Weaving a journey for a historian at Brooklands Farm
As well as a love for the subject, we want history at BFPS to be a vehicle for change; for children to learn from the past to be the change they want to see in the future. We’re a new school within a new community in a ‘new town’ so understanding the local links to the past is particularly important for our children. Throughout our history curriculum, examples of local history are signposted and celebrated. This provides an anchor to and a pride in our local community. By definition, all of our families are new to the area-honouring significant historical local sites acknowledges a common shared history and identity.
The diversity of our community is a huge source of pride. We’ve designed our curriculum to study individuals from diverse backgrounds so that children see themselves reflected in British and global history. Migration and settlements are key themes woven throughout history at BFPS because these mirror the experiences of our children and families. For their cultural capital, our pupils need to know about and be proud of the achievements and contributions of individuals and groups of people throughout British and global history.
Our school was built on a farm -the whole reason for our school’s name. For us, it is not enough to capture this part of our history in just our name. The importance of farming throughout history in sustaining people is explored throughout our curriculum and like ‘migration’ and ‘settlements’ is a key theme of our curriculum. All of these themes remain important to today’s society and are one way in which our children make links from the past to today.
As our pupils have said:
‘I find the bravery of my ancestors inspiring and I like to think that they are reflected in the people we are today.’
‘I love history, I love the idea that people who may have died can leave a legacy that is still important today like Anne Frank, like Rosa Parks-that simple, small act of defiance started wheels turning. I find that fascinating!’
As a new community we know that to thrive children will need to learn about –
Migration – because our community is new, migration is part of all of our families’ stories. We explore this concept through different historical eras and zoom into specific stories through studying significant individuals. This is inseparable to the theme of settlements.
Settlements: because we are a new community, it’s vital children feel a sense of belonging. By studying how communities have adapted, flourished, survived and at times struggled throughout history and often as a result of historical events, children reflect and compare these with experiences in their own community. How settlements are formed and how people have organised themselves throughout history will provide context for children and their current place in time.
Events, people, legacy and achievement
Key occasions such as Remembrance Day are used as an opportunity to teach numerous historical themes such as how specific people or events have influenced history and still impact contemporary society. Knowing that individuals can change the world links to the overall vision that we have for our pupils; we are weaving a learning journey where the golden threads of their cognitive, personal, social and emotional development have the potential for children to be the difference they want to see in the world.
At Brooklands Farm Primary School we weave our history learning journey throughout a broad and balanced curriculum. The design of our curriculum ensures pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s, including the local area, past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement.
Through our history curriculum we intend to strengthen the knowledge children have about the past to support critical thinking and encourage engagement within their own community on Brooklands Farm. We want children to critically interpret the past so that they can learn from the mistakes our predecessors grappled with and the resulting solutions. We want children to know you learn from the past to create the future. Brooklands must become a sustainable community if children are to settle here and establish roots from which they will thrive.
Food and farming: central to the story of all societies has been food and in particular how societies learnt to become sustainable through framing. This is particularly pertinent for our children because our whole estate is built upon old farmland and this tangible link to our communities history is frequently referred to in learning. Children consider and understand that for communities to survive and flourish their basic needs must be met and how this basic drive has shaped history and their own place within it.
Equitable societies: central to our schools values is to encourage children to be the difference they want to see in the world. Studying how groups have historically organised themselves to form equitable societies provides children with perspectives about equality and their place in contemporary society, some of which has been shaped by historical attitudes, events and individuals.
Curriculum Overviews
Progression across our Primary School is here
Whole school History/Geography overview –
Year Group Interactive Knowledge Sites
Click to access History-Learning-Map-1.pdf
Click the hyperlinks on the circles to be directed to the knowledge sites for each unit of work.
