Our Curriculum:

At Bedford Primary School, we recognise that the curriculum we deliver is the toolkit we send our children out into the world with. It reflects our context, core values and the kind of citizens we want them to be. We have to be ambitious for them and prepare them for a rapidly changing digital world.

"A generation which ignores history has no past and no future."

Robert Heinlein

Skills of a great history student: 

• A curiosity to know more about the past
• Ask perceptive, historically valid questions
• Think critically, weighing evidence and sifting arguments to a develop their own perspective and judgement
• Have a strong understanding of chronology
• Have a strong understanding of methods of historical enquiry
• Make connections across historical periods and explain how the past frames the present
• Be a good communicator, who can work alongside others to tackle some of history’s big questions

Our vision for history:

At Bedford  Primary we are committed to providing our pupils with a high quality history curriculum that helps children to gain a knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. We believe that by truly understanding the past, our children will understand their own identity and challenges of their time. In every history lesson we teach, we endeavour to develop key historical skills in our learners and encourage them to constantly make connections with the past.

About history at Bedford:

Our history curriculum is separated into three main skills focuses: 

Chronological Understanding: in which pupils are taught to develop a chronological understanding of history and apply this throughout the wider curriculum. Children learn to use timelines and understand the importance of duration, as well as use a range of historical language to describe the past. 

Interpretation knowledge and understanding of past events, people and changes in the past :  in which children are taught to explore and identify different ways the past are represented. They also learn to identify similarities and differenced between and across time periods. As  pupils get older they are encouraged to explore the reasons why some different versions of the past exist. 

Historical Enquiry: in which pupils are taught to ask historically valid questions and constantly strive to find our about the past. Children learn how to identify historical sources and to understand why some historical sources are more reliable than others. 

Helping your child with history at home:

The best way to encourage young historians is through discussion. Talk about your family history and encourage your child to ask older relatives questions about the past. You can also use books, television and film to help your children explore the past. 

Useful links