Skip to content ↓

History

Welcome to our History Page:

We want to teach our children to understand our past so that we can make thoughtful observations and judgements about it. Therefore, we believe that by learning about the footprints of the past, we can better understand the world we live in today and make informed decisions about the footprints we may leave in the future.

Central to our approach to teaching history, is a belief that it is far more than a list of dates and events that must be memorised. We use an enquiry-based approach to explore the past and learn about key periods. Within our classrooms, we follow rich lines of enquiry by answering questions such as What is the lasting legacy of the Ancient Greeks?  Studying history in this way inspires children’s curiosity, encourages them to ask critical questions and enables them to have a better understanding of the society in which they live and that of the wider world.

We aim to help children gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

Beginning in EYFS children are encouraged to talk about members of their immediate family and community and comment on images of familiar situations in the past. Compare and contrast characters from stories, including figures from the past and show understanding that some places are special to members of their community. Recognise that people have different beliefs and celebrate special times in different ways.

In Key Stage 1, our curriculum is mapped to enable children to develop an awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time. They will start to know where the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods. As they progress through the key stage, they will demonstrate a growing confidence and accuracy when using historical vocabulary, such as monarchy, explorer and artefact.

In Key Stage 2, children will continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study. This chronology, or sequence of events, will be referred to throughout KS2 so that children become secure in their understanding of important historical events and eras. It will also enable them to begin to identify trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms such as ancient and civilisation. 

History at CTK

Overview of Curriculum 

National Curriculum 

 

EYFS National Expectations 

Understanding the World (Past and Present)

Talk about the lives of the people around them and their roles in society.

Know some similarities and differences between things in the past and now, drawing on their experiences and what has been read about in class.

Understand the past through settings, characters and events encountered in books read in class and storytelling.

 

KS1 National Expectations 

Pupils should be taught about:

• Changes within living memory. Where appropriate, these should be used to reveal aspects of change in national life;

 • Events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally [for example the Great Fire of London, the first aeroplane flight or events commemorated through festivals or anniversaries];

• The lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements. Some should be used to compare aspects of life in different periods [for example Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria, Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong, William Caxton and Tim Berners-Lee, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and LS Lowry, Rosa Parks and Emily Davison, Mary Seacole and/or Florence Nightingale and Edith Cavell]; 

• Significant historical events, people and places in their own locality

 

KS2 National Expectations 

Pupils should be taught about:

• changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age;

• the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain; • Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots;

• the Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the time of Edward the Confessor;

• a local history study;

• a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066;

• the achievements of the earliest civilizations – an overview of where and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth study of one of the following: Ancient Sumer; The Indus Valley; Ancient Egypt; The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China;

 • Ancient Greece – a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the  western world; 

• a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history – one study chosen from: early Islamic civilization, including a study of Baghdad c. AD 900; Mayan civilization c. AD 900; Benin (West Africa) c. AD 900-1300.

 

 

Useful Links 

Great Fire of London

The Tudors

Ancient Greece

Florence Nightingale

Indus Valley

Aztecs

The Victorians

World War II

Ancient Egypt

The Vikings

Toys

General

Progression of Skills

EYFS

 

Understanding the World

• Talk about members of their immediate family and community.

• Name and describe people who are familiar to them.

• Comment on images of familiar situations in the past.

• Compare and contrast characters from stories, including figures from the past

• Draw information from a simple map.

• Understand that some places are special to members of their community.

• Recognise that people have different beliefs and celebrate special times in different ways.

• Recognise some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries.

• Explore the natural world around them..

• Recognise some environments that are different to the one in which they live.
     

 

Year 1 National Curriculum objectives: In this unit, children will be taught to:

KS1 Areas of study

  • Changes within living memory. Where appropriate, these should
  • be used to reveal aspects of change in national life.
  • Events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or
  • globally.
  • The lives of significant individuals in the past who have
  • contributed to national and international achievements. Some
  • should be used to compare aspects of life in different periods.
  •  Significan historical events, people and places in their own locality

Chronological understanding

· Understand the difference between things that happened in the past and the present.

 · Describe things that happened to themselves and other people in the past. · Order a set of events or objects.

 · Use a timeline to place important events.

· Use words and phrases such as: now, yesterday, last week, when I was younger, a long time ago, a very long time ago, before I was born. When my parents/carers were young.

Knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past

· Recall some facts about people/events before living memory.

· Say why people may have acted the way they did.

Historical interpretation

· Look at books, videos, photographs, pictures and artefacts to find out about the past.

