“The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”
— Theodore Roosevelt

At Sunnyside Academy, we want every child to develop a curiosity about the past and an understanding of how history has shaped the world we live in today. Our History curriculum is designed to be exciting, meaningful and accessible for all children, helping them to explore the lives of people from different times and places whilst developing the skills needed to become a historian.

Through stories, real-life events and hands-on experiences, we encourage children to ask questions, think critically and make connections between the past and the present by using a range of historical sources. We aim to give children a sense of identity and belonging by helping them understand their local history as well as wider global events.

By the time they leave us, we want our pupils to be enthusiastic learners who have a strong knowledge of key historical events and people and who can talk confidently about how history helps us understand the world and our place in it.

Our History curriculum is designed to help children:

• Discover their local roots by learning about the rich history of our local area, using real places and stories from our community to bring the past to life.
• Explore key people, events and moments in time from a wide range of historical periods, including important events in Britain’s past.
• Understand when things happened by building a clear sense of chronology, helping children place events in the right order and make connections over time.
• Think like historians by encouraging children to ask thoughtful questions, discuss different viewpoints and reflect on what the past can teach us.
• Stay curious about the past and understand that history can be seen in different ways, depending on who is telling the story and why.
• Learning from the past, shaping the future by helping every child to build the skills and curiosity they need for careers beyond school, resulting in them growing into thoughtful, confident and responsible global citizens.

Through engaging lessons and exciting topics, we aim to spark a lifelong interest in history and help children understand their place in the world. Children will know more, remember more and understand more.