At the Whiteoak Academies, History plays a vital role in helping us to deliver our vivid vision by supporting the personal development of children and promoting fundamental British values. Our History curriculum is crafted and designed to support and encourage our children to become global citizens who explore and investigate how Britain and the world have been shaped and changed by the cumulative actions of different groups and individuals in the past, both distant and near. Being a British primary school, much of what we teach focuses on the United Kingdom and teaches our children about their local history as well as UK wide significant historical periods, events and people that influenced the development of this nation. This helps to demonstrate and celebrate the diversity evident in modern Britain.

Through historical topics exploring life in the past such as the Romans, Vikings, Anglo Saxons, The Victorians (including ‘Empire’) and the Windrush generation our children start to learn about our rich and varied cultural past that makes us the diverse nation that we are today and establishes our place on the global historical map. Furthermore, our children also get the opportunity to explore other cultures away from the influence of the British Isles such as the Benin Kingdom, the Ancient Greeks and the Egyptians. This not only helps to distinguish Britain, but also helps to celebrate and recognise similarities and differences.

Indeed, through teaching historical skills such as evidence, interpretation, cause and consequence, similarities and differences children start to ask and answer ethical questions that help them to appreciate different viewpoints and recognise that as well as modern Britain, we are part of a wider historically connected global community.

Furthermore, as a family of schools, we recognise that history is not resigned to the distant past but that the making of history is seen every day in the news and this is also is incorporated into our curriculum and assemblies to help our children understand the complexities of the modern world and lessons that can be learned from the past mistakes. At the Whiteoak Academies, values are not assumed, instead through our History curriculum and whole curriculum offer, British values and SMSC are developed and formed together through exploration, debate and critical analysis and understanding. Indeed, through our History curriculum, our children are given the foundations to understand and appreciate diversity, fairness and justice, liberty, acceptance, tolerance and harmony as well as developing a respect and understanding of democracy and democratic processes.

Our pedagogical approach to the delivery of History at the Whiteoak Academies is designed to make a genuine impact on the spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding of our children; therefore, helping to promote British values and global citizenship. Through our History curriculum our children are nurtured and supported to understand their rights and role within society in order to help them shape a positive future for themselves and others in an increasingly complex and dynamic world.