History

Studying history at Christ Church School is an exciting, story-rich journey that helps children understand how people and events have shaped the world they live in today. Our curriculum is designed to ignite curiosity, build a sense of time and develop thoughtful, reflective learners who can draw meaning from the past. Through carefully planned topics and memorable learning experiences, pupils gain a broad and balanced understanding of local, national and global history.

Our intent is to nurture young historians who can question, interpret and evaluate historical sources with increasing independence. We want children to appreciate diverse perspectives, recognise continuity and change, and understand the significance of key individuals, civilisations and events. Above all, we aim for pupils to develop a strong sense of identity and an awareness of how the past influences modern society.

Through our carefully chosen topics, children investigate and interpret the past, develop a clear sense of chronology, and explore key historical concepts such as change, continuity and causation, building a broad understanding of Britain’s history alongside significant events and civilisations from around the world. We help pupils make connections between different periods and recognise how our lives today have been shaped by the actions of those in the past. Wherever possible, we seek to embed the rich history of Bristol and our local area so that children see history as part of their everyday environment. Benefiting from our beautiful and historic city, we enhance learning through frequent field trips, teacher-led walks, visits to museums, National Trust properties and local landmarks, as well as welcoming visitors, workshops, “wow events” and themed dressing-up days that inspire curiosity and bring the past vividly to life.

Classroom learning is equally vibrant. Interactive lessons, high-quality sources and engaging narratives enable pupils to explore history through discussion, drama, role-play and collaborative enquiry. Children learn how to handle a variety of historical evidence, from photographs and documents to maps, objects and digital archives. Teachers skilfully build children’s chronological knowledge, helping them make connections between periods and recognise how different eras relate to one another. Our history topics are often enriched through links with our Literacy class texts, helping to deepen children’s understanding and bring the past to life. We also apply our learning through cross-curricular links with subjects such as Maths, Literacy, Science, Computing, Art and Design & Technology.

The impact of our history curriculum is seen in the confidence, enthusiasm and insight shown by our pupils. They talk with excitement about the stories and people they have encountered, and they can use historical vocabulary accurately to explain what they have learned. Their ability to ask reflective questions, consider multiple viewpoints and make meaningful links across time demonstrates the strength of their historical understanding. Ultimately, our curriculum ensures that children leave our school with a genuine appreciation of the past and a lifelong curiosity about the people and events that shape our world.