History
At Sunshine Academy, we are guided by the National Curriculum for History (2014).
We teach History in discrete weekly lessons on a half termly basis, alternating with Geography. Our History curriculum and teaching aims to support pupils in gaining a secure foundation in their knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. We inspire pupils’ curiosity about the past through an engaging range of topics, and encourage them to ask and answer questions in order to know and remember more. We encourage the children to begin to ask perceptive questions, weigh evidence, consider arguments, and start to think critically and use judgement. Through the teaching of History we introduce our children to 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.
History lessons focus on developing the important building blocks to develop historical skills and we motivate the children to act and think like historians with the guidance of Granny Sunshine our History mascot. At Sunshine, we aim to provide real life experiences and learn about history in an active and creative way. Links to Geography, Science and other subjects are also explored to make links within their learning. Teachers plan lessons to ensure the learning teaches the children the skills and knowledge they need to answer any questions and learn about the topic fully.
In Early Years, the children learn History through the subject Understanding the World. The children access History through their play and adult led activities for a range of topics across the year, as well as in circle time discussions. They build the necessary skills for their future learning in History through inquisitive play, open ended activities, opportunities for discussion and questioning and through hands on, real life experiences. The concept of chronology is taught through their own experiences as well as those of their peers and other living things familiar to them.
The National Curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils:
- Know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world.
- Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind.
- Gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’.
- Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses.
- Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed.
Within KS1 pupils should be taught about:
- Changes within living memory. Where appropriate, these should be used to reveal aspects of change in national life.
- Events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally [for example, the Great Fire of London, the first aeroplane flight or events commemorated through festivals or anniversaries]
- The lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements. Some should be used to compare aspects of life in different periods [for example, Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria, Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong, William Caxton and Tim Berners-Lee, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and LS Lowry, Rosa Parks and Emily Davison, Mary Seacole and/or Florence Nightingale and Edith Cavell].
- Significant historical events, people and places in their own locality.
Projects for 2025 - 26
Intent, Implementation and Impact
History - Intent Implementation and Impact
Progression in Skills and Knowledge
History - Progression in Skills and Knowledge