The History of Our School

Active learning brings the school’s history to life by letting pupils touch, see, and hear evidence from the past. When children move through the activities, they connect abstract dates and photos to real places and objects in their building, making local history feel immediate and meaningful.

• Year 2
• History
• 4 activities
• 30 min–45 min

Learning Objectives

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

Museum Exhibit

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

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.

Prepare & details

How old is your school and what did it look like when it first opened?

Facilitation Tip: For the School Timeline Walk, label key events with both a picture and a simple sentence so visual and verbal learners connect the dots together.

Setup: Tables or desks arranged as exhibit stations around room

Materials: Exhibit planning template, Art supplies for artifact creation, Label/placard cards, Visitor feedback form

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Museum Exhibit

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

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.

Prepare & details

How is school life for a pupil today different from school life 50 years ago?

Facilitation Tip: At the Interview Station, provide a simple prompt card with three questions so shy speakers have a starting point and interviews stay focused on school history.

Setup: Tables or desks arranged as exhibit stations around room

Materials: Exhibit planning template, Art supplies for artifact creation, Label/placard cards, Visitor feedback form

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Museum Exhibit

⏱ 35 min·Small Groups

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.

Prepare & details

What do you think has stayed the same about school over many years?

Facilitation Tip: During the Artefact Hunt, pair objects with old photos so pupils match materials to their original use before discussing differences with their partner.

Setup: Tables or desks arranged as exhibit stations around room

Materials: Exhibit planning template, Art supplies for artifact creation, Label/placard cards, Visitor feedback form

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Museum Exhibit

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

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.

Prepare & details

How old is your school and what did it look like when it first opened?

Facilitation Tip: In the Role-Play Rotation, give each group a one-sentence rule card from the past so they act it out accurately before comparing it to today’s routines.

Setup: Tables or desks arranged as exhibit stations around room

Materials: Exhibit planning template, Art supplies for artifact creation, Label/placard cards, Visitor feedback form

• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Start with what children already know about their school today, then introduce the idea that buildings and routines have stories to tell. Use concrete artefacts first to build curiosity, then layer in photographs and dates to scaffold historical thinking. Avoid overwhelming pupils with too many dates at once; focus on sequencing and change over a manageable 50-year span. Research suggests young learners grasp time best when it is tied to personal experience or physical objects they can see and touch.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like pupils using evidence to explain changes over time with clear comparisons between past and present. They should confidently place events on a timeline, describe differences in school routines, and recognize that some traditions remain unchanged despite modern updates.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the School Timeline Walk, watch for pupils who assume the school has always looked the same as today.

What to Teach Instead

Pause at the entrance and point out modern windows or extensions in old photos, then ask pairs to name one change they noticed using evidence from the walk.

Common Misconception

During the Role-Play Rotation, watch for pupils who believe school life never changes.

What to Teach Instead

After acting out a past routine, have each group compare it to their own day by holding up a red card for change and a green card for something that stayed the same.

Common Misconception

During the Artefact Hunt, watch for pupils who think the school is hundreds of years old like a castle.

What to Teach Instead

Show pupils the school’s opening date on the timeline and ask them to place it on a number line, using real dates to correct exaggerated timescales.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After the Artefact Hunt, give each pupil two images: one old and one new. Ask them to write one sentence describing a difference they see and one sentence describing something that looks the same, using evidence from the artefacts they handled.

Discussion Prompt

After the Interview Station, gather students in a circle with an old 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?' Circulate and listen for connections to past routines.

Quick Check

During the Role-Play Rotation, 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. Tally responses to reveal patterns before discussing results.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask early finishers to create a short comic strip showing three key changes in school life over time, using speech bubbles to explain each difference.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence stems for the Interview Station such as 'I think school felt different back then because...' to support verbal expression.
• Deeper exploration: Invite a local historian or former pupil to share a story or artefact in a mini-assembly, then have pupils write a thank-you letter using details from the talk.

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.