Historical enquiry

· Identify different ways in which the past is represented.

· Explore events, look at pictures and ask questions i.e, “Which things are old and which are new?” or “What were people doing?”

· Look at objects from the past and ask questions i.e, “What were they used for?” and try to answer.

Organisation and communication

 · Sort events or objects into groups (i.e. then and now.)

· Use timelines to order events or objects.

· Tell stories about the past.

 · Talk, write and draw about things from the past.

 

Year 2 National Curriculum objectives: In this unit, children will be taught to:

KS1 Areas of study

  • Changes within living memory. Where appropriate, these should be used to reveal aspects of change in national life.
  • Events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally.
  •  The lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements. Some should be used to compare aspects of life in different periods.
  • Significant historical events, people and places in their own locality

Chronological understanding

· Understand and use the words past and present when telling others about an event.

 · Recount changes in my own life over time.

· Understand how to put people, events and objects in order of when they happened, using a scale the teacher has given me.

· Use a timeline to place important events

Knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past

· Use information to describe the past.

 · Describe the differences between then and now.

 · Look at evidence to give and explain reasons why people in the past may have acted in the way they did.

 · Recount the main events from a significant event in history.

Historical interpretation

· Look at and use books and pictures, stories, eye witness accounts, pictures, photographs, artefacts, historic buildings, museums, galleries, historical sites and the internet to find out about the past

Historical enquiry

·  Identify different ways in which the past is represented.

 · Ask questions about the past.

 · Use a wide range of information to answer questions.

 

Organisation and communication

 · Describe objects, people or events in history.

 · Use timelines to order events or objects or place significant people.

 · Communicate ideas about people, objects or events from the past in speaking, writing, drawing, role-play, storytelling and using ICT.

 

Year 3 National Curriculum objectives: In this unit, children will be taught to:

 Areas of study

  • Changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age.
  • A non-European society that provides contrasts with British history – Benin 
  • The Roman Empire and its impact on Britain

Chronological understanding

· Understand that a timeline can be divided into BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini)

· Use a timeline to place historical events in chronological order.

· Describe dates of and order significant events from the period studied.

 

Knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past

· Use evidence to describe the culture and leisure activities from the past. · Use evidence to describe the clothes, way of life and actions of people in the past. · Use evidence to describe buildings and their uses of people from the past.

Historical interpretation

· Explore the idea that there are different accounts of history. (*Reliable sources)

 

Historical enquiry

·  Use documents, printed sources (e.g. archive materials) the Internet, databases, pictures, photographs, music, artefacts, historic buildings, visits to museums and galleries and visits to sites as evidence about the past.

 · Ask questions and find answers about the past.

Organisation and communication

 · Communicate ideas about the past using different genres of writing, drawing, diagrams, data-handling, drama role-play, storytelling and using ICT

 

 

Year 4 National Curriculum objectives: In this unit, children will be taught to:

 Areas of study

  • . The achievements of the earliest civilizations – an overview of where and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth study of Ancient Egypt.
  • The Viking Invasion and its impact of Britain
  •  Beyond 1066 – The Normal Invasion

Chronological understanding

· Understand that a timeline can be divided into BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini)

· Order significant events and dates on a timeline.

· Describe the main changes in a period in history

Understand how some historical events occurred concurrently in different locations i.e. Ancient Egypt and Prehistoric Britain.

Knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past

· Use evidence to describe what was important to people from the past. · Use evidence to show how the lives of rich and poor people from the past differed. · Describe similarities and differences between people, events and artefacts studied. · Describe how some of the things I have studied from the past affect/influence life today.

Historical interpretation

· Look at different versions of the same event in history and identify differences.

· Know that people in the past represent events or ideas in a way that persuades others.

Historical enquiry

·  Use documents, printed sources (e.g. archive materials) the Internet, databases, pictures, photographs, music, artefacts, historic buildings, visits to museums or galleries and visits to sites to collect evidence about the past.

 · Ask questions and find answers about the past.

Organisation and communication

 · Communicate ideas about from the past using different genres of writing, drawing, diagrams, data-handling, drama role-play, storytelling and using ICT.

 

 

Year 5 National Curriculum objectives: In this unit, children will be taught to:

 Areas of study

  • Ancient Greece – a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world
  • Britain Since 1066 – The Healthcare reform
  • The Titanic (social study)

Chronological understanding

· Understand that a timeline can be divided into BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini)

 · Order significant events, movements and dates on a timeline.

· Describe the main changes in a period in history.

