History at Norfolk Community Primary School

What is History?

History in the National Curriculum is about exploring how the world we live in was shaped by the past. It can be summed up in a few fundamental practices: ordering events in time, finding differences and similarities, writing and talking about the past, using different sources for information, and asking and answering perceptive questions.

History at Norfolk

Our aim at Norfolk is to ignite children's curiosity about the historical heritage of Britain and the wider world. We encourage an enquiry-based approach to teaching, stimulating pupils to think critically and ask deep questions about the historical evidence they encounter.

We teach history as a distinct subject to help children understand that they are learning about the past. However, we always frame it within the context of global citizenship. This allows children to explore the differences, similarities, and interconnectedness between events, people, places, and cultures through time, giving them a meaningful and deeper understanding of each topic.

Our Historical Journey

EYFS

In Foundation Stage, our youngest historians begin by exploring their own personal history and families. Through hands-on experiences, artefacts, and storytelling, children learn to:

• Explore Personal History: Identify how they have changed since they were a baby and talk about their immediate family and community.
• Share and Compare: Use family trees, photos, and personal artefacts to talk about their own heritage and discover that there are many different types of families.
• Understand Past and Present: Look at old photos of homes, schools, and transport to spot similarities and differences, while taking trips to local areas of historical importance.
• Learn Through Stories: Enjoy fiction and non-fiction books featuring characters from different cultures and times, using them to build early chronological language and discuss themes like bravery and kindness.

Key Stage 1: The Passing of Time

In Key Stage 1, our history teaching secures children's understanding of the passing of time and the differences between ways of life in different time periods. Pupils explore changes within living memory, local history, and the lives of significant figures like Florence Nightingale and Grace Darling.

Key Stage 2: Chronology and Context

In Key Stage 2, pupils study significant events in British, local, and world history to build a strong understanding of historical chronology. This structural approach makes history highly motivating and meaningful, guiding pupils as they explore a variety of key historical concepts.

National Curriculum

At Norfolk, the history curriculum is carefully mapped out across school ensuring that the areas of the National Curriculum are thoroughly covered. Click below to read the National Curriculum guidelines.

Enquiry questions

Our History curriculum is underpinned by enquiry questions: deep questions that the children will develop their understanding of throughout the unit of work. These questions are regularly revisited so that the children can develop their responses and understanding. Click below to find out all of our exciting questions!