Cranleigh C of E Primary School History Coverage and
Progression
Progression is outlined in the following aspects or strands:
1. Chronological understanding – Comprehension of time (including the language of
time), recognising how the past can be divided up into different times,
understanding that there are similarities, differences and connections between
eras, and, perceiving that trends may be identifiable over time
2. Knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past –
Growing breadth and depth of historical knowledge and understanding of the past,
including, how and why some things change and others remain the same (change and
continuity), why events take place (causation), the outcomes that follow
(consequences) and making judgements about the historical significance of people
and events
3. Historical interpretation – Awareness that the past can be seen in a variety of
ways because people make inferences or deductions from sources as we cannot be
certain of much that actually happened
4. Historical enquiry – The process of asking questions about the past, and,
answering those questions by using and evaluating historical sources
5. Organisation and communication – The ability to show what has been found out in a
variety of different ways, including using historical vocabulary
Coverage Rationale:
•
The eight units are spread out evenly over the four years of KS.2, deliberately
leaving the middle term of each year free. This gives us a choice, either to continue
the previous term’s study, start the next term’s early or plan it as a non-history
teaching term.
•
The British study units have been planned in chronological order: Pre-History,
Romans, Anglo-Saxons (before Alfred the Great), Anglo-Saxons (struggles), and a
study of British history after 1066.
•
The ‘open British history study’ is at the end of Year 6 - it gives Year 6
teachers the flexibility to plan in and around the SATs.
•
The three ‘non-British’ units have been mapped with the Ancient Egyptians first,
chronologically this makes sense
Please note that where possible, history units should be completed in chronological
order within year groups eg in year 3, the Stone Age is taught before the Romans.
Chronological understanding is crucial so all classrooms must have a timeline on
display.
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Cranleigh C of E Primary School History Coverage and
Progression
EYFS
UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD
People and communities:
Children talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family
members. They know that other children don’t always enjoy the same things, and are
sensitive to this. They know about similarities and differences between themselves and
others, and among families, communities and traditions.
The world:
Children know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects,
materials and living things. They talk about the features of their own immediate
environment and how environments might vary from one another. They make
observations of animals and plants and explain why some things occur, and talk about
changes.
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Cranleigh C of E Primary School History Coverage and
Progression
Year 1
Coverage
YEAR 1
Key Concepts
Key Individuals
different periods
Key Events
Progression
Chronological understanding Recognise and use everyday terms about the passing of
time, e.g. old, new, today, yesterday, a long time ago, earlier, later, before, after, next,
first, and including days of the week, weeks, months and years (maths Y1)
Sequence a few events, pictures or objects in chronological order (maths Y1)
Show awareness that things may be different today compared to earlier times
Knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past
Show some knowledge and understanding of stories about the past e.g. by retelling in
own words
Recognise that their own lives are different from the lives of people in the past
Show knowledge of changes in their own lives
Historical interpretation
Begin to understand that the past can be seen in different ways
Historical enquiry
Find answers to some simple questions about the past from sources of information
Organisation and communication
Talk about stories about the past
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Cranleigh C of E Primary School History Coverage and
Progression
Year 2
Coverage
Key Concepts
• Changes in living memory (linked to aspects of national life where appropriate)
Key Individuals
• Lives of significant historical figures, including comparison of those from different
periods
• Significant local people
Key Events
• e.g. Bonfire night
• Events of local importance
Progression
Chronological understanding Use common words and phrases relating to the passing of
time including use of numbers, e.g. one year ago, 10 years after, 5 months before (maths
Y2)
Arrange events or objects in chronological order on a simple timeline, e.g. one showing:
now, when I was born, when mummy was born, when grandpa was born
Identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods
Knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past
Choose and use parts of stories and other sources, e.g. pictures, to show knowledge and
understanding of key features of events in the past
Show awareness that actions have consequences
Recognise differences and similarities between ways of life in the past
Talk about who was important, e.g. in a simple historical account
Historical interpretation
Understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different
ways in which it is represented
Historical enquiry
Ask questions about the past
Use sources such as artefacts, pictures and stories to help answer historical questions
Organisation and communication
Use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms to write simple sentences (English
Y2) about selected appropriate knowledge and understanding of history
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Cranleigh C of E Primary School History Coverage and
Progression
Year 3
Coverage
Roman Empire and its impact on Britain This could include:
- Julius Caesar’s attempted invasion in 55-54 BC
- the Roman Empire by AD 42 and the power of its army
- successful invasion by Claudius and conquest, including Hadrian’s Wall
- British resistance, e.g. Boudica
- “Romanisation” of Britain: sites such as Caerwent and the impact of technology, culture
and beliefs, including early Christianity
Changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age
This could include:
- 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
Progression
Chronological understanding Show understanding that the past can be divided into
different periods of time by placing events, people and changes into correct periods of
time
Use dates to place events, people and features of particular eras on a timeline including
BC and AD dates (maths Y4), compare durations of eras or events (maths Y3) and make
correct use of historical period terms such as ancient, medieval, modern, century and
decade
Describe similarities and differences within and across different periods and suggest
reasons for them
Knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past
Use simple evidence to show knowledge of some of the main events, people and changes
studied
Give a reason for the occurrence of an event or action relating to other people in
different times and say what happened as a result
Demonstrate knowledge of concrete examples of continuity and change over time by
identifying what has stayed the same and what has changed, e.g. what clothes rich and
poor people wore, how fires were dealt with in different eras
Historical interpretation
Identify some of the different ways in which the past is represented and interpreted
Historical enquiry
Ask appropriate historical questions, e.g. about a picture, artefact or story; after
research or using sources, propose some additional questions for future consideration
Use research skills to answer questions and give some valid reasons to substantiate