Understand how some historical events occurred concurrently in different locations i.e. Ancient Greece and Romans

Knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past

· Choose reliable sources of information to find out about the past.

 · Give own reasons why changes may have occurred, backed up by evidence.

 · Describe similarities and differences between some people, events and artefacts studied.

· Describe how historical events studied affect/influence life today.

 · Make links between some of the features of past societies. (e.g. religion, houses, society, technology.)

Historical interpretation

· Understand that some evidence from the past is propaganda, opinion or misinformation, and that this affects interpretations of history.

· Give reasons why there may be different accounts of history.

 · Evaluate evidence to choose the most reliable forms.

Historical enquiry

·  . Use documents, printed sources (e.g. archive materials) the Internet, databases, pictures, photographs, music, artefacts, historic buildings, visits to museums and galleries and visits to sites to collect evidence about the past

. · Choose reliable sources of evidence to answer questions, realising that there is often not a single answer to historical questions.

· Investigate own lines of enquiry by posing questions to answer

Organisation and communication

 · Communicate ideas about from the past using different genres of writing, drawing, diagrams, data-handling, drama role-play, storytelling and using ICT. · Plan and present a self-directed project or research about the studied period.

 

 

Year 6 National Curriculum objectives: In this unit, children will be taught to:

 Areas of study

  • A study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066 WW2 including local history study and Anne Frank
  • A significant turning point in British history: the first railways

Chronological understanding

· Order significant events, movements and dates on a timeline.

· Identify and compare changes within and across different periods.

 ·

Knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past

·                         Choose reliable sources of information to find out about the past.

· Give reasons why changes may have occurred, backed up by evidence.

 · Describe similarities and differences between some people, events and artefacts studied.

· Describe how some of the things studied from the past affect/influence life today.

 · Make links between some of the features of past societies. (e.g. religion, houses, society, technology.)

Historical interpretation

· Evaluate evidence to choose the most reliable forms.

· Know that people both in the past have a point of view and that this can affect interpretation.

 · Give clear reasons why there may be different accounts of history, linking this to factual understanding of the past

Historical enquiry

·  Use documents, printed sources (e.g. archive materials) the Internet, databases, pictures, photographs, music, artefacts, historic buildings, visits to museums and galleries and visits to sites as evidence about the past.

· Ask questions and find answers about the past.

Organisation and communication

 Communicate ideas about from the past using different genres of writing, drawing, diagrams, data-handling, drama role-play, storytelling and using ICT.

· Plan and present a self-directed project or research about the studied period.

Intent, Implementation & Impact Document 

Intent 

What are the aims of this subject?

What are the broad areas of knowledge and skills being developed in this subject?  

History is all around us; in our families with their unique backgrounds, cultures and traditions and in our local and wider communities. The study of history ignites children’s curiosity about the past in Britain and the wider world. Through finding out about how and why the world, our country, culture and local community have developed over time, children understand how the past influences the present. History enables children to develop a context for their growing sense of identity and a chronological framework for their knowledge of significant events and people. What they learn through history can influence their decisions about personal choices, attitudes and value. At Christ the King, we offer a coherently planned sequence of lessons to help teachers and pupils ensure they have progressively covered the skills and concepts required in the National Curriculum. We aim to develop historical skills and concepts which are transferable to whatever period of history is being studied and will equip children for future learning. The coverage of history in  EYFS and KS1 enables children to acquire an understanding of time, events and people in their memory and their parents’ and grandparents’ memories. The intent in lower KS2 is that children can work in chronological order from ancient history such as ‘Stone Age’ and Early Civilisation. Upper KS2 allows children to repeat and embed this sequence of chronology with a wider selection of ancient history such as ‘The Greeks ‘ through to more modern history such as ‘World War II’. The repeat in KS2 of chronological order from ancient to modern allows for children to truly develop and embed a sense of time and how civilisations were interconnected. Children start to understand how some historical events occurred concurrently in different locations, e.g. Ancient Egypt and the Stone Age.

These key historical skills and concepts, which are revisited throughout different units, are: Historical Interpretations; Historical Investigations; Chronological Understanding; Knowledge and Understanding of Events, People and Changes in the Past; Presenting, Organising and Communicating.

 

 

 

Implementation

How is this subject delivered/taught to students?

How is formative and summative assessment used in this subject to improve student’s skills and knowledge? 

