In our Federation we aim for our children to develop a range of skills and knowledge that will enable them to ask historically accurate questions, carry out historical enquiries and learn from the past in a way that deepens their understanding of both the present and the future. We aim to develop in pupils an interest in the past as well as an understanding that enables them to enjoy all that history has to offer through knowing about significant events in British and world history, appreciating how things have changed over time.
In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children talk about their experiences and the lives of people around them, as well as developing an understanding of the past and comparing the past with now. This is part of the Understanding the World area of The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Staff respond swiftly to the children’s own child initiated learning experiences, interacting in a way which moves learning forwards for all learners. Understanding the World activities are also planned as part of the teaching sequence.
History is planned and delivered at Key Stage 1 in line with the National Curriculum. Skills and knowledge are taught progressively from Reception to year 6, with opportunities for children to build on and embed their learning.
In Key stage 2 pupils build on and develop a sense of chronology and to understand society and their place within it. They are presented with opportunities to develop their skills of enquiry, investigation, analysis, evaluation and presentation through a variety of activities. This allows children to build a coherent timeline of key historical events and allows knowledge to be deeply embedded. We focus on drawing comparisons between past and modern life in order to promote understanding of how history impacts the way we live our lives today. This will allow children to reflect on present time and how events today will impact our future.
We aim to enthuse pupils with an interest in the past, developing their understanding, enabling them to enjoy the richness of cultural and social heritage in Britain (including British values SMSC) and the world and appreciating how things have changed over time.
In our Federation, we ensure that all children engage in history through active learning such as role play, handling and analysing evidence and immersive experiences. Consequently, children leave our Federation with a strong foundation of knowledge for historical enquiry and a desire to continue to ask questions about the past as historians.
History Day 11th September 2024
The Federation of Toftwood Infant and Junior School participated in a History Day on Wednesday 11th September. Key stage one children began the day with an assembly about the history of our school. They found out that the school began in what is now Toftwood Social Club. The children were interested to hear about what school was like by listening to extracts from the school log books which dated back as far as 1876. They did a great job at identify staff in archived photographs and were interested to see how the school had changed. One child also recalled that he and his mum were taught by the same teacher!
Year one children had lots of fun learning about our school history. They discussed why children were absent from school and took part in a drill. They looked at an article from the log book regarding some missing keys, then participated in an orienteering activity in the school grounds to find the pictures of the keys with initials on, to discover the culprit.
Year two children focused on school in the past. They looked at items found in classrooms and participated in Victorian style lessons. Activities included writing lines for English, reciting times tables, and a drill. They also participated in a playtime with hoops, skipping ropes and hopscotch.Here are some quotes from year two children: “The teachers were very strict” Beau. “They had to write with chalk” Harrison. “The boys had to pick up leaves” Hermione.
History Summer Term 2024
Reception
In the summer term, Reception children visited Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse for a fairy tale event. Part of the day involved helping the ugly sister and Cinderella with jobs around the house and gardens. Jobs included pumping water from the well to water the plants, washing clothes using the wash board and washing dolly, and milking the pretend cow. During the tractor ride, the children saw the Suffolk punch horses. This sparked a conversation about working horses and their role before tractors were used. “Those are big horses, they pulled wagons a long time ago,” said Erin.
Year one
The topic ‘Step back in time’ is studied in the second half of the summer term. Work includes making comparisons between our school and Victorian schools. Children also visit Holkham Hall (see year group, year one tab for write up).
D-Day Celebrations
Toftwood Federation held assemblies to commemorate D-Day. Key stage one children found out about the history surrounding D-Day and the background of the second world war. They discussed the term ‘allies’. Children were particularly interested to find out about the landing on the beach in Normandy. Here are some quotes from year two children. Mia – “I think it was interesting that it started with an invasion on Poland because my family is from Poland.” Arthur – “I thought it was interesting that they came onto the beaches by parachute.” At lunchtime, the kitchen staff prepared aeroplane shaped biscuits for the children to enjoy.
