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History

Download the full History curriculum here as a Word document.

The History curriculum at St. Winifred’s School aims to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding through the teaching of a wide variety of historical periods, which are taught in chronological order. The schemes of work identify aspects of History in which pupils can make progress with particular historical skills and concepts.

Skills

Pupils should be able to:

• Observe, listen, discuss and begin to interpret historical information from a variety of primary and secondary sources.
• Research historical information from a variety of sources (identify, sort, classify, sequence, compare, contrast and analyse).
• Compare and contrast historical periods to find similarities and differences.
• Develop a sense of chronology.
• Organise and communicate historical concepts and ideas to others.
• Develop an understanding of narrative and associated writing skills.
• Cooperate with one another in order to meet a challenge or investigation (problem solving).
• Give reasons for opinions and make judgements informed by reasons or evidence.
• Ask relevant questions, plan research and predict outcomes.
• Review their work in the light of differing opinions and feedback.

Concepts

Pupils should understand:

• History is primarily about people and the decisions that they make.
• People from history can hold differing points of view.
• There are different interpretations of history.
• Time is an ongoing process that causes change.
• Historical events have a cause and a consequence.
• How historical societies are socially, culturally and religiously diverse.
• There are fundamental similarities in all cultures and historical societies.
• The difference between a fact and an opinion
• Some evidence is biased and evidence must be analysed and evaluated.
• How there can be differences & conflicts within a society.

These aspects of History are developed through teaching the content relating to local, national, European and World history.

History provides opportunities to promote spiritual development, through investigating past societies and how individuals make decisions, actions and sacrifices for a particular cause.

Considering judgements about different societies, different viewpoints and how decisions have been made heightens pupils’ awareness of moral and social values. The emphasis on British History through the later years of the school also promotes citizenship amongst the children and provides them with a window into the country’s past.

Pupils’ understanding of different cultures from History helps to broaden their understanding of cultural development and gives them an insight to recognising similarities and differences between cultures. An example of this opportunity within our curriculum is in Year Two, when the children cover Ancient Egypt and Ancient China, taking note of the different developments made by these two civilisations.

Pupils begin to learn about government systems and different types of societies, for example the use of democracy in Athens compared to the Kingdom of Sparta in Ancient Greece. The can learn to evaluate evidence from the periods studied and analyse different interpretations about events and evidence from History.

The History syllabus at St. Winifred’s School covers a wide range of topics and projects. These topics are covered in a chronological order to promote the formation of a Historical framework within the child’s mind. There is some cross-curricular work in Art, Design and Technology, as well as during English and drama lessons. There is software to use in relation to the various topics being studied and I.C.T. skills are also promoted through the use of internet sites, such as ‘BBC bytesize’. Literacy skills are constantly being extended in writing descriptions, accounts and creative work.

Resources and information to support the curriculum include evidence in the form of pupil textbooks, videos, DVDs, reference books, visits to historical sites, software, appropriate internet sites and photocopiable worksheets.

Through the breadth of study, pupils learn to apply many skills; of communication, working with others and problem solving. Pupils learn to think critically about information, evaluate and enquire about past actions, choices and values that may impact on future societies, economies and environment.

How do you know who you are unless you know where you’ve come from? How can you tell what’s going to happen, unless you know what’s happened before? History isn’t just about the past. It’s about why we are who we are – and about what’s next.

                                              Tony Robinson, 1999 N.C.

Overview of topics

N.B. In order to share timetable space with the Geography curriculum, a term and a half is available per year group for History. The exception to this is in Transition and Year One where History is taught for half an hour a week throughout the year. For continuity in Year Three / Four two terms are dedicated to history during one academic year, with one term of history being covered in the following year.

	Christmas term	Christmas term	Easter term	Easter term	Summer term	Summer term
Transition¹	Now & then: Family Home Food	Now and then: Family Home Food	Dinosaurs	Dinosaurs	Dinosaurs	Dinosaurs
Transition¹	Now & then: Family School holidays	Now & then: Family School holidays	Prehistoric man	Prehistoric man	Prehistoric man	Prehistoric man
Year Two	Ancient Egypt	Ancient Egypt	Ancient Egypt	Ancient Egypt	Ancient China	Ancient China
Year Three Year Four¹	Geography	Geography	Ancient Greece	Ancient Greece	Geography	Geography
Year Three Year Four¹	Ancient Rome	Ancient Rome	Geography	Geography	Anglo-Saxons Vikings	Anglo-Saxons Vikings
Year Five	The Middle Ages	The Middle Ages	Geography	Geography	The Tudors in Britain	Geography
Year Six	Tudor exploration The Aztecs	Tudor exploration The Aztecs	Geography	The Stuarts	Geography	Geography

¹Taught in alternate years

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