History

History helps children develop the knowledge, curiosity, and understanding they need to make sense of the world around them. Through exploring a wide range of topics—including significant events, people, and cultures—pupils build critical thinking, empathy, and a sense of identity. History in primary school deepens understanding of the past, supports informed citizenship, and inspires a lifelong interest in learning about how our world has been shaped.

A Message from Mrs Adams, our History Subject Leader

I’m Ruth Adams and I am thrilled to introduce myself as the History Lead here at Queensgate Foundation Primary History has always been a passion of mine, and I believe it plays a vital role in shaping our understanding of the world. My aim is to ignite that same passion in our students, making history not just a subject, but an adventure!

We are committed to covering a wide array of historical topics, from Ancient Civilisations to Modern Events, ensuring that every child gets a rich and varied experience. I truly believe that history is best learned through enquiry-based questions, encouraging students to explore, investigate, and connect with the past in meaningful ways. This approach allows them to become critical thinkers and enthusiastic learners.

I want every child to feel inspired to discover the stories that have shaped our societies, and to appreciate the diverse cultures and perspectives that history offers. Together, let’s celebrate the excitement of uncovering the past and understand how it informs our present and future. Embarking on this historical journey with all of our budding historians is a real pleasure!

Intent

We aim to provide interesting and varied opportunities that interest and intrigue our children and enable them to become active learners with a passion for history. We aim to give our children opportunities to learn the skills required to become an historian.

In line with the National Curriculum 2014, we aim for our history curriculum to ensure that all of our pupils:

• Gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world which helps to inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past.
• Are encouraged to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement.
• Begin 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.

Our historians will be given a variety of experiences both in and out of the classroom to create memorable learning opportunities and tofurther support and develop their appreciation and understanding of the past. Access to historical sources and artefacts throughout theirhistory learning journeys enable our historians to develop an enquiry mindset and become increasingly critical and analytical thinkers.

All year groups have access to engaging Out and About activities, trips and visitors which give students an opportunity to question the past and develop a deep understanding of the history of their locality, improve their cultural capital and their understanding of their own heritage.

Impact

Our history curriculum offers high quality and well planned learning opportunities which enable progression and promote cross curricular links where possible.

Children at Queensgate are able to discuss and share their historical knowledge using subject specific vocabulary. Pupil voice alsodemonstrates that our children enjoy history, are able to recall their learning over time and make links between periods and events in historythat they have studied across the curriculum.

Children’s learning in history books is of a high standard and reflects a wide range of engaging activities that are accessible to all learners.The exploration of key historical concepts, the acquisition and progression of history skills and knowledge is evident in learning.

Our learning environments are history rich with vocabulary and key concepts being displayed to celebrate and reinforce learning.

To ensure our aims have been met, we scrutinise topics through:

• Assessing children’s understanding of topic linked vocabulary
• Interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice)
• Moderation where pupil’s books are scrutinised and there is the opportunity for a dialogue between teachers to understand their class’s work
• Sharing good practice in staff meetings
• Marking of written work in books against the schools marking policy
• Collation of summative assessment data relating to attainment in history

As historians at Queensgate, children will learn lessons from history to influence the decisions they make in their lives in the future.

Please click below to access our History Implementation Statement