Hertford Junior School

The aim of History teaching is to stimulate the children’s interest and understanding about the life of people who lived in the past, locally, in Britain and in the wider world. We teach children a sense of chronology, and through this they develop a sense of identity and a cultural understanding based on their historical heritage. They learn to value their own and other people’s cultures. We teach children to understand how events in the past have influenced our lives today; we also teach them to investigate these past events and, by so doing, to develop the skills of enquiry, analysis, interpretation and problem-solving. 

 History teaching at our school has two main aims: to encourage children to learn about the past and to ensure history reinforces skills of enquiry and reasoning, which are applicable in many areas of life. 

History leads two topics per year group.  We begin with a stunning start designed to excite and stimulate the children's interest.  A variety of activities throughout the topic are designed to encourage children to make deductions from evidence, research using books, empathise with people from the past and encourage them to recognise similarities and differences between different time periods. The children are encouraged to reason, linking cause with effect.  When meaningful, we visit local places of historical interest such as The Brighton Pavilion and a Local Air raid shelter.  We also invite other experts in to run workshops to bring the past alive, for example a visit from a Roman Soldier and Artefacts from Sussex Past, a local history society.