History

My name is Mrs Bentley-Jones and not only do I have the pleasure of teaching year 6, but also the honour of being our school’s history lead. I love history because it feels alive. There’s something deeply compelling about uncovering real human stories—how people lived, what they valued, the choices they made, and the traces they left behind. Every object, record, or fragment is a clue that draws me deeper into a narrative waiting to be rediscovered. The past is never just dates or events; it’s a collection of lived experiences that help the children and I understand the world with greater curiosity, empathy, and wonder.

When planning our curriculum, I explore ways that will draw in even our youngest historians, to use historical skills and consider evidence to form opinions. History lends itself to so much discussion and the use of oral skills, helping children from an early age to form an opinion and express this clearly to an audience.

This passion aligns closely with the ideas highlighted in the Ofsted History Research Review, which emphasises the importance of rich narratives, disciplinary thinking, and the detective-like process of piecing together evidence. I’m inspired by the review’s focus on helping learners grasp not only what happened, but how we know—and how historians construct arguments from the clues left behind. It reinforces why I find history so fascinating: it’s both a story and an investigation, and every discovery opens the door to another. As we travel through our own historical journey, our skills and knowledge become embedded as we make connections between topics and often making cross curriculum links.