History
At St Anne’s, History is a practical and engaging subject, which motivates and inspires our children to gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Through the investigation of significant individuals, societies, cultures and countries within which they live – and those within the wider world – History enables pupils to gain awareness of what happened in the past and reasons for these events.
History begins within the Early Years as part of Understanding the World, where children have the opportunity to explore and discuss the events in their own lives and in the lives of their family members. They know that other children don’t always enjoy the same things and are sensitive to this. They know about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and among families, communities and traditions. They take an enquiry approach through the use of discovery bags and try to piece together information.
In KS1, pupils will develop an awareness of the past, while developing a wide vocabulary of historical terms. They will explore the similarities and differences and learn about specific historical events and the lives of significant people.
Pupils in KS2 will then explore history in a chronological order, to support their journey of establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study. They are encouraged to ask questions, investigate and explore so that they acquire the knowledge and skills needed to uncover the wonders of the past that have shaped the world they live in today.
At St Anne’s we aim to make learning incredibly memorable through the careful planning and delivery of enriching activities.
In order to bring historical learning to life we hold themed days in which pupil’s get to explore a ‘day in the life’ during their topics. An example of this would be the Victorian day in Year 5 when children get the opportunity to dress up, eat gruel and write on chalk boards – among other activities – for the day. Their history is also brought to life through the exploration of artefacts and educational trips throughout the year.
Geography
Geography is, by nature, an investigative subject, which develops an understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills. At St Anne’s we seek to inspire curiosity and fascination about the world and its people, which will remain with our children for the rest of their lives; to promote children’s interest and understanding of diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. Our curriculum is designed to develop the knowledge and skills that are progressive, as well as transferable, throughout their time at St Anne’s, to other areas of the primary curriculum, to future education and beyond.
Our Topics
Please see the Whole School Overview to see which topics are taught by each year group.