At Forest View, pupils begin to develop their sense of the past from an early age through the Early Learning Goals. Children in EYFS are guided to make sense of the past through identifying similarities and differences between then and now and by looking at the lives of them and people around them. Grandparents are invited into school during the ‘All about Me’ Autumn topic to share photographs of themselves when they were younger and to discuss what life was like for them. Visits to the local library also enable children to collect a range of books suited to their topic.  

In Key Stage 1, pupils develop their understanding of chronology, including looking at changes within living memory and also significant people and events beyond living memory.

In Key Stage 2, units are taught on a rolling programme and are carefully scheduled so that they build on what has been taught before helping to develop the children’s chronological understanding. This includes studying Britain’s past and a series of studies about Civilizations around the world.

Forest View believes that by developing children’s historical skills, children will have an understanding of the past and how nations have changed, how empires have risen and fallen and the impact the past has on our life today.

Pupils follow a cross curricular, topic based approach to History. There is an emphasis on child-led mind mapping at the start of a topic which helps children take ownership of their learning to create an engaging topic where the children’s interests and previous learning are catered for.

At Forest View, History aims to develop the following key skills:

• An understanding of chronology
• Knowledge and understanding of events in the past.
• Historical interpretation
• Historical concepts – such as continuity and change, similarity, difference and significance.
• Historical enquiry skills.

We aim to develop children’s historical skills by providing a fun and varied curriculum, including the use of trips, visitors, artefacts and a range of primary and secondary sources of evidence.  We also aim to develop an understanding of local history to broaden the children’s understanding of where they live.

• EYFS, KS1 and KS2 identify people, places and events through stories and texts that are linked to the history element being taught.
• Trips and/or visitors develop real-life experiences for the children to build the children’s curiosity about the past and help develop a broad and balanced curriculum.
• EYFS and KS1 have role-play areas in the classroom.
• The children use a range of digital technologies and a variety of sources of evidence to develop their understanding of the past.
• Pupils are provided with a range of activities including learning beyond the classroom where appropriate.
• Other key historical people/events, e.g. Bonfire night, International day of women and girls that are not included in main historical units are discussed across the school in assemblies.

• Through work scrutiny and pupil conferencing-children enthusiastically discuss their learning in History.
• Through Showcase events and learning walks to see the range of historical work on display.
• Some lessons will result in an independent task recorded in books. 
• Some lessons will result in group or class learning tasks.  These will be recorded on See Saw. 
• Children will have a deeper understanding of their own place in the world and the impact past events, people and societies has on our life today.

Inclusive approaches in History ensure that every child can access age‑appropriate learning through carefully scaffolded teaching, rich visual resources, and opportunities to revisit key knowledge in manageable steps. Lessons are designed so all pupils can engage, using strategies such as vocabulary pre‑teaching, retrieval, knowledge organisers, timelines, and artefact exploration to make abstract concepts concrete. In KS1 many sessions which be hands on, using visual representations, circle time activities and speaking and listening takes, including role play. Children who may need support are given scaffolded activities, adult support, which will include additional adult modelling, and retrieval practice that reinforces prior learning without adding cognitive load. Adaptive teaching—such as visual aids, chunking information, providing writing frames, or using dual‑coded materials—ensures that pupils with SEND or lower prior attainment can participate fully while still being challenged. Resources like simplified texts, audio support, visual timelines, and structured discussion prompts help pupils build confidence and historical understanding. These approaches work together to create a learning environment where every child can succeed, contribute, and develop secure historical knowledge that grows over time.

History at Forest View goes far beyond the National Curriculum by offering pupils immersive, memorable experiences that bring the past to life and spark genuine curiosity. Enrichment opportunities such as museum visits, historical sites, themed hook days, drama workshops, and visits from experts or re‑enactors allow children to handle artefacts, explore real environments, and engage in role‑play that deepens understanding far more than classroom learning alone. Assemblies, whole‑school history events, and cross‑curricular projects help pupils see the relevance of history in their own lives and communities, building cultural capital that some may not otherwise access. Furthermore, the school uses the local area’s rich historical heritage to immerse the children’s learning. These experiences nurture enjoyment, strengthen long‑term memory, and maintain interest by making history vivid, active, and meaningful, while also helping pupils develop a sense of identity and belonging through learning about local history and the stories of people who shaped their community.