Our Local Heritage · Summer Term

The History of Our School

Investigating when the school was built, its original purpose, and what it was like for the first pupils.

About This Topic

The History of Our School invites Year 2 pupils to explore their own school as a significant historical place in their locality. They investigate when the building opened, its original purpose, and daily life for the first pupils through artefacts, photographs, and stories from staff or visitors. Key questions guide this work: how old is the school and what did it look like originally, how school life differs today from 50 years ago, and what aspects remain constant over time. This aligns with KS1 History standards on local places and changes within living memory.

Pupils develop historical enquiry skills by comparing past and present, noticing changes like classroom equipment or playground rules while identifying continuities such as friendship and learning. Visits from former pupils or examining school logbooks build a sense of place and personal connection to history.

Active learning shines here because the school environment offers immediate, tangible evidence. Hands-on tasks like mapping old features or recreating past lessons make abstract time concepts concrete, spark curiosity through real artefacts, and encourage collaborative discussions that reveal patterns of change and continuity.

Learning Objectives

• Compare photographs of the school building from different time periods to identify architectural changes.
• Explain the original purpose of the school building based on historical records or oral accounts.
• Classify changes in school life, such as playground equipment or classroom activities, from 50 years ago to today.
• Identify elements of school life that have remained consistent over many years, such as learning or friendships.

Before You Start

People Who Help Us

Why: Students have learned to identify different roles within their community, which helps them understand the roles of past teachers and pupils.

Objects We Use

Why: Students have explored everyday objects and their uses, providing a foundation for examining historical artefacts and comparing them to modern items.

Key Vocabulary

Logbook	An official record book kept by the school, often containing important dates, events, and decisions from when the school first opened.
Artefact	An object made by a person in the past, such as an old school photograph, a child's toy, or a piece of equipment, that helps us understand history.
Pupil	A student attending a school. This term can be used to describe children who attended the school many years ago as well as those who attend now.
Continuity	Something that stays the same or continues to happen over a long period of time, like the purpose of a school to teach children.

Active Learning Ideas

School Timeline Walk: Building a Class Timeline

Pupils walk the school grounds to spot old features like bricks or plaques, noting dates. Back in class, they add findings to a large timeline with drawings and photos. Discuss changes and constants as a group.

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Generate mission

Interview Station: Voices from the Past

Prepare questions about school life 50 years ago. Pupils interview a staff member or guest in pairs, recording key differences like no computers. Share findings on a class chart.

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

Generate mission

Artefact Hunt: Then and Now Comparison

Display old school photos and items like inkwells. Pupils in groups sort them into 'same' or 'different' from today, then justify choices with evidence. Create a display board.

⏱ 35 min·Small Groups

Generate mission

Role-Play Rotation: A Day in Old School

Set up stations mimicking past classrooms: slate boards, no electricity play. Groups rotate, acting out routines and noting differences from modern school. Reflect in plenary.

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

Generate mission

Real-World Connections

Local historians and museum curators use old photographs and documents to piece together the history of buildings and communities, much like we will with our school.

Architects and town planners study historical buildings to understand how they were constructed and how they have been adapted over time, informing new designs.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Our school has always looked exactly the same as today.

What to Teach Instead

Schools change through additions or repairs over time. Comparing old photos during walks helps pupils spot evidence of alterations, building visual literacy through peer sharing of observations.

Common Misconception

School life never changes, like lessons or play.

What to Teach Instead

Many routines evolve with technology and rules, though core elements persist. Role-play activities let pupils experience differences kinesthetically, prompting discussions that clarify continuity versus change.

Common Misconception

The school is ancient, like a castle from centuries ago.

What to Teach Instead

Most schools date to the 20th century within living memory. Timeline building with real dates anchors pupils' sense of time, as collaborative placement corrects exaggerated timescales.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Provide students with two pictures: one of the school from the past and one from today. Ask them to write one sentence describing a difference they see and one sentence describing something that looks the same.

Discussion Prompt

Gather students in a circle. Show them an old school photograph or artefact. Ask: 'What does this object tell us about what school was like for children when this was used? How is it different from school today?'

Quick Check

During a lesson, ask students to give a thumbs up if they think a particular aspect of school life (e.g., learning to read) has stayed the same over many years, and a thumbs down if they think it has changed significantly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I source materials for teaching the history of our school?

Contact the local archive or school office for old photos, logbooks, and plans. Invite former pupils or staff for talks. Use free online resources like local history societies for building records. These authentic items make lessons vivid and credible.

What activities compare school life now and 50 years ago?

Use photo sorts, guest interviews, and role-plays to highlight shifts in uniforms, lessons, and play. Pupils chart differences on Venn diagrams, fostering skills in evidence-based comparison. This reveals patterns like persistent values alongside modern changes.

How can active learning help teach school history?

Active approaches like school walks, artefact hunts, and role-plays engage senses and personalise history. Pupils handle real evidence, collaborate on timelines, and reenact past routines, turning passive facts into memorable insights. This boosts retention and critical thinking about change within living memory.

How to address changes within living memory in Year 2?

Focus on recent shifts via oral histories and photos from grandparents' era. Pupils interview family or staff, linking personal stories to school evidence. Group timelines visualise time scales, helping grasp 'living memory' as recent past accessible through people alive today.