Subject leader - Mrs K.Cooper

At our school, our history curriculum is designed to be ambitious, relevant and inclusive, enabling all pupils to thrive as curious, critical and reflective learners. We aim for all children to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to investigate the past, understand how it has shaped the present, and appreciate the diversity of people, events and societies throughout history.

Our history curriculum is carefully sequenced to build substantive knowledge of British, local and world history alongside the disciplinary knowledge and skills of historians. Pupils develop an increasingly secure understanding of chronology, cause and consequence, change and continuity, significance and interpretation. Through historical enquiry, they learn to ask thoughtful questions, analyse a range of historical sources, recognise different interpretations of the past and construct evidence-based conclusions. Knowledge, concepts and themes are revisited and connected over time, enabling pupils to know more, remember more and apply their learning with increasing confidence. Literacy is meaningfully embedded throughout the curriculum. Pupils apply reading skills to interpret historical sources, use subject-specific vocabulary to explain and justify their thinking, and develop their speaking, listening and writing skills through discussion, debate and extended historical enquiry. Opportunities to apply mathematical skills, such as interpreting timelines, sequencing events and analysing historical data, further strengthen learning across the curriculum.

Our curriculum reflects a 'windows and mirrors' approach, ensuring that pupils see themselves and their communities represented within history while also exploring the lives, achievements and experiences of people from a wide range of cultures, civilisations and periods. This helps pupils develop empathy, respect and an appreciation of the diverse societies that have shaped our world.

We are committed to ensuring that all pupils access the full history curriculum. Through adaptive teaching, including carefully chosen resources, scaffolding, modelling and targeted support, barriers are removed without lowering ambition. This ensures that every child can successfully engage with historical enquiry and develop as a confident historian, regardless of their starting point.

Through our history curriculum, pupils develop a secure understanding of the past, an appreciation of historical significance and the ability to think critically about evidence and interpretation. They leave our school with the knowledge, curiosity and confidence to understand the world around them, recognise how the past influences the present and become informed, thoughtful citizens who are well-prepared for the next stage of their education and life beyond school.

 

History overview