History
Subject content - Key stage 1
Pupils should develop an awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time. They should 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 should use a wide
vocabulary of everyday historical terms. They should 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 should understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is
represented.
Pupils should be taught about:
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Year 1
Changes within living memory. Where appropriate, these should be used to reveal aspects of change in national life
Events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally [for example, the Great Fire of London, the first aeroplane flight or events
commemorated through festivals or anniversaries]
The lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements. Some should be used to compare
aspects of life in different periods
Significant historical events, people and places in their own locality.
Autumn 2
Ancient Greece - growing up in Ancient
Greece
To be able to locate Greece on an ancient map.
To know the main differences between growing up in
Ancient Greece and growing up today.
To know and practice some of the different skills that
children learnt in Ancient Greek schools.
To investigate the different toys that children had e.g.
dolls, rattles, hobby horses.
To examine what an Ancient Greek school would have
been like using maps.
To explore what a typical day for an Ancient Greek child
would have been like.
Spring 1
Castles
Summer 1
Great fire of London
Know that the United Kingdom has many castles.
To explore what castles are used for.
To find out about a famous person who lived in a castle.
To understand and explain why some castles are no longer
around.
To understand the different roles of people who lived in
castles.
To investigate the features of a castle (3D modelling).
To find out what life was like in London in the 1600s.
To investigate the cause of the Great Fire and the
attempts to contain it.
To sequence the events of the Great Fire correctly.
To study a historical figure associated with the Great
Fire.
To discuss how the Great fire changed London.
To understand what makes cities safer from fires today.
Year 2
Ancient Greece - growing up in Ancient
Greece
To be able to locate Greece and its borders on an ancient
map.
To know the main differences and similarities between
growing up in Ancient Greece and growing up today.
To know and practice some of the different skills that
children learnt in Ancient Greek schools.
To investigate the different toys that children had by
looking at primary sources (British museum).
To examine what an Ancient Greek school would have
been like and create a map and key.
To explore what a typical day for an Ancient Greek child
would have been like.
Explorers
Ancient Egypt
Understand the difference between fact and myth
Appreciate that humankind’s desire to fly has a long history
Learn about the first hot air balloon flights
Design and make model hot air balloons
Investigate early aeroplane models
Explore the History behind the Wright brothers first flight
To locate Ancient Egypt in time and place.
To observe Egyptian artefacts in detail and make
observations and inferences.
To make inferences from objects about the way of life in
ancient Egypt.
To find out about how much Ancient Egypt life
depended on the River Nile.
To explore the different gods and goddesses of Ancient
Egypt.
To use secondary sources to investigate Egyptian
tombs, pyramids and burial sites
Subject content - Key stage 2
Pupils should continue 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 should note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms. They
should regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance. They should
construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information. They should understand how our knowledge
of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
In planning to ensure the progression described above through teaching the British, local and world history outlined below, teachers should combine overview
and depth studies to help pupils understand both the long arc of development and the complexity of specific aspects of the content.
Pupils should be taught about:
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changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age
the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain
Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots
the Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the time of Edward the Confessor
a local history study
a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066
the achievements of the earliest civilizations – an overview of where and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth study of one of the
following: Ancient Sumer; The Indus Valley; Ancient Egypt; The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China Ancient Greece – a study of Greek life and
achievements and their influence on the western world
a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history – one study chosen from: early Islamic civilization, including a study of Baghdad c.
AD 900; Mayan civilization c. AD 900; Benin (West Africa) c. AD 900-1300.
Year 3
Autumn 2
Spring 1
Summer 1
Ancient Greece – Gods, goddesses and
heroes.
Stone/Iron Age
Roman Empire
To locate the Stone/Iron Age on a time line.
To find out about what life was like in the Stone/Iron Age by
observing (replica) artefacts.
To know some of the achievements of the prehistoric people
and say which ones are/more less important with reason.
To recreate Stone Age artefacts such as pottery and cave
paintings.
To know the 3 stages of the Stone Age and explain the
similarities and differences between them.
