History at Newham Bridge
“History gives answers only to those who know how to ask questions.”
Hajo Holborn
Here at Newham Bridge history is at the heart of our curriculum. Through our school’s core values: Inspire, Enjoy & Achieve, children are immersed in the rich narratives of our past. We champion our children to become Historians; to think like them, write like them and speak like them as their inquiring minds and thirst for knowledge develop.
Aims
We aim to inspire curiosity and a love of learning about the past, encourage enjoyment through active and meaningful experiences, and enable all pupils to achieve their full potential.
Through History, we foster respect, empathy, and an appreciation for the diversity of human experience, supporting pupils to become thoughtful, informed, and responsible citizens.
To support children in becoming successful historians, our curriculum is built around two key components: Substantive Knowledge (knowledge about the past) and Disciplinary Knowledge (understanding how historians investigate and interpret the past).
The Enquiry Approach
At Newham Bridge, the teaching of History is underpinned by an enquiry-based approach that promotes curiosity, critical thinking, and deep historical understanding. Each unit is framed around an overarching enquiry question, which is then explored through a sequence of carefully structured sub-questions in individual lessons. This approach enables pupils to develop their knowledge progressively and systematically, building a secure understanding of historical concepts, events, and themes over time.
By revisiting and connecting learning throughout the unit, children are equipped with the substantive knowledge and disciplinary skills required to construct informed responses to the central enquiry question. Crucially, the enquiry model provides meaningful opportunities for pupils to think and work as historians, developing essential skills such as questioning, analysing evidence, evaluating interpretations, and forming reasoned judgements.
Big Ideas
History is embedded in our curriculum from the very start in our Early Years Foundation Stage. Pupils explore key historical themes through stories and pictures within the area of Understanding the World. Here the foundations of historical learning are formed.
From Year 1 through to Year 6 our history curriculum builds upon our early years learning and encompasses a string of golden threads. These concepts are interwoven seamlessly throughout our topics ensuring our key concepts are revisited and built upon to further knowledge and understanding.
Within our school we have 4 ‘Big Ideas’ for which our golden threads lie:
- Monarchy and Power
- Invasion and Settlement
- Trade and Innovation
- Legacy
View our ‘Road Map’ to see the sequencing of our golden threads within our ‘Big Ideas’.
Our Locality
At Newham Bridge we believe it is essential that our pupils feel a sense of belonging. Our history curriculum is rich with local links; from exploring Middlesbrough’s industrial revolution, to the heritage of the River Tees. We are extremely lucky to have great local opportunities on our doorstep; Saltburn, Stewart Park and Hartlepool Marina have allowed our KS1 children to explore changes over time and the lives of significant people first hand.
