Curriculum focus: History
Children at Sprowston Junior School are taught history through a rich and varied curriculum which includes hand-on experiences through trips and visits. We investigate the past through sources such as pictures, photographs, artefacts, stories and writing to encourage deep questioning and inference skills. Children develop a sense of chronology as they progress through the school, building on prior learning and enabling children to make comparisons between different periods of time. As you walk through the school, you will see a visual timeline in every classroom, key questions and vocabulary clearly displayed. The corridors are also transformed into visual displays to showcase learning. Children’s history books show links made to the Literacy curriculum with extended writing opportunities and examples of cross-curricular learning through art, science, design and technology and PSHE.
At Sprowston Junior School, we have organised history teaching and learning within a chronological format. Children will work on securing an understanding of British, local and world history. Each class refers to a visual timetable displayed in the classroom to help children grasp the concept of time and place.
In year 3, children look at pre-history with the ‘Savage Stone Age’. They will develop an awareness of people as hunter-gatherers and early farmers. Through a range of sources, children will also develop an understanding of Stone Age inventions such a fire making, stone tools, weapons and the wheel. Year 3 continue to develop an understanding of ancient civilizations but focus on the wider world through the topic of the ‘Ancient Egyptians’.
Year 4 build on the previous year by learning about the ‘Groovy Greeks’ and the expansion of the Roman Empire. During the year they get the chance to immerse themselves in Greek life with a visit from history off the page.
Year 5 continue the chronology with the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. As part of this, they visit the burial site at Sutton Hoo to find out more about life as an Anglo-Saxon, the Gods and changes that took place around that time. They continue to build period on this period of history by exploring the Vikings and their impact on the UK.
Year 6 continue to build a picture of local history through a study of Medieval and Tudor Norwich. Towards the end of the year, they look at World War 1 and 2, building an understanding of how they began and drawing comparisons between the two. Children will look at connections and patterns over time, whilst developing their use of historical vocabulary. Through high-quality history lessons that include cooperative learning opportunities, our aim is to encourage skills of enquiry, analysis, evaluation and debate. Children will also use the past to develop a better sense of self within a social, political and cultural background.
We hope the children build an enjoyment of, and interest in history, which continues to develop in the next stage of their education and beyond.
