Heritage Curriculum
Local heritage is at the heart of what we do!
At Criftins C of E Primary, we believe that history is best understood through stories – and what better way to learn than through the stories that are right on our doorstep, in a place our children know and can relate to? We take great pride in our history curriculum, which places local heritage at its core. The rich history of our locality is woven into everything we do, forming a golden thread that not only makes learning more relevant, but also provides a solid foundation as our children explore the wider world.
Curriculum Plan
| Autumn | Spring | Summer |
Year 1 | What was life like when our grandparents were children?
Heritage Curriculum: What was Criftins school like in the past? | How have houses and homes changed over time?
Heritage Curriculum: Why are there different styles of houses in Ellesmere? | How should we remember Neil Armstrong and Christopher Columbus?
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Year 2 | How and why travel and transport changed over time?
Heritage Curriculum: How did the Llangollen Canal affect the way people lived and worked?
| What happened during the Great Fire of London and how do we know?
Heritage Curriculum: How does the Criftins School Fire compare to the Great Fire of London? | Why are Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole remembered today?
Heritage Curriculum: How did Dame Agnes Hunt improve healthcare in Shropshire?
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Year 3 | What were the greatest achievements of Ancient Egypt?
| What did the Ancient Greeks do for us?
Heritage Curriculum: How did Much Wenlock help to bring the Ancient Olympic Games back to life? | How has the changing monarchy impacted Britain?
Heritage Curriculum: Why did King Charles I visit Chirk Castle?
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Year 4 | How did daily life change from the Stone Age to the Iron Age?
Heritage Curriculum: What made Oswestry Hill Fort a good place to live during the Iron Age? | How did the Roman Empire impact Britain?
Heritage Curriculum: What influence did the Roman Empire have on Chester?
| How and why did people’s experiences vary during the Victorian era?
Heritage Curriculum: What was the Ellesmere Union Workhouse and who went there? |
Year 5 | How did the way people spend their leisure time change during the 20th century?
Heritage Curriculum: Why were picture houses such a popular form of entertainment in Oswestry during the 1930s?
| How did England change during the settlement of the Anglo Saxons and Vikings?
Heritage Curriculum: Who was King Offa and why did he build a dyke?
| How did the railways change the lives of people in Britain?
Heritage Curriculum: How did the Cambrian Railways influence daily life in the local area?
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Year 6 | How did the development of medicine change the course of history?
Heritage Curriculum: How was the local community of Ellesmere impacted by the outbreak of diphtheria?
| How have the roles and rights of women changed from the 18th century to today?
Heritage Curriculum: Who was Eglantine Jebb and what makes her an influential woman in history? | Why should we remember the Maya?
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Click on the document below to read about our Heritage Curriculum at Criftins C of E Primary. It was recently published on Stuart Tiffany's website, 'Mr T Does History'.
Heritage Curriculum Pupil Voice- Each child spoke confidently about what they’ve been learning locally and how it connects to the wider unit they are studying. We are proud of our heritage curriculum and it’s wonderful to see the impact on our children.
As part of our Heritage Study in Years 1 & 2 we have been comparing the Great Fire of London and The Criftins School Fire. We enjoyed creating Venn diagrams to show our comparisons.
In our EYFS, we have been exploring "What has the Criftins oak tree witnessed?" - Old wooden toys in the playground, the current school being built, the old school burning down, people attending chapel when it was still a chapel and houses being built. We also looked at a photograph of Criftins schoolchildren standing by the very same tree 90 years ago, which sparked lots of excitement!
Mark Hignett visited us from Oswestry Library to share some interesting sources and artefacts linked to medicine and disease in the locality.
What a source rich heritage study - a written recount from a pupil who witnessed the Criftins school fire, nationwide newspaper articles, invoices, photographs, maps and log books. This is wonderful foundational knowledge for understanding the Great Fire of London and shows the power of historical documentation.
We used ‘A Street Near You’ to discover the homes of soldiers from Criftins, connecting the past with the present. Interestingly, one of the soldiers once lived in a house that is currently owned by one of our pupils! This inspired other pupils to delve into their own family histories.
