History

What is History at Lawley Village Academy?

At Lawley Village Academy, we believe that high-quality history lessons inspire children to want to know more about the past and to think and act as historians. By linking learning to a range of topics, children have opportunities to investigate and interpret the past, understand chronology, build an overview of Britain’s past as well as that of the wider world, and to be able to communicate historically.

Continuity and Change

A fundamental concept of our history curriculum is helping children understand continuity and change in history. While many things change, some things such as cultural values, traditions, religious beliefs, political systems and places of settlement, remain the same. It is also important children understand historical events or periods do not happen in a vacuum. The structure  of our curriculum encourages an understanding that many ancient civilisations co-existed or evolved to influence later civilisations or historical events. To help embed this learning we have a whole school history timeline along with timelines and displays in each classroom.

Bringing History Alive

There is no better way to learn about history than to be a part of it. We ensure that our history curriculum is reinforced by field trips and experiences in school. The galleries below celebrate some of the fun and engaging experiences the children in all year groups have enjoyed.    

Local History

We strongly believe children should have an awareness of local history as it helps them compare and contrast their lives today with people in the past. Stepping back in time to make connections with our local history and familiar places really  helps children place their learning into context. Settlement in Shropshire dates back to 3000 BCE and where possible we link changes through time in the local area to topics being studied. This could be through famous individuals such as Charles Darwin; the Roman settlement of Shropshire; the experience of evacuees in Shropshire during WW2; or the impact of the Industrial Revolution, which is a huge part of our heritage.

We are very lucky to be partnered with Lawley and Overdale Parish council who generously volunteer their time to take the children on fascinating history trails around Lawley, Overdale and Newdale. Here is a link to their trails:

https://lawleyoverdale-pc.gov.uk/history-trail/ 

While studying local history, the children were amazed to discover a railway once ran through the centre of the school. Our main hall is built on the site of a station platform. Discoveries like this really brings history alive for the children and helps them place history in a familiar context.