History
History at Our Lady of the Rosary
At Our Lady of the Rosary, we want children to develop a deep curiosity about the past and an understanding of how history has shaped the world we live in today. Through a broad and engaging curriculum, pupils explore significant events, people, and periods from both British and world history, developing a strong sense of chronology and identity.
Our Approach to Teaching History
History teaching at Our Lady of the Rosary is enquiry-based and designed to encourage children to think critically, ask questions, and draw connections between different time periods. Lessons are sequenced to build on prior learning, helping pupils to make links and see how change, continuity, cause, and consequence play out across time.
Retrieval tasks are used to revisit prior knowledge and vocabulary before new learning is introduced. Pupils use knowledge organisers to recall key facts and language, and regular retrieval practice helps them commit this knowledge to long-term memory. Teaching draws on a wide range of sources, including artefacts, images, film clips, and first-hand accounts, to make the past come alive.
Our History curriculum reflects key concepts such as legacy, empire, and trade, helping children to understand how historical developments continue to influence our society today. Historical vocabulary is taught explicitly so that pupils can use accurate terms when discussing ideas and events. Lessons are adapted for all learners, ensuring that every child can access and enjoy history through visual, auditory, and practical experiences.
Working as Historians
Across the school, pupils develop the key disciplinary skills of a historian:
- Placing events, people, and periods within a chronological framework
- Asking perceptive questions and making comparisons
- Using evidence to form and support opinions
- Understanding how and why interpretations of the past may differ
Through this approach, children learn not only what happened but also how we know about the past and why understanding it matters.
Enrichment and Wider Opportunities
Our History curriculum is enriched through a wide range of trips, workshops, and special events that help bring learning to life.
Children take part in experiences such as:
- Visiting Windsor Castle to explore the lives of past monarchs
- Handling artefacts at Chertsey Museum for topics such as The Stone Age, The Victorians, and Ancient Greece
- Joining live online workshops from The National Archives
- Exploring our local heritage through visits linked to Magna Carta and the Second World War
- Meeting experts, including a local historian and an astronomer from Staines, who share specialist knowledge with pupils
We also mark key national and cultural events, including Remembrance Day and Black History Month, fostering reflection, respect, and cultural understanding.
High Standards and Achievement
Our commitment to high-quality history teaching was recognised with the Silver History Quality Mark (2023). We are proud of this achievement, which reflects our children’s enthusiasm, our teachers’ expertise, and the rich experiences provided across the school.
Continuing the Journey
At Our Lady of the Rosary, children build secure historical knowledge and develop the ability to think critically about the past. As they move through the school, they revisit and deepen key ideas such as chronology, legacy, and change over time. This progressive approach prepares pupils for the next stage of their education, equipping them with the skills to question evidence, form balanced opinions, and understand the world through the lens of history.
Through history, our pupils learn not just facts and dates, but the stories, choices, and achievements that have shaped humanity. They leave Our Lady of the Rosary as confident, reflective learners with a strong sense of how the past connects to the present and future.