Curriculum Intent

At St Peter’s, we want children to be curious about the past and understand how it has shaped the world they live in today. Our history curriculum develops children's knowledge of significant people, events and civilisations, helping them build a secure understanding of the past and make connections across different periods of history.

We want every child to see themselves as a historian. Children learn to question evidence, consider different perspectives and explore why events happened and how they changed people's lives. Through studying diverse historical figures and exploring the ethical complexities of the past, children develop a broader understanding of the world, challenge assumptions and recognise that history can be interpreted in different ways.

 

Curriculum Design

Our history curriculum is carefully sequenced to develop children's historical knowledge and understanding from EYFS to Year 6. Topics are arranged chronologically, with opportunities to revisit periods in different contexts, helping children build a secure sense of time and make connections across history. In Year 6, thematic units support children in making broader historical connections and prepare them for the transition to secondary History. Where appropriate, learning is enriched through links with Art, Design and Technology and Music.

Each unit is driven by an overarching gateway question that gives purpose to children's learning and encourages them to investigate the past. Through examining primary and secondary sources, including documents and artefacts, children learn to interpret evidence, consider its reliability and construct their own explanations of the past.

Big Ideas in History

Our curriculum is organised around five big ideas that are revisited across different historical periods. These help children recognise recurring themes, make connections between societies and understand how the past has shaped the present.

 

Monarchy: Understanding how kings and queens have ruled countries, how they gained and used their power, and how the role of monarchy has changed over time.

 

Legacy: Understanding what the past has left behind and how it continues to shape our lives today.

 

Society: Understanding how people lived and organised themselves, and how societies changed over time.

 

Invasion: Understanding how and why people entered other lands by force, and how invasions changed the people, places and societies involved.

 

Empire: Understanding how powerful states expanded their control over other lands and peoples, and how empires were built, governed and changed over time.

 

Historical Concepts

Throughout their time at St Peter’s, children develop seven historical concepts that help them think critically about the past. These concepts are revisited and developed through different topics, enabling children to apply their understanding with increasing confidence and independence.

 

Chronology: Putting events in the correct order to understand when they happened in history.

 

Significance: Understanding why something is important in history and how it impacts life today.

 

Similarity and difference: Comparing different things to find how they are the same and how they are different.

 

Cause and consequence: Knowing why events happened and what happened as a result.

 

Historical enquiry: Looking at different sources to find out more about the past.

 

Change and continuity: Understanding how some things change over time and some things stay the same.

 

Interpretation: Looking at different viewpoints about the same historical event to understand it in different ways.

Enquiry and Historical Experiences

Knowledge organisers support children in securing key knowledge and vocabulary, while opportunities to revisit prior learning help them make connections across topics. Our Hidden Figures introduce children to lesser-known and often overlooked historical figures, broadening their understanding of whose stories are told and encouraging them to consider the past from different perspectives. Ethical discussion helps children explore historical decisions within their context, question assumptions and consider the lasting consequences of people's actions.

At the end of each unit, children return to the gateway question to demonstrate how their historical knowledge and understanding have developed. Comparing their responses with their initial ideas helps teachers identify progress and address any gaps in understanding.