History Curriculum at Church Lench CE First school

At Church Lench CE First School, our history curriculum for mixed-age classes is structured on a two-year rolling programme (Cycle A and Cycle B) to ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum for Key Stage 1 and Lower Key Stage 2. The curriculum is carefully sequenced to build pupils’ knowledge, understanding and disciplinary skills progressively from Reception through to Year 5.

Our intent is fully aligned with the aims of the National Curriculum for history: to ensure that all pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world; to inspire curiosity about the past; and to equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgement.

In Class 1 (Reception and Year 1), learning reflects the EYFS framework and Key Stage 1 requirements by introducing pupils to changes within living memory and beyond. Topics such as seaside holidays and toys from the Victorian era support understanding of continuity and change. Pupils also study significant individuals including Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole, and key events such as the Gunpowder Plot. These units develop early chronological awareness and introduce pupils to the concept of historical significance, as required by the Key Stage 1 programme of study.

In Class 2 (Years 2 and 3), pupils meet the Key Stage 1 expectation of events beyond living memory and begin the Key Stage 2 requirement to develop a chronologically secure knowledge of British history. Studies such as prehistoric Britain (Stone Age to Iron Age) and the Great Fire of London deepen understanding of cause and consequence. Learning about Henry VIII and the Romans supports knowledge of significant individuals and the Roman Empire’s impact on Britain. Local history studies further fulfil statutory requirements and help pupils understand how national events relate to their locality.

In Class 3 (Years 4 and 5), pupils fully engage with the Lower Key Stage 2 programme of study. They develop a coherent chronological narrative through studies of the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons, as well as thematic studies such as crime and punishment over time. Pupils also study ancient civilisations including Greece and the Maya, meeting the requirement to understand achievements of early civilisations. Local history is further explored through studies of the English Civil War and the Battle of Worcester, ensuring pupils understand the impact of historical events on their locality.

Our curriculum ensures that knowledge is not taught in isolation but is carefully sequenced so that pupils revisit and build upon prior learning. For example, early learning about the Victorian era in Class 1 is revisited in later studies of British history, enabling children to make connections and deepen understanding. Similarly, the study of significant individuals in the early years lays the foundation for more complex historical enquiry in later years.

Disciplinary skills are explicitly developed across the school. Pupils progress from asking simple questions and identifying basic similarities and differences to analysing sources, constructing informed responses, and understanding how and why interpretations of the past may differ.

By the end of Year 5, pupils at our school will have developed:

• A coherent chronological understanding of British and world history
• Knowledge of significant people, events, and civilisations
• The ability to think critically, ask questions, and evaluate evidence
• An appreciation of how the past has shaped the present, including their local area

Our two-year cycle ensures that all pupils, regardless of their starting point or year group, receive a rich, progressive and engaging history education that prepares them for the next stage of their learning.

Our two-year cycle ensures that pupils encounter all required elements of the National Curriculum, including:

• Changes within living memory and beyond living memory
• The lives of significant individuals
• Significant historical events
• Local history studies
• British history in chronological order
• The achievements of early civilisations

The curriculum is designed to ensure clear progression in line with National Curriculum expectations:

• Chronological understanding develops from simple sequencing in Reception and Year 1 to secure, connected timelines across periods in Years 4 and 5.
• Knowledge of people and events progresses from familiar and significant individuals (e.g. David Attenborough and Nelson Mandela) to complex civilisations and historical periods.
• Historical enquiry skills develop from asking and answering simple questions to analysing sources, evaluating evidence and understanding different interpretations.
• Key concepts such as change and continuity, cause and consequence, similarity and difference, and significance are revisited and deepened across both cycles.

 

Through our two-year cycle, pupils:

• Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history
• Address historically valid questions using evidence
• Understand how knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources
• Gain perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts