NC 2014 History Programmes of Study
Suggested progression by year group
Key
Concepts
Year 1
Year 2
Changes in living memory (linked to aspects of national life
where appropriate)
Including ourselves and our family
Changes in living memory (linked to aspects of national life
where appropriate)
Events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or
globally

Key
Individuals
[for example, the great fire of London or events
commemorated through festivals or anniversaries]
Lives of significant historical figures in the past who have
contributed to national and international achievements.
Some should be used to compare aspects of life in different periods
[for example, Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and
LS Lowry, Mary Seacole and/or Florence Nightingale and Edith Cavell]

significant historical events, people and places in their own
locality.
Events beyond living memory that are significant
nationally or globally

[for example, the first airplane flight or events
commemorated through festivals or anniversaries]
Lives of significant historical figures in the past who have
contributed to national and international achievements.
Some should be used to compare aspects of life in different periods
[for example Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong, Rosa Parks
and Emily Davison, William Caxton and Tim Berners-Lee,
significant historical events, people and places in their own locality.
Key Events
Events of local importance
e.g. Bonfire night
Events of local importance
e.g. Bonfire night
NC 2014 History Programmes of Study
Suggested progression by year group
Year 3
British
History
(taught
chronologic
ally)
Year 4
Roman Empire & impact on Britain: For example
Changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age-for example







late Neolithic hunter-gatherers and early farmers for example,
Skara Brae
Bronze age religion, technology & travel for example
Stonehenge
Iron age hill forts: tribal kingdoms, farming, art and culture
Julius Caesar’s attempted invasion in 55-54 BC
Roman Empire & successful invasion ( Claudius & Hadrian’s wall )
British resistance, e.g. Boudicca
‘Romanisation’ of Britain : sites such as Caerwent and the impact
of technology, culture and beliefs including early Christianity
Broader
History
Study
A local history study- for example
 A depth study linked to a studied period , study over a
period of time, after 1066 study of relevant local history
This could be the Victorians or the Second World War
Earliest ancient civilizations- for example
 The Ancient Egyptians
 The Aztecs
NC 2014 History Programmes of Study
Suggested progression by year group
Year 5
British History
(taught
chronologically
Broader History
Study
A local History
study
Year 6
Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons for example:
 Roman withdrawal from Britain AD 410 and the fall of the western
Roman Empire
 Anglo – Saxon invasions, settlements and kingdoms: place names and
village life.
Anglo Saxon art and culture
 Christian conversion- Canterbury, Iona and Lindisfarne.
An extended period of study or theme in British history that extends
pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066 : for example:
 The changing power of monarchs using case studies such as John, Anne
and Victoria
 Significant turning points in an aspect of British history such as Crime &
punishment from the Anglo-Saxons to the present or leisure and
entertainment in the 20th Century
 The legacy of Greek or Roman Culture ( art, architecture or literature ) or
later periods in British history including the present day
 A significant turning point in British history, for example, the first railways
or the Battle of Britain
The Vikings and Anglo-Saxons for example:
 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
Non-European society that provides contrasts with British history one study
chosen from:
 Early Islamic civilization, including Baghdad AD 900
 Mayan civilization AD 900
 Benin (West Africa) AD 900-1300
Examples could include:
 A depth study to one of the British areas of study listed above
 A study of an aspect of history or a site dating from a period beyond
1066 that is significant in the locality
Ancient Greece
 A study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western
world
The achievements of the earliest civilizations- an overview of where and when the
first civilizations appeared including a depth study of one of the following:
Ancient Sumer, The Indus Valley, Ancient Egypt, The Shang Dynasty of
Ancient China
NC 2014 History Programmes of Study
Suggested progression by year group