History Spring 2024
Reception
Reception children talk about their past experiences, including days out with their family and special times such as birthdays. They find out about the past and how life has changed from a variety of sources, including photographs, objects and stories.
Classes looked at castles and found out they were usually made of stone, placed on a high hill and sometimes had a moat with a drawbridge. They also learnt about Norwich castle. Following on from these carpet sessions, some children played with the catle small world play and created their own castles using construction in the classroom.
Year One
Year one studied the topic of ‘Our Planet and Beyond.’ The children learnt about the history of space travel including learning about the race to space and the astronauts Neil Armstrong, Yuri Gagarin. The children thought of questions they would like to ask an astronaut. They have been introduced to time lines for the events of space travel.
Year Two
During the topic of ‘Air, Land and Sea’ the children have learnt about Lord Admiral Nelson. They found out about important dates in his life and could use prior knowledge of how a timeline works to create their own timeline for Lord Admiral Nelson. Some of the children were able to expand on the information and wrote additional facts for each date.
Autumn 2023
Reception
Reception children undertook activities linked to bonfire night at the beginning of November. Activities included discussing experiences of bonfire night, watching videos of the celebration, finding out about firework safety, and creating firework pictures.
During independent learning time, reception children have had the opportunity to find out about dinosaurs and explore the dinosaur bones.
Whilst playing with the small world play castle, some children were intrigued to learn about real castles.
Reception children learnt about Remembrance Day. They made their own poppies in class and had a class assembly where they observed a two minute silence. They watched a CBeebies video called ‘poppies’ which is a lovely video showing how the poppies grew in the field after all the grass had turned to mud.
Year 1
Year one children found out about extinct animals and also those that are endangered. They made a timeline to show when the animals became extinct.
Year 2
Norwich’s Past
Year 2 children have learnt about life in Norwich in the past. They studied the cathedral and castle in Norwich. Lessons included looking at artefacts relating to Norwich’s past, comparing old and new landmarks in Norwich, and finding out about castles and how they were defended.
See grid below to show understanding before and after the topic.
The children participated in a History Day- see special events tab for further details.
Year two also looked at the significant person William the Conqueror. They created a timeline for his life.
Night time
As part of our topic Night time the children have learnt about a significant person from the past, Guy Fawkes. The children wrote about who Guy Fawkes was and why he is an important historical person.
They picked some items that Guy Fawkes might have used in 1605 and described how he would have used them. They then explained the difference between objects that Guy Fawkes could have used, compared with what he might have used today.
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day was marked in an assembly at the Junior School. The children learnt about Armistice Day on the 11th November 1918. At 11 o’clock on that day, nations who were fighting laid down their weapons and this signalled the end of the war (known then as the “Great War”). Today, we know it as the First World War. Armistice is an agreement for peace.
One year later, the first two-minute silence was held. King George V had asked the people of Britain to pause and remember all those who had fought and died in the service of their country.
In in 1920, King George unveiled the nation’s new war memorial called the Cenotaph, where people go to remember the fallen.
The children found out about the Royal British Legion and how it remembers the fallen by launching the Poppy Appeal, where members and volunteers sell millions of red paper poppies. In the weeks leading up to 11th November and on Remembrance Sunday, people are asked to wear a poppy as an act of remembrance.
The children listened respectfully and with interest.
On Wednesday 8th November, key stage one children were extremely lucky to be joined by the Mayor of Dereham. He talked to the children about why we wear poppies, the significance of the poppy and encouraged the children to join in with reciting a special passage to remember the soldiers who fought in the wars.
On the Friday the Infant School participated in class assemblies for Remembrance Day, including a two minute silence. Reception children also had the opportunity to make poppies.
Black History Month
Over the last three weeks we have been celebrating Black History Month. Here are some of the activities that have taken place across the Federation.
