History

History at Cribden House supports pupils to develop a sense of themselves, their community and the wider world. Through engaging stories, artefacts, real-life experiences and discussions, children learn how people lived in the past and how the world has changed over time. The curriculum develops curiosity, questioning and communication, helping pupils recognise that their lives are shaped by events and people from the past.

Across all pathways, learning is practical, multisensory and adapted to meet individual needs. Pupils are supported to explore chronology, cause and effect, similarity and difference in ways that are meaningful and accessible.

Being Pathway

On the Being Pathway, History sits within Understanding the World in the Being Curriculum. Children learn through a three-year cycle of rich, sensory themes such as “All About Me,” “Seasons,” “Traditional Tales,” “Growing,” and “Under the Sea.” These topics offer opportunities to explore change, memory and the passing of time in simple, concrete ways.

Children connect past and present through stories, songs, role-play, photographs and small-world play. Staff introduce early historical language such as “before,” “after” and “a long time ago,” supporting pupils to build early chronological understanding. Learning is supported by indoor and outdoor exploration, allowing children to experience the world through touch, movement and observation.

Progress is recorded using Tapestry and assessed through the Being Curriculum Assessment, ensuring that every small step of understanding and engagement is celebrated.

Doing Pathway

On the Doing Pathway, History is taught through the Time and Change strand of the Doing Curriculum. Learning is practical, hands-on and closely linked to real experiences so pupils can make meaningful connections between the past and their own lives.

Children begin with the most familiar concept of history—their own story—and gradually explore events beyond their immediate experience. Through sensory resources, artefacts, role play, photographs, visits and simple timelines, pupils learn to notice differences between old and new, past and present, yesterday and today.

Topics such as “Me & My Family,” “Homes,” “Buildings,” “People Who Help Us” and “Me & My Country” encourage pupils to explore how things change over time—families, transport, jobs, homes, clothing and communities. Children touch, compare, sort and talk about objects from different periods, gaining an early sense of chronology and historical change.

Teaching is sequenced across the Doing Curriculum Ranges, ensuring that every small step—recognising an old object, recalling a past event, acting out a historical role—is valued and recorded. Evidence is collected through photographs, videos, observations and Tapestry, linked closely to individual EHCP targets.

Thinking Pathway

On the Thinking Pathway, pupils access weekly History lessons linked to the theme that the children are following. They learn about significant people, historical events and local and world history through stories, timelines, artefacts, visits, drama, research, discussion and non-fiction texts.

Pupils develop historical enquiry skills by asking questions, comparing evidence, drawing conclusions and presenting ideas. They build understanding of key concepts such as chronology, cause and effect, and similarity and difference. Lessons are adapted with visuals, simplified texts and practical activities where needed to ensure accessibility.

Assessment is based on teacher observation, discussion and work completed in class, with feedback used to develop knowledge and historical vocabulary over time.

Across all three pathways, History at Cribden House:

brings the past to life through sensory, practical and real experiences
helps pupils recognise change and continuity
promotes curiosity, questioning and discussion
focuses on belonging, identity and community
develops communication and vocabulary linked to time and history
values every small step of progress

Through History, pupils learn about themselves, their families, their community and the wider world. They begin to understand how life changes over time and develop respect for the people and events that shape the world they live in.