Mr J Harrison - History Coordinator 

“A generation which ignores history has no past – and no future.” –  Robert A. Heinlein

Having spent many years studying history at school and university, I am delighted to be in primary education where that first love, interest and curiosity is started in the subject. To share my passion of the past and ignite the children’s passion in history is one of my main aims as the subject coordinator.  At St Margaret’s Primary School, we want history to fire children’s interest and curiosity about the past in Britain, the wider world and help them to understand the diversity of human experience.

History teaches us about the present because it gives us the tools to analyse and explain problems in the past, it positions us to see patterns that might otherwise be invisible in the present – thus providing a crucial perspective for understanding, and solving, current and future problems. In today's modern world, it is more important than ever to debate and consider information, not just accept what they are told.

Therefore, we aim for a high-quality history curriculum that has been carefully designed and sequenced to equip our children with a secure, coherent knowledge of British, local and world history. Curriculum content is knowledge and vocabulary rich, allowing children to develop their understanding of abstract concepts as they move through the school. Our aim by the end of the children’s primary education is for them to articulate their understanding of the past, present and future confidently.  They will also understand the process of change, the diversity of societies as well as their own identity.  All vital in enabling them to be historians, with transferable skills, who are ready for the intriguing world we live in today.