The Discover term is all about discovering and unearthing the great mystery of what came before! It is about real people who lived, and real events which happened in the past. Our children learn to better understand the world as it is through the study of the world as it was.
Our pupils will consider how the past influences the present, what past societies were like, how these societies organised their politics, and what beliefs and cultures influenced people’s actions. Emphasis is put on the complexity of the past and how the nature of historical narratives is that they are constructed and often contested. Consequently, children develop a critical mind and disciplinary thinking by exploring the past from differing perspectives. As they do this, a focus on sequence, time and chronology helps our children develop a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people and how these relate to each other.
In researching the past, they find and scrutinise evidence, and come to their own conclusions in order to argue their point of view. They are supported in developing the confidence to build strong, robust arguments whilst fostering an open mind which allows them the flexibility to incorporate new perspectives into their thinking. Fundamentally, they explore and appreciate the diversity of human experience, and in doing so, understand more about themselves as individuals, as members of society and as global, socially responsible citizens.
We believe all of this will give our pupils the skills and confidence required to question and influence the people and communities around them and the power to affect change should they ever need to, thus better preparing them for the world of tomorrow.
“The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.” —Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)
Our inquiry questions this term are: