History

At Orgill, our history curriculum follows an engaging scheme that encourages children to investigate questions about key people and events in the past. Through this questioning the children gain a clear understanding of events in the past on a local, national and international level, and reflect on how this might have affected their lives today. Children leave Orgill with a wide knowledge of key historical events, having developed a range of critical thinking and analysing skills. Skills, which will enable them to independently make judgments and reach conclusions for themselves throughout later life experiences. 

All year groups, from Year 1 to Year 6 will study three history units per year. Key Stage One study their units in a block covering one to two weeks in alternating half terms. Key Stage Two have weekly lessons lasting an hour in alternating half terms. We follow the Primary Connected History programme by Collins and make full use of resources within the immediate and wider local area enabling children to develop a deep understanding of the rich history of their locality. We make full use of local links with the Egremont Crab Fair Committee, with visiting speakers to the whole school prior to the Crab Fair celebrations as well as visits to the grounds of Egremont castle. Topic boxes and activity sessions are utilised whenever possible from local museums including The Beacon, Tullie House and Mayport Roman Museum. The topics enhanced by such resources include toys, changes from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age, the Romans, including further visits to various local heritage sites including Hadrian's Wall, Vindolanda and Maryport Roman Museum, The Viking settlers and the ancient Egyptians. External visits and the use of topics boxes are used to enhance the learning experience for all children at Orgill, to enable them to explore resources in a hands-on situation which they would not usually be able to do.  

The History curriculum at Orgill, in line with the 2014 National Curriculum, aims to ensure all children: gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world which helps to stimulate pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. They are encouraged to ask and answer perceptive questions, think critically, demonstrate understanding and empathy, reach informed judgments and make conclusions, and to justify, evaluate and hypothesis their thinking in relation to their understanding of significant historical events. Our history curriculum is accessible to all and offers a rich combination of independent and group work in an inquisitive and fun way where each and every child can succeed while developing higher level thinking skills which they will continue to use in later life.