answers
Organisation and communication
Communicate knowledge clearly, using paragraphs to organise ideas around a theme
(English Y4) and use and spell historical terms accurately
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Cranleigh C of E Primary School History Coverage and
Progression
Year 4
Coverage
The achievements of the earliest civilizations – an overview of where and when the
first civilizations appeared and a depth study of one of the following: Ancient Sumer;
The Indus Valley; Ancient Egypt; The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China
Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots - this could include:
Roman withdrawal from Britain in c. AD 410 and the fall of the western Roman Empire
Scots invasions from Ireland to north Britain (now Scotland)
Anglo-Saxon invasions, settlements and kingdoms: place names and
village life
Anglo-Saxon art and culture
Christian conversion – Canterbury, Iona and Lindisfarne
Progression
Chronological understanding Use dates precisely including BC and AD and say, read and
write dates accurately (maths Y6)
Have a secure knowledge and understanding of the chronology of the British, local and
world history studied
Recognise characteristic features of periods and societies studied
Pick out connections, contrasts and trends over time within and across different periods
Knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past
Use evidence from sources to show knowledge by being able to describe in detail the
stories of events, people and places
Show historical understanding by identifying and explaining causes of events and
changes and describing and explaining what happened as a consequence
Demonstrate knowledge of continuity and change over time, making links to show how
one thing may depend upon another
Identify historically significant people and events
Historical interpretation
Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources
Historical enquiry
Devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity, difference and
significance
Construct informed responses to questions about change, cause, similarity, difference
and significance by selecting and organising relevant historical information from sources
Organisation and communication
Produce structured informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and
organisation of relevant historical information, making appropriate use of dates and
historical terms which are spelt correctly (maths Y4), with ideas linked across
paragraphs (English Y6)
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Cranleigh C of E Primary School History Coverage and
Progression
Year 5
Coverage
A non-European society - one study chosen from:
- Early Islamic civilization, c. AD 900;
- Mayan civilization c. AD 900;
- Benin c. AD 900-1300.
Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the time of Edward
the Confessor
This could include:
- Viking raids and invasion
- resistance by Alfred the Great and Athelstan, first king of England - further Viking
invasions and Danegeld
- Anglo-Saxon laws and justice
- Edward the Confessor and his death in 1066
Progression
Chronological understanding Describe characteristic features of periods and societies
studied and place them in a chronological framework
Describe and suggest explanations for connections, contrasts and trends over time
within and across different periods
Knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past
Use secure knowledge and understanding of history to describe and analyse past
societies and periods to suggest links between features within and across different
periods with reference to some sources used
Show understanding of cause and consequence of the main events and changes by
showing that some causes and some consequences may be linked, i.e. how one action or
event may be dependent upon another
Demonstrate knowledge of continuity and change over time, showing understanding of
their complexity by, for example, describing them as gradual or rapid, important or
unimportant, economic, religious, etc.
Historical interpretation
Recognise that the past is represented and interpreted in different ways and suggest
reasons for this
Historical enquiry
Understand historical enquiry and begin to frame valid enquiries
Use a range of sources and evaluate them to identify those that are most useful and
reliable for specific enquiries
Organisation and communication
Recall, select, organise and communicate historical information supported by reference
to some of the sources they have used, to produce structured work, making appropriate
use of dates and historical terms
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Cranleigh C of E Primary School History Coverage and
Progression
Year 6
Coverage
A study of an aspect or theme in British history extends chronological knowledge
beyond 1066 For example:
- the changing power of monarchs using case studies such as John, Anne & Victoria
- changes in an aspect of social history, such as crime and punishment from the AngloSaxons to the present or leisure and entertainment in the C.20th
- the legacy of Greek or Roman culture (art, architecture or literature) on later periods
in British history, including the present day
- a significant turning point in British history, e.g. the first railways or the Battle of
Britain
A local study should be included to show changes over time NB It is essential that this
is completed in depth and shows the impact of change over time so that children develop
the understanding of cause and effect eg the impact of transport on marriage over
three generations.
Ancient Greece – a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the
western world
Progression
Chronological understanding Chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of
British, local and world history, to provide a well-informed context for wider learning,
including the use of sophisticated period terms in relation to the passing of time, such
as, renaissance, revolution, reform
Identify significant events, make connections, draw contrasts, and analyse trends within
periods and over long arcs of time
Knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past
Use secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history to describe
and analyse past societies and periods to make links between features within and across
different periods supporting ideas and arguments with factual detail from sources and
own knowledge
Identify and describe reasons for, and results of, historical events, situations and
changes in the periods and societies studied in terms of more abstract ideas such as,
shifts in power, changing beliefs or attitudes, short or long terms impacts
Demonstrate knowledge of continuity and change over time, including more abstract
reasoning, e.g. by referring to the power of rulers, attitudes towards punishment or
slavery, or, by classifying them, e.g. short and long term, environmental, sociological,
technological
Explain the significance of events, people and developments in their context and in the
present day
Historical interpretation
Understand how different types of historical sources are used rigorously to make
historical claims and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of
the past have been constructed
Historical enquiry
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Cranleigh C of E Primary School History Coverage and
Progression
Pursue historically valid enquiries including pupil-framed ones
Use different sources critically to create relevant, structured and evidentially
supported accounts
Organisation and communication
Use historical terms and concepts in increasingly sophisticated ways; write accurately,
fluently, effectively and at length; summarising and organising material, and supporting
ideas and arguments with any necessary factual detail; applying their growing knowledge
of vocabulary, grammar and text structure to their writing and selecting the
appropriate form (English KS3)
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