HISTORY

Studying history is not only the means by which we understand the past, but also our present and our future, as the TV Presenter Tony Robinson from the Channel 4 History Series "Time Team" explains:

"How do you know who you are unless you know where you've come from?  How can you tell what's going to happen, unless you know what's happened before?  History isn't just about the past. It's about why we are who we are - and about what's next".

At Ray Lodge, History is a highly valued area of our curriculum.  While your child is with us, they will get the opportunity to study a wide range of historical topics which include aspects of  Local, British and World History, which is relevant to them from periods ranging from the Ancient to the Modern.

Topics include:

Juniors: 

• The Roman Invasion of Britain and Its Impact

• The Second World War

• Ancient Egypt

• The Tudors

• The Victorians

• The Anglo-Saxon Invasion of Britain and It's Impact

• Ancient Greeks and Their Ideas

Infants:

• The Great Fire of London

• School History/Local History

• Aspects of Children's Own History/History Within Their Living Memory

While at Ray Lodge we want our children to build up a good knowledge and understanding of the events, people and change that shaped the past, we also believe it is as important for the children to ask and answer questions about the past for themselves through historical enquiry.  It is in doing this that they will learn the skills of researching, sifting through evidence and arguing for their own point of view - all skills that are extremely valuable to them in adult life.

Above all else we want our children to enjoy history and because children enjoy and learn more from 'doing' and experiencing things first hand, our aim is to try and build in as many opportunities for them to handle and examine real/replica historical objects from the periods we study.  One way we are trying to achieve this is by building up our own collection of historical objects and artefacts and this is where you can help, particularly as some of the topics we study are within your/your parents living memory e.g. WWII.  You may have some historical objects hidden away at home that you would wish to donate/lend to the schools resources.  If this is the case, please do not hesitate to the History Coordinator.  It may be that YOU are the resource - you may be a grandparent who has experienced a particular historical event/time period and would like to come and talk to the children about it e.g. experiences of the Blitz, evacuation, living in the local area.   Click here to read a history/diary of Mr Allan Caville, a past pupil of Ray Lodge who attended our school many years ago. 

Making links between subjects is how children learn and this is at the heart of our philosophy of learning at Ray Lodge.  We endeavour to make relevant links with other areas of our curriculum wherever we can.  Using ICT is just one effective way we encourage cross-curricular learning/a multi-sensory approach and is an important means by which children can find out about the past, particularly those periods beyond living memory.  Our aim is to develop our range of CD Rom/Simulations of past periods available to the children.  We also see drama as a valuable means by which the past can be brought to life for our children, whether it be the children acting/dressing up or watching dramatizations from visiting Theatre Groups.  

If you have any stories or pictures from the past featuring our school or the surrounding area please contact Mrs Harris via the school office: telephone no. 0208 504 7301 or email: admin.raylodge@redbridge.gov.uk and we can include them in this part of our history archive.