To investigate what stone circles were used for.
To show the Roman Empire on a map of Europe.
To explain why the Romans invaded Britain.
To study what Roman soldiers would have worn and
design and make a Roman shield.
To investigate how the Roman army was organised and
explain whether this was effective.
To explore how the Roman defeated the Celts.
To describe a Roman town and draw a plan.
Indus valley
Anglo-Saxon settlements
To be able to locate the Aztec civilisation in time and place.
To find out about the environment of the Indus Valley and how
this could have affected settlement patterns and lifestyles.
To recognise some similarities and differences between the
Indus Valley civilisation and other societies or periods they
know about.
To use primary and secondary sources to investigate how
people lived in Mohenjo-Daro.
To study and create maps of the city Mohenjo-Daro.
To explore what happened to the Indus Valley cities.
To investigate who the Saxons were and where they
came from.
To map the locations of the Saxon Kingdoms and
settlements.
To study artefacts and photographs to find out about
day to day life in a Saxon settlement.
To plan, build and construct a small Anglo-Saxon
Village.
To identify and understand the uses of Anglo-Saxon
Amour.
To explore the story of Beowulf.
Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for England
Industrial revolution
To investigate who the Saxons were, where they came from
and their settlements.
To study Vikings and their ships through role play as AngloSaxon spies.
Understand the Anglo-Saxon Religion and beliefs and how
they may have changed by looking at primary and secondary
resources.
To research the Viking invasions and King Alfred’s fight
against them.
To discuss whether we are fair to the Vikings through our
interpretations of the struggle for England.
Assessment
To locate the Industrial Revolution in time and place.
To discuss and describe the effects and the
development of the Industrial Revolution.
To find out why coal was so important during the
industrial revolution.
To identify and match the invention to their inventor.
To analyse and evaluate how transportation improved
during the Industrial Revolution for the rapid movement
of goods.
To investigate the daily life of children and families
during the Industrial Revolution.
To know the location, climate and terrain of Ancient
Greece.
To find out the similarities and differences between
Sparta and Athens.
To deduce information about Greek beliefs and religious
practices from pictures of buildings and pottery.
To investigate Greek Gods and Goddesses.
To know the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.
Year 4
Ancient Greece - Gods, goddesses and
heroes.
To know the location, climate and terrain of Ancient
Greece.
To find out the similarities and differences between
Sparta and Athens.
To deduce information about Greek beliefs and religious
practices from pictures of buildings and pottery.
To investigate Greek Gods and Goddesses.
To know and discuss the myth of Achilles.
Year 5
Ancient Greece – Greeks at war
To know where Ancient Greece is in time and place and
to sequence events on a timeline.
To find out the similarities and differences between
Sparta and Athens.
To investigate why Greek fighting ships were important.
To find out about Greek armour and weapons and
discuss their effectiveness.
To research about the Greek soldiers, Hoplites, using
primary and secondary sources.
To study the battle of Marathon and understand that
events can be interpreted differently depending on
viewpoint.
Year 6
Ancient Greece - Ancient Greek democracy/
Arts and theatre
To locate the Ancient Greeks in time and place and to
sequence events on a timeline.
To research what is meant by democracy.
To find out and discuss the similarities and differences
between Sparta and Athens and how they were ruled.
To infer information about Greek wars and warfare from
illustrations and maps.
To investigate the main characters and events of a key
battle.
Assessment.
Mayan civilisation
To place Mayan events, people and changes on a timeline.
To research explorers who discovered Mayan sites.
To discuss and describe the Mayan calendar.
To know and discuss the Mayan creation myth.
To investigate the Gods and Goddesses of the Mayan people.
To study, design and create a Mayan temple.
WW2 and the changing face of East
London
To understand when World War 2 started and why.
To learn about bombing raids on Britain (Blitz) and how
these affected East London.
To study the effect of war on everyday life.
To understand how people protected themselves.
To find out the experiences and feelings of evacuees
from a wide range of sources
Assessment