History is all around us. It is about the relationship between the past and the present. At James Cambell Primary School, it is our intent to fire pupils’ curiosity to ask questions and know more about Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Pupils should be encouraged to develop a chronological framework of British and world history that will enable them to make sense of the new knowledge they acquire.
The children are given the opportunity to examine, interpret and evaluate a variety of sources in order to make deductions about the past. The children are exposed to a range of written sources to develop their love for reading whilst enriching their vocabulary. They are taught to think and behave as historians and archaeologists. Our curriculum provides children with opportunities to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. Through the teaching of History, we endeavour to teach 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. We believe that teaching History in this way is important in broadening children’s horizons, challenging preconceived ideas and developing life skills in order to prepare them for high school and beyond.
Throughout the year, we have various themed days, school visits, workshops and historical experiences to develop a deeper understanding of the time periods studied and to inspire the children, ensuring they have a lifelong love of History. Through this we are able to ensure our children have the experiences they deserve and foster a curiosity and enquiring nature to last through the years. We also aim to help the children develop a better understanding of our British Values that have been formed throughout our history and the influential people who shaped the work, the continents and ultimately where they live today.