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History: Statement of Intent

The teaching of history at Burhill stimulates pupils’ interest in and understanding of the past, gaining insight into how it has influenced our lives today. Pupils need to know that the story of the past is told differently and grasp that history is created from the evidence that remains. All is not what it seems. If pupils are to make sense of their own world where newspapers tell different stories about the same events, using different evidence and for different audiences, they need practise in handling these contradictions. They need to know which questions to ask. If they are taught history well, they will be given the necessary training to be open-minded and respectful of evidence in later life. History has shaped the world around us and there are many valuable lessons that can be learned from understanding the past, thus helping to shape the future.

By the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, pupils are able to draw on their own life experiences and be able to talk about themselves and their family’s context in past and present terms.

By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils will have developed an awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time. They will know where the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods. They will use a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms. They will ask and answer questions, choosing and using parts of stories and other sources to show that they know and understand key features of events. They will understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.

By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils will have continued to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study. They will note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms. They will regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance. They will construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information. They will understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.

The history curriculum at Burhill enables pupils to develop knowledge and skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas and which can and are used to promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The history curriculum at Burhill complements our school values; for example, tolerance of other cultures and societies; resilience when facing obstacles and the effectiveness of cooperation and working peacefully with others.

	Topic 1	Topic 2	Topic 3
Year 1	How are toys nowadays different to those in the past?	Why was the sealing of the Magna Carta significant?	Who were the Wright Brothers and Amy Johnson and what did they achieve?
Year 2	How has my high street changed since the 1950s?	Why was The Great Fire of London significant?	Who were Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole and what did they achieve?
Year 3	How did Britain change from the Stone Age to the Iron Age?	What did the Ancient Egyptians achieve?	What do all the ancient civilisations have in common?
Year 4	How did the Roman Empire impact Britain?	How did the settlement by Anglo Saxons and Scots impact Britain?	How did the Viking and Anglo Saxon struggle impact Britain?
Year 5	How did the Mayan civilisation contrast with Britain at the time?	How did the Tudors shape our local history?	How has crime and punishment changed over time?
Year 6	How was the Battle of Britain a significant turning point in British history?	Black and British	How did the Ancient Greeks influence the western world?