History
At Upminster Junior School, our history teaching aims to build a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. We aim to inspire curiosity, helping pupils to develop a sense of identity and perspective. Children are encouraged 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.
Knowledge
Pupils develop historical knowledge by learning key historical concepts, vocabulary, and content across a broad and balanced curriculum. This knowledge is built progressively throughout the school, ensuring depth and security of understanding as children study different time periods, civilisations, and themes.
Skills
Skills are developed through regular opportunities to think and work like historians by asking questions, analysing sources, interpreting evidence, and constructing arguments. Children learn to understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses
Experiences
Historical understanding is enriched by pupils exploring history through artefacts, documents and storytelling, and where possible, enrichment opportunities such as museum visits, workshops or expert visitors help bring the past to life and connect learning to the wider world.
