History

“History is who we are and why we are the way we are.” —David C. McCullough

During a pupil’s journey from Y1 to Y6, our History Curriculum builds on the Knowledge and Understanding of the world our children develop across EYFS. We have carefully designed and sequenced our History Curriculum which clearly sets out the vocabulary, knowledge and skills pupils gain at each stage of their learning journey so that pupils progress well over time. 

Based on the Kapow scheme of work, our curriculum has been built using the following components:

Substantive Knowledge (knowledge of the past) and Disciplinary Knowledge (knowledge of how historians investigate the past). 

Our aims are to provide a broad, balanced History Curriculum that ensures development of historical understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Our curriculum ensures that pupils develop not only their historical knowledge, skills and vocabulary but a love for history that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.

The aims of history in our school are:

• To enable children to know about significant events in British and world history and to appreciate how things have changed over time.
• To develop a sense of chronology.
• To help children understand society and their place within it, so that they develop a sense of their  local heritage.
• To develop in children the skills of enquiry, evaluation, interpretation and presentation enabling them to ‘think as historians’.

Via an enriched SHPA Passport offer, our ‘Laidlaw X’ programme, and innovative digital resources, we ensure that children have as many opportunities to make meaningful links to real life contexts and experiences as possible.

EYFS: Pupils begin to make sense of their own life-story, family history and community.

In the Early Years and Foundation Stage, children study history through the overarching concept, 'Understanding the World: Past and Present’. By exposing children to a range of frequent experiences, that they have not experienced before, we aim to help them make sense of the world around them whilst increasing knowledge and understanding of various concepts, such as: different types of families; the numerous, important roles of people within society and cultural and social differences within our communities, past and present. Children's vocabulary is enriched through careful and progressive planning, including a wide range of texts, fiction and non-fiction, stories, poetry and rhymes and songs.

KS1: Pupils use their own experiences to connect to U.K. History and the World beyond.

In Key Stage One, children begin to develop an understanding of living memory through a study of immediate family and their experiences, leading to children making comparisons and connections to present day, and their own personal experiences. Children will begin to develop understanding of ‘Black History’ through their studies of influential figures, such as Marcus Rashford and Mary Seacole, and make comparisons and connections to other significant historical figures and events. Teaching children in sequence from present day, and working backwards, helps them to make links between their own lives and events to those in the past.

KS2: Pupils study British and World history in chronological order.

In Key Stage Two, children are able to digest and make sense of more abstract concepts, enabling a deeper exploration of time periods throughout History. Pupils are given the opportunity to develop a chronologically secure knowledge of British, local and World History where they will 'note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the use of historical terms’. Learning progresses from the Stone Age, through to ancient civilisations, such as the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans. Children begin to place these in context on a timeline and understand that some of these civilisations actually overlapped. These studies also help pupils recognise the impact of these periods on our lives today, such as understanding how invasions carried out by the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans in turn, each impacted upon rights, peace, trade, war, empire, monarchy and democracy. Children are encouraged to analyse sources of evidence, ask questions and make informed judgements to support the development of disciplinary skills. Substantive learning is developed and explored as children apply second order skills (such as ‘cause and consequence’, ‘similarity and difference’ and ‘historical significance’) to consider deeper concepts specific to each of the periods studied. Our pupils also learn the disciplinary skills associated with history, such as historical enquiry.