History at Ellingham

At Ellingham Primary School, we want every child to embark on an exciting journey through time! Our aim is to spark a real curiosity and fascination about Britain's past and the wider world, helping children understand how yesterday shapes today.

Discovering the Past Through Our Local History

History at Ellingham starts with you! In our youngest years, children begin exploring their own past, like family birthdays and grandparents. We also love looking at old toys, teddies, and household objects to see how things have changed. As children grow, they dive into big questions about historical events and important people. They learn to think like real historians – asking deep, probing questions, looking closely at evidence, and forming their own judgments.

We're lucky to have such a rich history right on our doorstep. Our lessons often explore our local market town of Kingston, the wonders of Hampton Court, and the significance of the River Thames. We even learn about historical links within Chessington in many of our units.

Our Approach

Across Key Stage 1 and 2, history is taught through enquiry questions, national curriculum objectives, threshold concepts, and the development of historical skills. Historical knowledge, skills, and understanding are continuously assessed through planning, teaching, and reviewing. Key historical skills are assessed by observing children, using differentiated, open-ended questions, and effective marking. Quality questioning encourages deeper thinking and builds enquiry skills. Knowledge organisers are used for checking coverage, appropriate vocabulary, and quizzing understanding. At the end of each topic, children complete a quiz to assess knowledge acquisition, and teachers use these results to inform future planning and address gaps. 

Exciting Enrichment

Learning history isn't just about what happens in the classroom. We love to bring history to life through exciting trips, workshops, and visitors. Imagine going on a virtual trip to the British Museum to explore Ancient Greece , or re-creating Tudor London like our Year 5 pupils. Our Year 6 children even apply their knowledge to build Anderson Shelters, just like those used in World War II. We also use special artefact boxes in school, allowing children to handle real pieces of the past.

Through all these experiences, we aim for children to not only gain strong knowledge but also to develop enquiring minds, ready to explore the past and understand their place in the world.

Useful links