History is the study of people, actions, decisions, interactions and behaviours. Historians seek to understand the past by determining and ordering ‘facts’; and from the narratives of the past, they hope to explain the decisions and processes which shape our existence today. Through the study of history pupils develop a wide range of critical thinking skills, which enable them to understand the contested nature of knowledge and to distinguish between ‘fact’ and subjectivity when it comes to reaching conclusions and making judgements about the past.