History is fundamental to our curriculum vision for Stretton. If children are to become reflective, critical thinkers, equipped to make their own mark as independent citizens of the world, they need to appreciate what has come before them. Historical enquiry offers a particularly exciting and illuminating window on the world that demands precise and coherent communication of ideas: effective historians imagine and construct other experiences, understanding and appreciating difference; they are creative, resourceful and analytical in identifying and evaluating evidence that is often incomplete; they apply their knowledge and understanding to build informed arguments that can be supported by witness testimony in all its rich and varied forms. History offers a unique context in which to identify connections in human existence: it rewards curiosity and resilience with discovery and understanding that promotes personal growth, confidence, and empowerment:

‘Our curriculum should whisper to our children, ‘You belong. You did not come from nowhere. You are one of us. All this came before you, and one day, you too might add to it.’

Ben Newmark

Our vision is that all children will develop:

• a lively curiosity about the past, exploring key people, events and innovations, as well as an understanding of how ‘ordinary lives’ have changed;
• an appreciation of the skills of historical enquiry (what it means to be ‘an historian’), identifying, interrogating, interpreting and evaluating historical evidence from diverse sources;
• an understanding of how viewing the past from different perspectives creates multiple ‘histories’, how these may conflict, and how they might be reconciled;
• a secure understanding of chronology that will enable them to sequence key periods and events in British History and begin to place these into a wider world context;
• the confidence to construct historical arguments, interpreting evidence and accounts of the past independently and making connections between them.

Our aim is that children at Stretton will learn the skills and habits of historians and will be enthused by being able to apply these with growing independence in different contexts. They will have opportunities to work directly with historical evidence in various forms (including oral and written testimony, historical artefacts, and primary texts, as well as via secondary sources). They will also explore different fields of History (e.g. Economic, Social, Political and Cultural History) through a variety of carefully sequenced local, national and global topics covering Ancient, Medieval, Early Modern, Modern and Contemporary History. Children will develop a secure understanding of chronology so that they are equipped to make connections between different time periods and historical debates. They will learn to generate their own questions for historical enquiry and explore how questions about the past may evolve as historical evidence is analysed. Children will be offered opportunities to develop their understanding via visits to museums and exhibitions or by external agencies coming into school. They will also learn how to curate and present their own findings to inform others, developing skills in historical argument, but also choosing and using a range of communication strategies as appropriate to present their ideas coherently.

Effective teaching of History not only provides children with access to a vibrant academic discipline that is intellectually stimulating and enjoyable, it also promotes curiosity, observation, resilience, and effective communication. In addition, historical understanding contributes significantly to the ‘cultural capital’ children need to become confident, reflective citizens. By the time children leave Stretton, our aim is that they have a secure knowledge of some core events and themes in British and world History which they can locate chronologically with confidence. We also want to instil in them an appreciation of the history of their local community and a pride in their locality. By studying, for example, Coventry’s contribution to British industrialisation, Coventry’s experience during World War II and its role in promoting international reconciliation after 1945, we aim to cultivate in our children an awareness of their home city as interesting, forward-thinking, and inspiring. We believe that this validation of our local community will enhance children’s perception of themselves as independent, reflective, and critical agents with exciting futures ahead of them.