History

History at Kingsley

At Kingsley Community Primary and Nursery School, we want History to inspire children to be curious about the past and to understand how it has shaped the world around them. From exploring their own lives and family histories to discovering significant people, events, civilisations and changes over time, children develop a growing understanding of how people and communities have lived and changed.

Our History curriculum is carefully sequenced to develop children’s chronological understanding, historical knowledge and enquiry skills. Children learn to ask questions, investigate evidence, make connections and explore change, continuity, cause, consequence and significance across a range of historical periods and societies.

Learning Through People and Their Stories

Throughout our History curriculum, we weave the stories of significant and influential people into our units of learning. Children encounter individuals such as Florence Nightingale, Mary Seacole, Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong, alongside kings, queens, leaders, explorers and people from our local community. This helps children understand that history is shaped by the actions, ideas and experiences of individuals as well as wider events and changes in society.

We encourage children to ask questions about the lives they encounter: Who were they? What did they do? Why are they remembered? How did their actions affect others? By exploring different perspectives and using historical evidence, children begin to understand that people in the past had different experiences and that the impact of historical events was not the same for everyone.

Our Local History

We believe that history is all around us. Our local area provides a rich opportunity for children to become historians themselves through local fieldwork in Kingsley. By exploring the village, studying old and new photographs and maps, visiting significant places and buildings, and listening to memories and stories from the local community, children investigate how Kingsley has changed and what has remained the same.

These experiences help children to connect the history they learn in the classroom with the place they call home, developing a sense of belonging and an understanding of how their local community has changed over time.

Through History, we encourage children to be curious, thoughtful and respectful as they discover the stories of people and places from the past, developing an appreciation of how the past continues to influence our lives today.