“The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”

—Theodore Roosevelt

At Earlsmead Primary School, our aim is that through the teaching of history, we will excite children’s interests and understanding of the lives of people who lived in the past, as well as understanding how past events have impacted and changed our lives today. Pupils’ knowledge, skills and values will be developed through Kapow’s enriched History curriculum. Our pupils will develop a sense of chronology, enabling them to not only discover what shaped us as a nation but other key events that took place simultaneously in other parts of the world.

We aim to make children aware of historical figures and to know about significant events in British history and the wider world (British and ancient), appreciating how things have changed over time. We want to ensure that the children know how Britain developed as a society. We encourage pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. This equips pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies, and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.

At Earlsmead Primary School, we want all of our pupils to be historians. Our aim is for our curriculum to inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past, learn from different histories across the world and to apply these skills to be life-long learners and respectful global citizens. Our carefully selected units of enquiry will be enhanced and enriched by tasks that enthuse and engage our learners. We aim for key historical knowledge and skills to be taught, sought and caught as children progress through their Earlsmead years, and to foster a love of learning about the past by offering a range of opportunities to explore different periods of time.

Through carefully sequenced lessons, we demonstrate progression by building upon prior knowledge and enabling children to apply it to their new learning:

• Our History units allow children to focus on developing their knowledge and skills.
• Our progression of skills demonstrates how our children build on and develop their skills gradually each year.
• Timelines and sequencing are an integral part of our units and build a chronological framework over time.
• In KS1, history explores significant events and people who have shaped society locally, nationally, and globally. 
• In KS2, we encourage children to place their units chronologically on a timeline to allow them to appreciate the relationship between each time period.
• In order to support children in their ability to know more and remember more, there are regular opportunities to review the learning that has taken place in previous units.
• At the start of each unit, children will review previous learning and will have the opportunity to share what they already know about a current period/place/person. They then add to this at the end of the unit where they write down what they have learned. 

The impact of our History curriculum at Earlsmead Primary School can be seen through the following methods:

• The use of Proof of Progress (POP) Quizzes to start each lesson. These also revisit previously learned concepts. 
• The use of KWL grids (what they know about a particular topic, what they want to know and what they have learnt). 
• Our children demonstrate enthusiasm for the subject and can talk with confidence about historical events.
• Our children demonstrate an understanding of a range of historical vocabulary which can be applied confidently.
• As historians, our children can use their skills to pose questions, evaluate evidence and draw conclusions including discussions about the cause and effects of specific events.