History

Our knowledge-rich history curriculum is designed so that pupils in KS1 and KS2 gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Our teaching and learning methods inspire pupils’ curiosity and to become engaged in the acquisition of knowledge and understanding of the past. Learning often is rooted in significant people, places and events which encourages them to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. Our learning programmes and modules teach pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives and world and local events. As they progress they learn the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time. Key knowledge and skills are revisited and secured as pupils progress. A diverse range of people, places and events are taught as examples of local and global history. Pupils are encourage to think critically, enquire and evaluate with perspective and consideration and communicate clearly as they learn to use more gain a more sophisticated understanding of evidence and the chronological narrative.

Our pupils learn to:

• know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
• know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind
• gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’
• understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses
• understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed
•  gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

To view our History Curriculum Map, please click here.