History Curriculum

Intent

 At Weston Lullingfields school, our intention is to provide an outstanding History curriculum that fosters a love for the subject, develops critical thinking skills, and nurtures an understanding of the past. We aim to inspire our students to become curious and enthusiastic historians who appreciate the importance of knowledge and understanding historical events. Our History curriculum complements and enhances our school vision: 

‘But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.’ Isaiah 40:31 

At Weston Lullingfields, ‘within our small school big family with God’ community, we live out Isaiah’s message of hope through celebrating and nurturing resilience. Our curriculum promotes awe and wonder and is relevant to our children as we help them to prepare for all of life beyond our school gates. 

We live out our vision through the Christian values of courage, perseverance, respect, and thankfulness with forgiveness threading through all values. 

Theology

We understand that God’s heart is for all of us to soar like eagles. However, the reality is that we live in a world that is full of wows and ows – with all the challenges this leads to. God’s heart is for us to live in community where we gain the skills, confidence, and self-belief to overcome these challenges and therefore to soar. 

By living this vision at Weston Lullingfields school, we aim to ensure that every child develops a deep appreciation for the past and its impact on the world we live in today.   

Our History curriculum at Weston Lullingfields CE Primary School offers coherently planned sequences of lessons to ensure we have progressively covered the skills and concepts required in the National Curriculum, enhanced with local heritage studies. Our History curriculum aims to develop historical skills and Substantive concepts which are transferable to whatever period of history is being studied and will equip children for future learning. Our very youngest learners begin with linked areas from ‘Understanding the World’ (taken from the Early Learning Goals in the EYFS statutory framework and the 2020 Development Matters curriculum) to compare the past with the present of things familiar to them, such as toys, homes, farming, holidays, royalty and transport. To begin to build a concept of time they look at lifecycles, and explore exciting topics such as dinosaurs and pirates, finding out about the world and its past. 

Building on this early start our History curriculum aims to ensure that all pupils know and understand the history of the United Kingdom as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day. 

Through the study of people such as Florence Nightingale, and Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong in the Intrepid Explorers topic our children gain an understanding of how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world. 

Our local studies of Castles, the industrial revolution in Iron Bridge, or the Roman settlements in Oswestry, Chester or Wroxeter help our children gain a historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into local contexts and builds connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales. 

Our children learn about significant aspects of the history of the wider world such as the nature of the earliest civilisations through the study of the Stone age to the Iron Age and ancient Greece and Egypt. They develop an understanding of expansion and dissolution of empires by studying the Romans and the Vikings. We teach characteristic features of past non-European societies through a study of The Maya and the Shang Dynasty of China. 

The children explore the achievements and follies of mankind through learning about the first space flight, medicines and diseases, and crime and punishment. Through the study of the Anglo Saxons, Pics and Scots the Great Fire of London and World War 1 and 2 our children learn historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance. Our topic approach helps children to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses. 

We want our children to understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed. 

The curriculum will develop both disciplinary and substantive knowledge. Our curriculum will create confident, discerning and passionate learners. Our mission is to ensure that history is loved by all our pupils across school, therefore encouraging them to want to continue building on the wealth of historical knowledge and understanding they develop, now and in the future. Through our lessons, we intend to inspire pupils to develop a love of history and see how it has shaped the world they live in. 

Implementation

Weston Lullingfields is a very small school with mixed age classes. Because of this we have built our curriculum to work on a two-year rolling programme in our EYFS and KS1 Classroom and on a 4 year rolling programme in our KS2 classroom. Because of our mixed age classes, each year group journeying through our History curriculum will follow a different path. However, every child will meet every topic at some point in each key stage. It is therefore highly important for us to consider at what point children have studied each theme. In planning the lesson sequences prior learning is always considered and opportunities for revision of facts and historical understanding are built into lessons. Our substantive and disciplinary concepts are golden threads which weave through our curriculum and allow children to build upon their previous learning in other topics.  

Topics are always introduced with a timeline activity to enable the children to begin to place the new area of study within their previous knowledge of chronology. Each unit has a knowledge map which the children refer to at the beginning of each lesson. This structure provides revision and explanation of key vocabulary built into each lesson.  As the unit of study progresses lessons are enhanced, wherever possible, by visits or visitors to provide context and interest.  

Substantive Knowledge and Concepts

Substantive knowledge refers to the residual knowledge that children should take away from the unit after it has been taught. It consists of the core facts and historical knowledge of the period, such as historical narrative, significant events or people, period features, chronology and substantive concepts.  

Substantive concepts are concepts that children will come across repeatedly throughout their education in history. They are words that are hard to define in one definition as they mean slightly different things in different contexts and periods of time. As a child progresses through their education, they will learn a little more about the concept each time they come across it, slowly building a coherent understanding of the concept throughout history. It is not expected that by the end of primary school, children will have a full understanding of these substantive concepts but they will be able to draw from their learning in history to better explain what they mean. Substantive concepts are taught within historical contexts to provide a strong base for children’s understanding.  

Each substantive concept is covered more than once to ensure that children have plenty of opportunities to develop their understanding. The substantive concepts in different colours are the main, most significant substantive concepts that run throughout all key stages. 

Disciplinary Knowledge and Concepts

Disciplinary knowledge includes all the skills that children will need to develop over time in their history lessons. They are skills that enable us to critically analyse contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past and make our own reasoned judgements about the past. Disciplinary knowledge is separated into disciplinary concepts and historical enquiry. 

Disciplinary concepts are concepts used in the study of history. They form the basis of many questions historians ask about the past and include continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity and difference, and historical significance. These concepts will enable children to ask historically-valid questions, create connections, identify contrasts, examine trends and construct analyses. 

Impact

By focusing on intent and implementing our History curriculum effectively, we aim to achieve significant impact in the following areas:

1. Knowledge and Understanding

Our pupils will develop a comprehensive understanding of the past, including key events, themes, and historical figures. They will be able to articulate their knowledge confidently and demonstrate a depth of understanding beyond basic facts. 

2. Critical Thinking and Analytical Skills

Through the study of History, our pupils will refine their critical thinking skills, enabling them to evaluate sources, analyse historical events, and process information to reach well-reasoned conclusions. They will learn to challenge stereotypes, form their own judgments, and recognise the impact of different historical perspectives.

3. Cultural Awareness and Empathy

Our curriculum will promote cultural awareness, enabling our pupils to develop empathy and respect for diverse cultures and perspectives. They will understand how historical events have shaped societal norms and appreciate the importance of inclusivity in society. Our students will become active participants in their local and global communities, promoting social cohesion and harmony.

4. Historical Enquiry and Research Skills

Our pupils will develop the skills required for historical enquiry and research. They will learn to pose thoughtful questions, investigate historical problems, and select appropriate sources to find answers. They will engage in independent and collaborative research, refining their ability to gather, analyse, and interpret historical evidence.

5. Lifelong Love for History

Through our outstanding History curriculum, our goal is to inspire a lifelong love for History. By providing engaging and meaningful experiences, we aim to nurture a thirst for learning that extends beyond the classroom. We want our students to actively seek out historical knowledge, engage in further study, and understand the importance of historical understanding in their lives. 

 Overall, the intent, careful implementation, and positive impact our History curriculum has on our pupils ensures that we provide an outstanding education that equips them with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to thrive in an ever-changing world. 

Our curriculum builds from the Early Learning Goals in the EYFS statutory framework and Development Matters to the National Curriculum Objectives for Y1-6. The curriculum makes links with the wider world, advancing the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development of our learners and growing their understanding of British Values. Our curriculum is delivered as part of cohesive units of work.