Geography & History
Belinda Brown, Subject Leader
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History at Nafferton Primary School
The subject leader for History is Miss Brown.
At Nafferton School, we believe in providing an inspiring an engaging approach to learning which introduces children to the wonders of the world, both now and in the past. Our thematic curriculum aims to teach our children how events in the past have led to the creation of the world which they live in today. It is our intention to enable children to ask questions about the past and give them the tools with which to find the answers. Our History curriculum at Nafferton enables children to develop knowledge and skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas and which are used to promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development- we believe children learn best when subjects are interconnected and linked to real life. History is an investigative subject, which develops understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills. We seek to inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about the history of their local, national and global environment. The curriculum is designed to develop knowledge and skills that are progressive, as well as transferable, throughout their time at Nafferton and also to their further education and beyond. We create opportunities for all abilities to shine and show their understanding of the subject and to talk about it with enthusiasm.
Much consideration has been given to the design of our thematic curriculum. As our classes are mixed ages we are unable to follow a linear, chronological order. However, we do feel it is important to ensure that children gain a chronological understanding of the historical era they are studying and the events being taught. Themes of daily lives, people and power, democracy, movement and settlement and trade are threaded through Nafferton’s curriculum.
Each topic begins with a ‘launch’ and ends with a ‘landing’. The topic launch may be a re-enactment of the Queen Victoria’s Coronation, an archaeological dig on the school field or even turning the school into an Outreach centre for the British Museum. The purpose of each launch is to immerse the children into the period of history with which they are studying. It engages and enthuses the children into the historical era and provides them with a deeper understanding of key events and the impact of these events on the world.
Our Drawing Room has a Victorian theme and The Study which features a mammoth bone, is used by the Nafferton Village Historians club. Within our school grounds we also have a Peace Garden that was built to commemorate the end of World War 1, an Anderson Shelter and future plans include the building of a Greek temple and Viking Roundhouse.
As well as our launch days and themed teaching spaces we are fortunate to have a number of community links and visitors who support the delivery of our history learning, including Sergeant Parsons who provides theatrical historical interpretations, depicting a character from World War 1 or 2.
There a number of localities on our doorstep which we can visit to support our history learning in an active and engaging way. Only 3 miles away we have The Southburn Archaeological Museum which houses real artefacts from the Yorkshire Wolds and provides workshops for children, with the aim of making archaeology fun and informative. We also visit Burton Agnes Hall to learn about homes in the past and Sewerby Hall in the seaside town of Bridlington to learn about the local heroine, Amy Johnson. Other trips include visiting the National Railway Museum in York.
Geography at Nafferton Primary School
The subject leader for Geography is Miss Brown.
At Nafferton Primary School, our geography provision aims to teach our children to engage in an ever changing world where it is increasingly important to have an understanding of our local environment as well as the world around us. It is our intention to enable children to create thought provoking questions about the world around them, as well as facilitating them to find out the answers to questions about both natural and human aspects of the world. Children are encouraged to develop a greater understanding and knowledge of the world, as well as their place in it. Our thematic curriculum at Nafferton is designed to enable children to develop knowledge and skills that are progressive and transferable to other curriculum areas. Geography is, by nature, an investigative subject, which develops an understanding of concepts, knowledge and skills. We seek to inspire in children a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people which will remain with them for the rest of their lives; to promote the children’s interest and understanding of diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. Geography skills are a major factor in enabling children to be confident, creative and independent learners and it is our intention that children have every opportunity available to allow them to achieve this.
At Nafferton our children are taught how to use a range of geographical resources which will enable them to develop a range of skills, such as mapping and investigative skills. The children will use a range of maps as well as technology to explore the world around them and each class features an interactive Geography display to develop their geographical enquiry. Our designated Map Room provides opportunities to compare maps from around the world and develops key vocabulary.
There a number of localities on our doorstep which we can visit to support our geography learning in an active and engaging way. We use our village and local areas to teach the children about their local environment and to develop their fieldwork skills, such as completing maps, drawings and grid references. Opportunities are provided so comparisons of different localities can be made as well as links to the wider world. We use the nearby coastal town of Bridlington to learn about human and physical features, marine life and pollution. Other trips include vising The Great Yorkshire Forest, Bempton Cliffs and Flamborough Lighthouse.
Our Forest School programme further supports children with their geographical understanding of their environment and to develop a fascination of the world around them.
