History
We believe that the teaching and study of History should be an exciting and stimulating activity that helps our children to learn about some of the major
issues and events of the past. The study of the past is important for our understanding of the present and the future. History is not merely a body of fact, but
the study of it also enables us to gain insight into the lives and experiences of real people and events.
We aim to:
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To develop the children’s awareness, knowledge and understanding of the past and inspire their curiosity to know more about history.
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To encourage children to think clearly and logically about historical vocabulary and to ask historical questions.
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To develop an awareness of the relevance of History to everyday life.
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To help children develop a sense of identity through learning about the development of their local community, the United Kingdom and the world.
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To appreciate how people’s lives have shaped this nation
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To help children to compare aspects of life at different times
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To introduce children to different interpretations of the past.
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To help the children understand about change and continuity, cause and consequence and key features of past situations.
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To help develop the child's concept of time and chronology
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To enable children to discover that history is based on evidence and begin to understand some of the ways we find out about the past
Year 1 and 2 History - Cycle 1
Topic
Key Objectives
Pirates
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Recognises differences between past and present
Compare similar people from different periods
Place similar objects into past and present
Recounts stories from the past
Recognizes some differences between ways of life at different times
Uses different sources to find answers to simple questions
Begins to use terms and language concerned with the passing of time
Place objects in order and is able to discuss similarities and differences between them
Recognise that their own lives are different from people in the past
Shows knowledge and understanding of some of the people in the past
Begins to recognise that there are reasons why people acted in the past as they did
Shows knowledge and understanding of aspects of past beyond living memory
London
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Recognise differences between past and present
Recognise some differences between ways of life at different times
Recount stories from the past
Place similar objects into past and present
Seaside
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Place simple events in chronological order
Use simple vocabulary to describe the passing of time
Uses different sources to find answers to simple questions
Place events and objects in order and discuss similarities and differences between them
Recognise that their own lives are different from people in the past
Show knowledge and understanding of some of the events and people in the past
Begins to recognise that there are reasons why people acted in the past as they did
Shows knowledge and understanding of aspects of past beyond living memory and recounts stories
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Place similar objects into past and present.
Place simple events in chronological order.
Use simple vocabulary to describe the passing of time.
Recognises differences between past and present.
Begins to use terms and language concerned with the passing of time.
Place events and objects in order and is able to discuss similarities and differences between them.
Recognise that their own lives are different from people in the past.
Shows knowledge and understanding of aspects of past beyond living memory.
Begins to show their own interpretation of events through activities such as role play, pictures and
writing.
Year 1 and 2 History - Cycle 2
Topic
Ourselves
Key Objectives
 Recognises differences between past and present
 Use simple vocabulary to describe the passing of time
 Place simple events in chronological order
 Place similar objects into past and present
 Recognizes some differences between ways of life at different times
 Uses and handles different sources to find answers to simple questions
 Place events and objects in order and is able to discuss similarities and differences
between them
 Recognise that their own lives are different from people in the past
 Shows knowledge and understanding of aspects of past beyond living memory
Castles
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Place simple events in chronological order
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Recounts stories from the past
Recognizes some differences between ways of life at different times
Uses different sources to find answers to simple questions
Place events and objects in order and is able to discuss similarities and differences
between them
Recognise that their own lives are different from people in the past
Shows knowledge and understanding of some of the events and people in the past
Begins to recognise that there are reasons why people acted in the past as they did
Shows knowledge and understanding of aspects of past beyond living memory and
recounts stories
 Begins to use terms and language concerned with the passing of time
 Place events and objects in order and is able to discuss similarities and differences between
them
 Recognise that their own lives are different from people in the past
 Shows knowledge and understanding of some of the events and people in the past
 Begins to recognise that there are reasons why people acted in the past as they did
 Shows knowledge and understanding of aspects of past beyond living memory and recounts
stories
 Begins to show their own interpretation of events through activities such as role play,
pictures and writing
 Handles or observes sources of information to answer questions about the past on the basis
of simple observations
 Communicate their knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways
Brazil
Year 3 & 4 History – Cycle 1
Topic
Changes in Britain from the
Stone Age to the Iron Age
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Key Objectives
late Neolithic hunter-gatherers and early farmers (e.g, Skara Brae)
Bronze age religion, technology and travel (e.g. Stonehenge)
Iron age hill forts, tribal kingdoms, farming, art and culture
The Celtic people, their homes, lifestyle and beliefs
Use terms before and after-1000, 2000 years ago, ancient, pre-history
Realize that the past can be divided into different periods of time
Describe some characteristic features of periods studied
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Select and record information from a single source relevant to the focus of the enquiry (y3); Select and
combine information from different sources (y4)
The Roman Empire and its
impact on Britain
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To understand importance of archaeology in our knowledge of past
that history is based on evidence
be able to place Celtic and Roman periods in a chronological framework
use terms –ancient, century, A.D. B.C.
use the terms “invade” and “settle
Use variety of sources to find out about Roman soldiers: their armour, weapons, discipline etc
know main events and causes of Roman invasions and settlement of Britain
know the main events of Boudicca’s revolt
different interpretations of the revolt
Compare Celtic and Roman houses
investigate life in Roman times, including main features of Roman towns
be able to give some examples of changes that took place during the Roman period
The Second World War
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know when WW2 took place
begin to understand why it happened
explain how Britain prepared for war
use a range of sources to find out about experiences of evacuees
know why rationing was introduced
investigate the impact of rationing on the way of life of people living during WW2
know how the local area was affected by WW2
use extracts from school log-book to find out about experiences of WW2 in local area
Select and combine information from different sources
Represent information in a variety of ways
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Key Objectives
Recognise Anglo-Saxon period as period of history
Place Roman and Saxon periods in chronological order
Know that Romans withdrew from Britain in c. AD 410
Know the main Anglo-Saxon tribes who settled in Briton and where they came from
Use term invade and settle
investigate invasions, settlements and kingdoms: evidence from place names
describe features of villages in Saxon times
Year 3 & 4 History – Cycle 2
Topic
Britain’s settlement by
Anglo-Saxons and Scots
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The Viking and Anglo-Saxon
struggle for the Kingdom of
England to the time of
Edward the Confessor
The achievements of the
earliest civilizations
know evidence that Bedford was a Saxon town
Use a range of sources to investigate aspects of Anglo-Saxon life, such as art, culture, laws and
justice
 Identify changes within a period: Christian conversion
 Viking raids and invasion
 Who were Vikings?
 Where did they come from and why?
 resistance by Alfred the Great
 further Viking invasions and Danegeld
 Edward the Confessor and his death in 1066
Ancient Egypt
 locate Ancient Egypt in time
 How much of the life of Egypt depended on the Nile
 To make deductions about life in the past
 why Egyptians built pyramids
 what Egyptians believed about afterlife
 Why bodies were mummified
 aspects of life in ancient Egypt
 investigate Ancient Egyptian art
 archaeology of ancient Egypt – Howard Carter