Our History curriculum stimulates pupils' curiosity about people, places and events in the past to help them develop an understanding of society today. Pupils learn about changes within living memory and events beyond living memory that are significant globally and nationally. They learn about the lives of significant individuals in the past. Pupils develop a chronologically secure knowledge of British and world history through the study of different civilizations and empires. They also spend time learning about the history of the school, local area and locally significant people.
What is special about our curriculum?
Our curriculum is based on the National Curriculum, but with an importance on our local history. Where possible, we engage the local community to bring history to life for our children. We have an oral history afternoon where local residents come into school to share their experiences of WW2 with the children. Parents and local community residents come into school to share what Churchfields school was like in the past making effective use of our school’s own historical artefacts.
Children visit historically important locations, such as Croydon airport where Amy Johnson embarked on her ground-breaking solo around the world flight. Other visits include a trip to Crofton to see an actual Roman Villa and many more. We also have themed days were children can become a Roman or a Greek for the day and put into practice all they have learned.
What is the structure of teaching and learning?
History is taught for one hour per week, for three half terms per year. Our children will experience a variety of teaching styles and approaches, which enhance the learning outcomes of the curriculum. The curriculum structure supports children in developing secure knowledge and understanding of the past both local, national and worldwide.
What will children achieve by the end of EYFS, KS1 and KS2?
EYFS
Children we be able to understand the difference between past and present events in their own lives. They can begin to explain some reasons why people's lives were different in the past.
Key Stage 1
By the end of KS1, children at Churchfields can use common words and phrases relating to the passing of time. They can explain about changes in living memory and events beyond living memory. They are able to talk about the lives of significant individuals and discuss what they have discovered about people and places and significant events in their own locality.
Key Stage 2
Children have a strong chronological knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history. They are taught to address and devise questions about change, similarity and difference. Children understand that our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources and that a historian will carefully select and organise sources to construct informed responses.