History
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
George Santayana
A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. History helps 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.
Intent
The History curriculum at St John’s C of E Primary School is designed to inspire curiosity, deepen understanding of Britain’s and the wider world’s past, and equip pupils with the skills to think critically, question evidence, and form historical judgments. Rooted in the National Curriculum and EYFS framework, it builds knowledge and skills progressively across key strands—chronological awareness, disciplinary concepts, substantive concepts, and historical enquiry. Knowledge and vocabulary are carefully sequenced on a two-year cycle, ensuring cumulative learning through ‘Need to Know’ concepts. High expectations, inclusive access, and clearly identified vocabulary underpin the curriculum, allowing every child to know more, remember more, and apply their historical understanding with confidence.
Implementation
History is taught weekly in alternating terms through sequential units based on the Kapow scheme, ensuring consistent quality and teacher confidence. Lessons are planned to build progressively, using retrieval tasks, modelling, and structured vocabulary development. Each unit is six lessons long and centres on key disciplinary and substantive concepts, allowing pupils to explore themes such as power, invasion, and trade in varying contexts. Lessons focus on enquiry, evidence, and chronology, helping pupils construct a mental timeline and develop their own historical investigations. Teachers assess formatively throughout, adapt learning to meet all needs, and use shared ‘Need to Know’ overviews to guide instruction. Subject leadership ensures consistency, resource provision, and staff development through monitoring and CPD.
Impact
Pupils leave St John’s with secure knowledge, vocabulary, and analytical skills that prepare them for future historical study. They can think critically, discuss confidently, and make connections across time and place. Assessment is ongoing and multifaceted, prioritising formative approaches to identify misconceptions and support long-term retention. Through retrieval tasks, pupil conferencing, and observation, teachers measure both knowledge and process, ensuring that progression is evident across year groups. The result is a community of learners who see themselves as historians—curious, informed, and capable of understanding change, continuity, and significance within the world around them.
