History

Intent Statement

By the time our pupils leave Year 6, they will be curious and knowledgeable historians with a coherent understanding of Britain’s past and the wider world. They will develop chronological understanding and study significant events, people and periods, including ancient civilisations, British history and a non-European society. Pupils will understand key concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity and difference, and significance.

They will use historical enquiry skills to ask questions, evaluate sources and understand that interpretations may differ, using appropriate vocabulary to communicate their ideas. By the end of Year 6, our pupils will see themselves as historians—equipped to question, interpret and understand the past and its influence on the present.

Policy

The policy for this subject can be found on our main policy section of the website.

National Curriculum

National Curriculum_2014_Final

Useful Websites

Please find below some useful websites relating to this curriculum area.

Subject Progression Document

How can I help my child in this subject?

History helps children understand how people lived in the past, how Britain has changed over time and how events have shaped the world today. Children learn to ask questions, explore evidence, compare different periods and understand why events happened. Families play an important role in helping children develop curiosity about the past.

Helping children in the Infants (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2)

At this stage, history focuses on helping children understand the difference between past and present, and how life has changed within living memory.

You can help your child by:

  • Talking about changes within your own lifetime, such as toys, schools, homes or transport.

  • Sharing family stories and photographs and discussing how things were different when parents and grandparents were young.

  • Visiting local places of interest, parks, churches or landmarks and talking about their history.

  • Reading books together about important people from the past, such as explorers, inventors or significant national figures.

  • Helping your child understand words such as:

    • past

    • present

    • old

    • new

    • before

    • after

  • Encouraging your child to ask questions about how things used to be.

  • Talking about special celebrations and traditions and why they are important.

At this stage, children benefit most from stories, conversations and real-life examples that help them notice change over time.

Helping children in the Lower Juniors (Year 3 and Year 4)

At this stage, children begin to learn about ancient civilisations, significant events and how people lived in the past. They start to explore similarities and differences between time periods.

You can help your child by:

  • Talking about the historical topics they are learning and asking:

    • What was life like then?

    • How is it different from today?

  • Visiting museums, historic sites or local landmarks where possible.

  • Encouraging your child to look at maps, timelines and pictures from the past.

  • Watching documentaries or reading books together about Ancient Egypt, the Romans, the Stone Age or other topics studied in school.

  • Supporting your child to understand that we learn about history through evidence such as artefacts, buildings and written records.

  • Helping them place events on a simple timeline to understand when they happened.

At this stage, children begin to develop curiosity about how and why people lived differently in the past.

Helping children in the Upper Juniors (Year 5 and Year 6)

At this stage, children develop a deeper understanding of British history, world history and how events are connected across time. They learn to think more carefully about cause and effect, change and continuity, and different viewpoints.

You can help your child by:

  • Talking about how historical events have shaped modern Britain.

  • Encouraging discussion about why events happened and what changed because of them.

  • Visiting historic places such as castles, museums or heritage sites where possible.

  • Supporting your child to explore local history and how their area has changed over time.

  • Encouraging them to think about how different people may have experienced events in different ways.

  • Asking questions such as:

    • Why was this event important?

    • Who was affected?

    • What changed afterwards?

  • Helping them see how history links to life today and the world around them.

At this stage, children are developing the ability to think like historians by asking questions, using evidence and explaining their ideas clearly.

Supporting your child to enjoy History at any age

You can support history learning by:

  • talking about family history and memories

  • visiting museums or historic places

  • exploring your local area together

  • reading historical stories and information books

  • watching age-appropriate history programmes together

  • encouraging curiosity about how things have changed over time

The most important thing you can do is talk with your child about the past and encourage their questions. Curiosity helps children develop a strong understanding of history and their place in the world.