Reception – In Reception we have been learning about some amazing people in our history. We enjoyed reading Mo Farah’s “Ready Steady Mo” and learning about his amazing achievements at the Olympics. We looked at some iconic music created by black artists and learned the sign for dancing when listening to Martha & The Vandellas “Dancing in the Streets”. We also had a go at dancing to Bob Marley’s classic hit ‘Three Little Birds’.
Year 1 and year 2 started learning about Black History Month by discussing the importance of treating everyone equally during an assembly. We looked at our PATHS rule ‘Treat others the way you want to be treated’ and talked about the importance of British Values.
Year 1- We enjoyed dancing to Martha & The Vandellas “Dancing in the Streets” and Nina Simone’s “Young Gifted and Black”. We were inspired by the story of the Olympic athlete Mo Farah and enjoyed watching videos of his races. We also learnt about Daniel Hale Williams who was was an African-American surgeon who founded the first non-segregated hospital in the United States in 1891, as well as completing the first successful heart surgery.
Year 2 –In year 2, we have been learning about the lives of Martin Luther King Jr and Rosa Parks as part of our learning in black history month. The children have discussed how black people were treated in the past and how much it has changed thanks to the actions of people like Martin Luther King Jr and Rosa Parks. We also explored some modern day heroes like Mo Farah, Stevie Wonder and Stormzy.
Federation Time Capsule Project with Taylor Wimpey East Anglia
Toftwood Infant and Junior School have been involved in an exciting project to create and then bury a time capsule at the nearby Taylor Wimpey East Anglia development site. Children from both schools chose items which would help people in the future understand what 2023 was like and to give them an insight into school life. Items included photographs of events, drawings by the children, brochures and tickets of places visited, leaflets of Dereham, memorabilia linked to the jubilee and recent coronation, a letter to King Charles, handwritten notes, coins, stamps, a school jumper, a map of the school, a school dinner menu and a sweatshirt.
On Thursday 13th July, a selection of children accompanied Mrs Pedlow and Mrs Sutterby to witness the time capsule being buried at the Etling Grove site in Dereham. The time capsule has been placed in the grounds and the plan is to open it in fifty years.
History Summer term 2023
Reception
In the summer term, Reception children visited Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse for a fairy tale event. Part of the day involved helping the ugly sister and Cinderella with jobs around the house and gardens. Jobs included pumping water from the well to water the plants, washing clothes using the wash board and washing dolly, and milking the pretend cow. They got to see the Suffolk punch horses. This sparked a conversation about working horses and their role before tractors were used.
Year one
Link to Year one Holkham Hall visit.
Year one children wrote letters to the King; they asked him questions about his coronation.
The King’s Coronation Celebration
The children at Toftwood Infant and Junior School have had a celebration fit for a king!
The Federation came together for two days of activities and a special lunch to help celebrate the King’s Coronation. To mark this important occasion, the children dressed were invited to dress up in red, white and blue or as a king or queen.
Over the course of two days the children took part in lots of fun activities including crown making, creating Union Jack flags, learning to sign the National Anthem and naming photos of the royal family. Year one children will also be writing to King Charles next week. A special assembly to commemorate the King’s Coronation led by Janet Marshall took place at both schools.
Children were invited to participate in a competition to decorate a Coronation rock. We were very impressed with the individuality of the children designs which included a corgi, a crown and the Union Jack flag. The children have been given the opportunity to take their rocks home or place them in the community in Toftwood or Dereham. Perhaps you will find one of the special rocks when you take a walk around the locality.
On Thursday we had a special federation picnic lunch which we were lucky enough to have outside and all together. Seeing the children outside laughing, playing and enjoying their time together was a wonderful sight.
What a wonderful two days we have had celebrating such an important historical event and special time for our country. Hopefully very memorable for all the children and staff. A big thank you goes out to our wonderful lunchtime and kitchen staff for their hard work.
