Why we teach history

At St Anne’s Infants' School, we are passionate about history and believe that through high quality experiences, children are provided with the opportunity to develop an understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world.  Our principal aim is to ignite children’s curiosity and broaden their knowledge about how people used to live and how this has impacted on the world that we live in today.   

We take immense pride in being a National Heritage School and local history is embedded through our language rich, enquiry-led curriculum.

The knowledge, skills and understanding children develop

Our children become adventurous and resilient Historians, who develop analytical and critical thinking skills which are applicable to their wider learning. They are encouraged to explore a range of evidence and sources to develop their own opinions and arguments about events from the past.  Equipped with a range of historical vocabulary,  our children’s oracy is strengthened through opportunities to communicate their thinking through debates and discussions. By researching key events and people from a variety of backgrounds, our young learners become respectful and understanding towards individuals within our community and the wider world, whilst understanding how key figures have impacted the world we live in today.  Our History curriculum gives our children the chance to apply their reading and maths skillset, whilst allowing opportunities for high quality writing.

The learning experience

The history curriculum has been designed with an overarching enquiry question, which motivates our children to become curious about the past whilst providing them with the skillset to understand the history of Bristol, Britain, and beyond. 

We are committed to bringing history to life at St. Anne’s Infant School by giving children the opportunity to hear first-hand accounts from people who have experienced significant events in the past, such as stories from previous pupils, nurses, and our very own headteachers. To help develop their questioning and reasoning skills further, children are also provided with opportunities to study a range of primary sources that include artefacts, photographs, and paintings. Our offer of trips and visitors in and around Bristol, including The George Muller Museum and SS Great Britain, helps foster the children’s interest in history and understand the course of change. Through access to a range of enrichment, we hope that our children develop the skillset to become effective Historians as they compare and contrast what life was like in the past, whilst researching how the world has changed over time.