Intent

At the Cathedral School of St Peter and St John RC Primary, it is our aim to provide every child in our school with an accessible history curriculum that not only teaches them facts about the past but also equips them with the skills they need to become critical, inquisitive historians. We aim for all our children to have a clear concept of what history is, why learning about history is so important and what their learning in history can lead them to in later life. We want our children to understand the cause and effect of the actions people of the past and how we can learn from the past to make a better future. Our curriculum is set out to build on the children’s knowledge progressively so they can continue to practise the skills and apply the knowledge they learn year on year. We have planned our history curriculum to compliment and be enhanced by the other subject areas so that our children have a well-rounded understanding of history and can see that everything we learn about the current world is rooted in the past.  

Implementation

Our curriculum is designed to be an engaging programme that is relevant to our children and their place in history. Well-structured planning and careful assessment ensures our children make good progress in their history learning. Our curriculum is built around the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and the Primary National Curriculum. Throughout our Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, progression in our curriculum allows the children build on their knowledge and understanding of history year on year. Knowledge organisers and progression documents are in place to support each class with clearly planned key knowledge, historical skills and specific vocabulary to be taught in each unit. Our curriculum is enriched with purposeful educational visits, whole school super learning days and promotes the use of engaging resources within the classroom. It is our aim that through these means, our children gain a solid, memorable understanding of the historical events they have been taught and obtain the skills they need to become independent historians. Summative assessments are made at the end of each unit to make sure all our children make good progress. The history curriculum is regularly monitored by the history lead to ensure staff are supported in their planning and delivery of the history curriculum and that teaching and learning in history is of a high standard for all pupils across the school.

If you would like to see an example of the knowledge organisers that the children use in school, please speak to your child's teacher or email school.