History

Our Intent for History

History is all around us. It is our past and shapes our future.

“We are made by history.” Martin Luther King Jr

At WASPS, we use the study of history to ignite our children’s curiosity about the past in Britain and the wider world. Through finding out about how and why the world, our country, culture and local community have developed over time, we allow our children to understand how the past influences the present and the future.

Our History curriculum enables children to develop a context for their growing sense of identity and a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people. We encourage them to ask perceptive questions of the history they learn about – digging deeper, weighing evidence and thinking critically. Woven throughout our history curriculum is a celebration of a range of different events and significant people, providing a broad and balanced representation of the wide variety of people, from different cultures and locations around the world, who have shaped our past and our future. We also celebrate Black History Month in order to broaden the children’s understanding of the important and significant impact that the BAME community has had on the past, present and future.

“Education is the most powerful weapon that you can use to change the world.” Nelson Mandela

Throughout our History Curriculum we have embedded two of our Core Curriculum Concepts – Local Heritage and Arts and Entertainment. These are visited regularly throughout the learning journey of our curriculum and provide a theme of relevant local and cultural experiences, ensuring the Cultural Capital and general knowledge of our pupils is equal and stands them in good stead for the future. Through our History curriculum, children will develop an understanding of how different forms of entertainment, performance and art have changed over time. These are then reflected on in an overview unit in Year 6. As a school we are blessed to find ourselves located on the edge of a city of huge historical significance, Bath, with a rich local heritage. To ensure all children in our school understand the importance of Bath’s history it is included in as many aspects of our curriculum as is appropriate, from Bronze Age settlers, to Romans and Georgians, up to the Bath Blitz.