History Vision

Our goal is to embed a habitual curiosity about people, places and events in the past, within all children and to harness the natural excitement that comes with learning about these things. With a variety of different sources, primary or secondary, children will be encouraged to think critically and draw upon their own thoughts. We will also aim to develop a secure chronological understanding of local, British and world history, being able to call upon previous periods of time and where they fit on a timeline.

History Leader - Nick Wellman

One of my first school memories of history is of a Y2 school trip to Fishbourne Roman Palace. From getting the coach to being in awe of the mosaic tiles, it was one I’ll never forget. My upbringing has been surrounded by historical intrigue of people, places and events and I have been lucky enough to be able to go to historically significant places in my time – Pompeii, Vatican City, Hampton Court Palace and Bamburgh Castle to name a few.

History is all about exploring the past and asking questions about it. Children are inquisitive and will always be excited about things that have happened in the past, especially if it is something they can relate to. The awe and wonder of history is something that I want to instil in all at West Byfleet Junior School and every child will have the ability to gain some sort of knowledge about the past. There are many things that the past can teach us to help us to understand the present, and even give insight into the future.

By teaching children knowledge elements, we can feed that curiosity and sense of awe and wonder, thus developing a thirst for more. Through teaching children key historical skills, they can begin to find things out for themselves (such as interrogating sources in terms of reliability). We can therefore equip our children with skills for life.