History
Hello, my name is Mrs Williams and I am the history coordinator at Sherdley Primary School. I joined the school in September 2021 (as Mrs Schreiber) and have taught across all year groups in that short time! I am now the class teacher in Year 4. Last year, I was responsible for KS2 Reading but this year I am excited to be taking on the role of history coordinator.
At Sherdley, we believe that History should inspire pupils’ curiosity about their own past, the past in Britain and the wider world. Our curriculum is tailored to include a focus on local history to give pupils a deeper understanding of the society in which they live. History topics are carefully planned to be age appropriate across the years and to link with their prior knowledge. Pupils will be encouraged to ask questions and find evidence to reach their own conclusions through exploring a range of resources, including, books, the internet, sources and artefacts. Pupils will develop their knowledge of changes that have taken place, consequences that have followed and they will build their understanding of chronology. They will be able to discuss historical events and the impact this had on their lives or the lives of others. As the children get older, they will develop the ability to argue for their own point of view and present their work in an appropriate way.
Learning history helps us to understand the society which we live in, and for us at Sherdley Primary School, we think it is especially important to help us understand how that has had an impact on St Helens. I love looking through children’s books to see what they have learnt about in their history lessons, such as the Great Fire of London, the Romans, Ancient Greeks, Vikings and Anglo Saxons, and World War I and II. We also support this learning by going on trips to Tatton Park and Liverpool Museum to make learning ‘real’ and stimulate the children’s interests further.
I also support the teachers in our school by attending courses and delivering training at staff meetings. I speak with them to see what teaching resources and events can improve our history lessons, such as Black History Month.
If you would like to about History at Sherdley Primary School, please contact me.
To promote positive aspirations for all in each area of the curriculum, last year for Black History Month, each class researched different public figures who are exceptional in their field of work.
6M researched the British Historian, David Olusoga.
David Olusoga was awarded an OBE in 2019 for services to history and community integration. He specialises in the British Empire and how we experience its lasting effects in modern society. David has presented historical television programmes on the BBC. His television credits include Civilisations, Black and British, Our NHS: A Hidden History, A House Through Time and the BAFTA award-winning Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners.
His book, Black and British: A Short, Essential History, has recently been published especially for children as a follow-up to his best-selling 2016 exploration of the relationship between Britain and Africa. It presents children with an essential opportunity to study often-overlooked details of British history. At a time when there is huge debate around the best ways to teach children about the history of the British Empire and race in the classroom, Olusoga himself describes this book as 'the book I wish I had been given to read when I was at school'.
Next month, we will be celebrating Black History again and I can't wait to share with you what we get up to!
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