Meet Harold: Our Longmoor History Curriculum Character!

Harold the Historian loves all the different elements of the past – Romans, Vikings, Aztecs, Egyptians and as well as famous people that lived in the 1900’s.  He understands that it is important that we can learn from people who have lived before us and that they have shaped our lives today.

When you are learning about events in History, he wants you to look at different sources of information and use terminology such as BC and AD. He wants you to enjoy the stories you hear, remember as many facts and dates as you can and to be able to talk about what you have learnt in each period of History.

History at Longmoor!

At Longmoor  Primary School, we start our History learning right from Nursery and Reception up to Year 6.

In our early years we focus on teaching history through many of our areas of learning, but mainly through Understanding of the world, which is split into three parts; The Natural World, People, Culture and Communities and Past and Present.

Please see below where you can see the progression from Birth to Three to the expectations by the end of Reception.  

In years 1-6 we learn about History as part of our exciting challenge curriculum. 
Before the children start a new topic, they are given the opportunity to pose their own questions, and decide on the things that they want to find out about. Once they finish each topic, the children are able to reflect on what they have learnt in a creative and collaborative way.

Longmoor's History Progression 2021- 2022 Shown Through Our School Timeline:

The importance of History and the new National Curriculum

History provides opportunities to stimulate the children’s interest and understanding about the life of people who lived in the past. The children learn a sense of chronology, and through this they develop a sense of identity and a cultural understanding based on their historical heritage. Thus they learn to value their own and other people’s cultures in modern multicultural Britain. Children can begin to understand and explain how events from the past have shaped our lives today.

The New Curriculum focuses on developing children's chronological understanding, enquiry skills and discovering local history. The children use enquiry skills at Longmoor by posing their own questions around the topic and using a wide range of resources such as: books, artefacts, videos, first hand experiences and the internet to explore the answers.

Our Topic Wows!

We love to inspire the children when they begin a new topic by having a topic 'wow' day! WOW days allow the children to instantly be hooked on the History topic and constantly want to learn more. They also provide lasting memories for the children of their time here at Longmoor Primary school, as they constantly recall activities and facts they have learnt from a particular WOW day through their school journey, that they will keep with them for a long time. WOW days may consist of food tasting, dressing up, school trips, arts and crafts, making and creating or having outside companies come in for educational workshops. See what we have been up to below!

An Account from a Former Pupil.

John Gowan attended Longmoor Primary School in 1957 and sent us this photograph and an account of a project that inspired him to move to New Zealand.

Here is what he sent to us.
 
"Hope you may be interested in the attached photo. It’s from 1957/58 when I attended Longmoor Junior Boys School. As a class we studied a commonwealth country, in our case it was New Zealand. We had to learn about its history, culture, economics geography and were encouraged to write letters to New Zealand House and the Commonwealth Institute to get information. (I think now the idea was to indoctrinate us pupils so we'd go home and try and influence our parents about emigrating!!)  It may not have worked on my parents but here I am; it’s only taken nearly 60 years! The photograph is of an end of term pageant with Captain Cook and his crew being greeted by Maori villagers. I am extreme right standing on the wall. I am not sure what form I was in then,  all I remember was I had  a male teacher. I left in November 1958 when we moved to Essex. The only class mate I remember was Andrew Merriment who I met when I returned as a student at Trent Polytechnic and played rugby for Long Eaton.
John McGowan
New Zealand"

John McGowan at Longmoor Primary School in 1957.