them in developing a sense of identity founded on the legacy history has left us.