  • Medium term planning for all units will cover key historical concepts: Chronological understanding, Historical knowledge, Historical interpretation, Historical enquiry and organisation and communication. Children are given opportunities, where possible, to study artefacts leading to enquiry, investigation, analysis, interpretation, evaluation and presentation. We plan for effective use of educational visits and visitors, to enrich and enhance the pupil’s learning experience and the History curriculum in order for children to know more and remember more in each area of history studied. There is a structure to the lesson sequence whereby prior learning is always considered and opportunities for revision of facts and historical understanding are built into lessons. Allowing for this revision to become part of good practice and ultimately helps build a depth to children’s historical understanding. Through revisiting and consolidating skills, our lesson plans and resources help children build on prior knowledge alongside introducing new skills and challenge. The revision and introduction of key vocabulary is built into each lesson and can be added to the KWL topic pages for reference. This vocabulary is then included in display materials alongside the Enquiry questions for the topic and additional resources to ensure that children are allowed opportunities to repeat and revise this knowledge. Through these lessons, we intend to inspire pupils and practitioners to develop a love of history and see how it has shaped the world they live in.
  • .

Our lessons come with end of unit assessments to give the teacher and adults leading History confidence in the progression of skills and knowledge and that outcomes have been met..Topic pages allow pupils to consider what questions they would like answered during the topic, KWL topic pages as well as a refection at the end of topic.  All History books in KS2 contain an overview timeline which the children can access to see where the period of History fits in to prior learning and encourage children to draw links in concurrent events. Teachers make links to previous learning/ chronology for new learning: Yr3 as the Romans were leaving Britain, in Africa the Benin nation was changing…Yr 4 following on from iron age Britain the Egyptians civilisation was at it’s strongest...After the Romans left Britain the Anglo Saxon’s  ruled Britain until the Vikings arrived…following directly on from Anglos/Vikings Britain needs a new king...   Links to previous learning/ chronology: While the Celtic tribes were in Britain and the Egyptian’s were thriving...          Links to previous learning/ chronology: following on after the Normans Britain went through lots of changes...

How is enrichment (e.g. Enrichment sessions, trips, residential visits, clubs) implemented to enhance the components of this subject?

How are spiritual, moral, social and cultural values developed in this subject?  

 

 Where possible History is brought to life with artefacts, visitors such as Mr Egypt and the Stone Age day and trips to museums, Coventry Cathedral and Bletchley park. History is also embedded though a cross curricular approach through links in particular with art, DT, and English.

Throughout the History curriculum diversity and equality is embedded. E.G Y1:Women’s rights Grace O’Malley: fearless leader, by land and by sea, a shrewd political tactician, a successful independent business woman, linking to with our high intake of pupils with Irish heritage. Through the Gunpowder plot and the persecution of Roman Catholics by the English government we should not judge others by faith, belief or skin. The Monarchy and woman leaders our longest reigning Queen. In Year 2 Can women be explorers too? Amelia Earhart/ felicity Aston Was it easy for them? Through The Great Fire, considering the rich and poor divide/ resilience of all to work together to start again. The Changing technology we consider how can technology help those with disabilities, e.g. improvements in phones/communications. Through Ancient civilisation topics  Stone Age Britain children recognise people of colour have lived in Britain since very ancient times through the Roman’s one of the first Black community to live in Britain guarded a Roman fort in Burgh-by-Sands. Pupils acknowledge that 50% of people in our past were women and people were more rounded and complex than the labels people in power/ society gave them e.g The Healthcare reform in Britain and the teaching about the Titanic:  rich/poor divide, 1st class more likely to survive? In Year 6 pupils explore The Holocaust whilst exploring the fact Jewish people have a rich history not just one of oppression and help students to understand why some past topics are still highly emotional and sensitive for some groups.

 

 

Impact - Top Five to achieve

1

A secure knowledge and understanding of people, events and contexts from the historical periods covered.

2

A passion for history and an enthusiastic engagement in learning, which develops their sense of curiosity about the past and their understanding of how and why people interpret the past in different ways.

3

The ability to think critically about history and communicate confidently supporting, evaluating and challenging their own and others’ views using detail, appropriate and accurate historical evidence derived from a range of sources.

4

The ability to think, reflect, debate, discuss and evaluate the past, forming and refining questions and lines of enquiry.

5

A respect for historical evidence and the ability to make robust and critical use of it to support their explanations and judgements including opportunities to undertake high-quality research across a range of topics 
  1. EYFS planning Past and Present (1)
    PDF File
  2. EYFS planning Theme overview (1)
    JPG File
  3. Welcome to our History Page
    DOCX File
  4. National Currciuiulm
    PDF File
Cookie Policy