At St Nicholas, we want children to enjoy exploring the past. Children are confident in asking questions, making connections and discovering how history has shaped the world around them. Our curriculum introduces children to a wide range of historical periods, events and people, helping them build a strong sense of chronology and begin to understand cause, consequence and change over time.

Children learn about significant individuals, national milestones and global developments, alongside stories rooted in our local area. In Key Stage 1, for example, they explore the role of the Morris Minor in Oxfordshire’s motoring heritage, and learn about Empress Matilda, whose dramatic escape and leadership left a lasting mark on Wallingford’s medieval history. These local links help children see history as something real and relevant, not just something that happened far away or long ago.

Lessons are designed to be engaging and accessible, encouraging children to explore sources, share ideas and reflect on what life was like in different times and places. They build historical vocabulary, develop enquiry skills and begin to compare and contrast different periods. Learning is captured in whole-class floorbooks.

By the time they leave KS1, children can talk confidently about the past, understand how it connects to the present, and feel proud of the history that surrounds them, both locally and beyond.