At Chestnuts, our history curriculum teaches children about changes and developments over time in society, as well as events with historical significance. Studying history enables our children to understand their past, gives them an identity and helps to unify our community. It also promotes a strong sense of belonging.

History at Chestnuts is taught through our cross-curricular topics, which ensures the continuity and progression of knowledge and skills through the subject. Using our knowledge of how children learn, we provide opportunities to recap, revisit and consolidate previous learning before introducing new content. Our children study a wide range of local, British and world history, including periods of ancient and modern history. They learn about significant historical events, famous historical figures and explore how their actions have influenced our lives today.

Throughout their time at Chestnuts, the children develop an awareness of the past, they learn how the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between the ways of life in different periods. They study key events within and beyond their living memories and establish clear narratives through the history period taught

The children are encouraged to see connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop their appropriate use of historical terms. Each year, when the children learn about the different time periods, they focus on what housing was like, what tools and resources were used and what lasting impacts have been made on society today. These are known as our golden threads. Making these comparisons empowers the children to think critically, analyse information and challenge ideas as they form their own historical arguments, knowledge and embark on their secondary education.

An example of this can be shown through the strand of chronology. In EYFS, the children learn about the past in relation to themselves and their families. Moving into Key Stage One, the children start to explore history beyond their living memories such how toys have evolved and the Moon landing. As they move into Key Stage Two, the children begin to experience older periods of time, starting with the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages in Year Three and then move through the Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings and then finally, World War Two.

Through its design, our history curriculum ensures accessibility and challenge for all children. They progressively develop their historical knowledge and understanding while, at the same time, also have fun learning about the past. The children are supported to remember more through the use of ‘sticky pictures’ which help the children to link new learning to familiar images, thus developing schema within their brains.