Curriculum Intent & Implementation 

Our children will learn to think and act as historians. Our history curriculum is carefully mapped out so that all our children will be equipped with an understanding of the past that paves the way for their future. Throughout their journey in history, pupils will acquire a breadth of knowledge of places and people and significant events through time. Pupils will be given the opportunity to develop their ability to ask perceptive questions, think critically, analyse evidence, examine arguments, develop judgement, and understand differing perspectives. Pupils will be empowered to be active global citizens: 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. 

History is delivered in a combination of half and whole termly units across the school depending on the year group. Appropriate progression of knowledge, skills and vocabulary is ensured by following the Ark Academy Scheme. The subject is taught weekly for 60 minutes. This learning is recorded in a variety of ways from written work, class discussions, practical activities and photos.  There is an emphasis on creating memorable experiences and being creative and engaging practitioners, and lessons follow a structure which includes retrieval quizzes, key vocabulary, independent work, and questions to encourage higher level discussion. We also endeavour to undertake several historical visits outside of school or workshops per year.  

Impact 

By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils will:  

• Children will know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day. 

• Children will 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. 

• Children will gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’  

• Children will understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, and analyse trends.   

• Children will understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims.  

• Children will 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.