How do we remember the fallen? We visited the War Memorial in St Matthew’s Church to learn about the many men who left Criftins for service and never returned.
Putting Criftins on the map! We were honoured to have been invited to speak at the Heritage Schools Symposium in Birmingham about our heritage curriculum.
How did Dame Agnes Hunt improve healthcare in Shropshire? The life and adventures of Dame Angus Hunt, performed by Alison Utting. The children were captivated from start to finish - what a special show!
An interesting day at Llangollen Heritage Railway. It was great to consolidate our learning about the development of trains and understand the impact on the local area.
How did the Cambrian Railways impact daily life in the locality?
What was the Ellesmere Union Workhouse and who went there? Using a range of sources including maps, newspaper reports, census records and a memorial to build up a picture of life in the workhouse.
As part of Futures Week, we visited Ellesmere Heritage Yard, providing an excellent opportunity for the children to revisit their learning about canals from KS1 and consolidate their knowledge. We explored historical jobs related to the canals and compared them to present-day roles.
The Young’uns came to Criftins to write and record a song about Hannah Chetwood, a local inmate we have studied from the Ellesmere Workhouse. We named the song ‘The Lady of Love Lane’. A remarkable story of love in the darkest of moments.
Heritage walk with Class 1 – exploring local buildings and sparking curiosity about what Criftins was like in the past.
Remembrance Day. We gathered in the hall for a special service to remember the local men who sacrificed their lives, so that we can be here today. Each Y6 pupil read out a local soldier’s name. It was very moving.
The children visited Aico to present their Heritage Action Zone projects. Their focus was on revitalising the high street in Oswestry, with each group proposing a design and rationale for an empty commercial property on Oswestry high street.
How was the local community of Ellesmere impacted by the outbreak of diphtheria?
As part of the Oswestry Heritage Action Zone Project, in collaboration with Sam Jones, we embarked on a journey to get to know the town. Our historical tour included visits to the castle, Oswestry Town museum, Wilfred Owen statue and the bustling high street.
What made Oswestry Hill Fort a good place to live during the Iron Age?
Fantastic site visit to Offa’s Dyke (Carreg-Y-Big) with a local archaeologist, Alison Macdonald.
Who was King Offa and why did he build a dyke? Heritage Day- studying sources, gaining knowledge, comparing maps, making Offa coins and a quiz to finish!
How does the Criftins School Fire compare to the Great Fire of London? We walked to see the site of the fire. This is where the old school was situated before it burnt down. The headmaster’s house still remains, which is called School House.
How did Much Wenlock help to bring the Ancient Olympic Games back to life? Learning about William Penny Brookes, a Shropshire man known for the revival of the Olympic Games.
We were delighted to be asked to test out the education materials at the recently opened Flaxmill and Maltings in Shrewsbury. We always enjoy working with our heritage partners and this has been a brilliant experience. Teachers can plan but it takes a child to shine a light on the excitement of a new idea.
Heritage open morning! Today, we welcomed members of the community to share their experiences of growing up in the local area. To gather insights about the past, we prepared a questionnaire for our visitors to complete. We also made them some delicious Shrewsbury biscuits as a special gesture.
Why are there different styles of houses in Ellesmere? Using Google Street View and the green screen to identify Tudor, Georgian and Victorian houses in Ellesmere based on their features.
We were thrilled to be invited by our heritage partner, Martin Phillips (Historic England) to celebrate a decade of Heritage Schools. Miss Evans delivered a speech reflecting on our heritage journey at Criftins. In the afternoon, we enjoyed a boat ride through the caverns at the Black Country Living Museum.
How did the Llangollen Canal affect the way people lived and worked? We had a wonderful time on the horse drawn canal boat and learnt so much from the volunteer onboard.
A superb visit from the Derwen College to support us with our heritage studies on Angus Hunt. Some wonderful source material and fascinating stories!
How did the Cambrian Railways impact daily life in the local area? Year 5 explored the route of a disused Cambrian Railway line, stopping at a halt near Criftins known as Trench Halt. We examined old photographs to compare the past with the present.
