History is who we are and why we are the way we are.
David McCullough

Developing Saltburn children

At Saltburn Primary School, we recognise that it is in the study of history that children can develop a sense of identity and place in the world. It is an immersion in the cultures, values and experiences of others that will enable our children to grow into responsible citizens, capable of demonstrating compassion and empathy as society evolves around them. This makes the study of history in our school a journey – a journey shaped by experiences, surroundings and exposure. The diversity, socioeconomics and heritage of any area within the country is unique, and this means that the journey made by a child of Saltburn will be different to that of a child in any other school. With this in mind, we have reviewed the statutory national curriculum for history (outlined at the end of this document), and adapted it to the needs of our children to ensure that each child gets what they need and deserve: the best bespoke curriculum possible.

Curriculum Aims

1. Know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world

2. Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind

3. Gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’

4. Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses

5. Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed

6. Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

Local context

Our children are fortunate enough to grow up surrounded by architectural, artefactual and cultural evidence of the rich human history of both Saltburn and its wider region. We passionately believe that each child’s education should be rooted in local context to provide them with a familiar reference as they explore the wider world. This can be seen in the way we adapt our teaching of the history curriculum to provide local context and take advantage of the richness of our locality.

As a pre-industrial fishing village, Saltburn became a regional centre of smuggling before developing rapidly as a spa town thanks to the patronage of Henry Pease, a key ‘Quaker industrialist of the nineteenth century’. This phase of the town’s evolution was driven by the discovery of iron stone in the Cleveland Hills, and the development of the iron works in the Tees Valley. Saltburn Sands would become the setting of Sir Malcolm Campbell’s first land speed record driving the Blue Bird in 1922, and the town continues to house a commuter population that supplies workforces to the chemical industries of Wilton, the potash mines of Boulby and the busy trade port on the River Tees.

More broadly, the local area is steeped in history reaching back to the dawn of civilisation in Britain. Ancient monuments in Kildale and living history museums in Skinningrove and Ryedale provide an insight into the area’s stone age past. Beyond this, the impact of Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Viking and Norman cultures can be felt in everything from place names to road structures, and the area’s impact on the wider world can be examined through the study of local figures such as explorer Captain James Cook and astronaut Dr Nicholas Patrick. The local area became a cradle for the industrial revolution, pioneering the steel industry, shipbuilding, mining and the development of the railways. Sound mirrors, air fields and gun positions indicate the region’s significance throughout the world wars, and open-air museums at Beamish and Eden Camp provide rich opportunities to explore life from the turn of the twentieth century to the post-war years.

How will we enrich cultural capital?

We recognise that, while all children equally deserve the very best start in life, not all children receive the same opportunities as their peers around the country. Levels of disadvantage fluctuate from one school or class to another, and these differences can affect a child’s life chances in so many ways. We believe that it is our duty to enrich the lives of all children wherever possible to diminish this difference.

In the study of history, our local area provides countless opportunities for children to experience and witness evidence of key historical events before their very eyes.

Actors brought into school to bring history alive through re-enactments and shared experiences
Open air / Living Museums (e.g. Beamish, Ryedale Folk Museum, Eden Camp etc.) to provide interaction with history
Borrowing resources from local archives and depositories
Inviting visitors from universities, museums, libraries and societies to share expert knowledge with passion and enthusiasm
School Trips organised to enhance classroom learning
Engaging in national events (e.g. war commemorations)
Virtual learning to bring sites of historical importance into the classroom (e.g. VR tours / Google expeditions)