History

At Shirehampton Primary School, we want History to inspire children's curiosity about the past and help them understand how people, places and events have shaped the world in which they live today.

Through our History curriculum, children develop a secure understanding of British, local and world history. They learn to ask questions, explore evidence, make connections and consider how and why life has changed over time.

We want children to understand that history is not simply a collection of dates and facts, but an opportunity to investigate the past, consider different perspectives and develop their own informed ideas. This reflects the aims set out in our History curriculum. 

Our Vision for History

We want our children to become curious and thoughtful historians who are excited to find out about the past.

Our curriculum develops children's chronological understanding and their knowledge of significant people, events and periods in Britain and the wider world.

As children progress through school, they learn to ask increasingly challenging historical questions, use evidence, consider different interpretations and make connections between periods of history.

We provide opportunities for children to bring History to life through experiences, visits, artefacts and other sources wherever possible.

What Children Learn

Historical learning begins in the Early Years through Understanding the World. Children talk about their own lives and families, explore past and present events and begin to develop an understanding of chronology through stories, photographs, artefacts and first-hand experiences. 

As children move through Key Stages 1 and 2, they develop their knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history.

They learn about significant people and events, changes within and beyond living memory and different periods of history. As their historical knowledge grows, children increasingly make connections between periods, recognise similarities and differences, consider cause and consequence and explore how we know about the past.

The curriculum develops from an early awareness of the past in Key Stage 1 towards increasingly secure chronological knowledge and historical enquiry in Key Stage 2. 

▼ Thinking Like a Historian

This is the History equivalent of our Geographical Skills & Fieldwork section.

At Shirehampton, children are encouraged not only to learn about History, but to think and work as historians.

Children develop their ability to:

• Place events and periods within a chronological framework

• Ask and answer historical questions

• Explore similarities and differences

• Consider change and continuity over time

• Investigate causes and consequences

• Understand the significance of people and events

• Use a range of historical sources

• Consider how reliable or useful evidence may be

• Recognise that the past can be represented and interpreted in different ways

• Use evidence to develop and explain their own ideas

As children move through school, they become increasingly confident in selecting and using historical information to answer questions and support their thinking.

Bringing History to Life

We want History to be meaningful and memorable for our children.

Where appropriate, learning is enriched through visits, visitors, artefacts, photographs, historical sources and practical experiences, helping children make connections between what they learn in the classroom and the wider world.

Our local area and the city of Bristol also provide opportunities for children to explore history closer to home and understand how their own community has changed over time.

Supporting All Learners

At Shirehampton, we want every child to participate successfully in History.

Teachers adapt teaching and resources where appropriate to remove barriers to learning while maintaining high expectations for all pupils. This may include visual resources, timelines, artefacts, pre-teaching vocabulary, additional modelling, practical experiences or adapted ways for children to record and demonstrate their learning.

History Curriculum & Progression

Our curriculum documents provide further information about what children learn and how historical knowledge and skills develop as they move through the school.

📄 History Curriculum Progression

📄 Geography & History Curriculum Handbook