At St Anne’s we aim for a high-quality expansive history curriculum that inspires pupils to ask questions and captivates Britain’s past and the wider world, and equips them for their lives in the 21^st century.

Pupils will understand the complexity of people’s lives, the diversity of societies and relationships and the process of change. They will develop skills as a critical thinker, making their own informed judgements and coming to independent conclusions, appreciate that knowledge is socially constructed and continue to ask questions. Children will build a sense of identity and also understand and respect the identity of other’s, which will allow them to become independent and recognise they are part of a community that extends beyond their home, area and country.

Children will also be aware of their local area and the important role it has played in history. They will know how their local area has changed over time.

The impact and measure of this is to ensure that those who attend and leave St Anne’s are equipped with historical enquiry skills, knowledge and concepts, whilst also deepening and broadening their understanding of chronology and important events that have occurred throughout history so they are ready for the curriculum at KS3. We want to build a History curriculum that inspires children and equips them to be well-informed lifelong learners in the wider world.

Additionally, those who leave St Anne’s will know how important their local area is, they will want to be a part of their wider community and know the changes it has been through.

• Our history curriculum seeks to inspire pupils with a rich understanding of Britain's past and the wider world, fostering an inquisitive mindset.
• This approach aims to transform them into life-long readers with a deep appreciation for historical narratives and events, enriching their knowledge base.
• We aim to stimulate pupils' aspirations by exploring historical figures and events that have shaped our modern world, encouraging them to envision their potential roles in society's ongoing story.
• Through engaging and thought-provoking historical content and experience days, we strive to develop a passion for learning about different eras, cultures, and perspectives, providing enrichment for our students.

• Embracing St. Anne's Learning Powers, our curriculum challenges students to develop resilience, perseverance, resourcefulness, and co-operation as they delve into historical studies.
• We encourage students to articulate their understanding and perspectives on historical events, fostering oracy skills. This approach helps them to express complex ideas and engage in meaningful discussions about the past.
• By confronting challenging historical concepts, students are motivated to deepen their knowledge and understanding, preparing them to become lifelong learners in the field of history.

• Our history curriculum is designed to cultivate courageous advocates who appreciate the impact of historical events on contemporary society.
• We emphasize the importance of forming healthy relationships, based on our understanding of the past and the importance of contributing to a better world.
• By exploring historical narratives, pupils learn to appreciate the struggles and achievements of people throughout history, fostering a sense of empathy and care for the lessons of the past.

• In studying history, pupils learn to respect the diverse beliefs, cultures, and experiences that have shaped human civilization. This empathetic approach fosters a more profound emotional intelligence, as students learn to appreciate the circumstances and challenges faced by people in different times, which in turn develops their mental well-being.
• Our curriculum fosters a deep appreciation for the role of individuals as stewards of God’s earth, understanding how historical actions have impacted the world and the responsibility we hold in the present.

Within EYFS, History is integral to the Early Learning Goal of Knowledge and Understanding the World where pupils are encouraged and supported to “talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members”. It allows them to begin to understand and master chronology and communicate changes that they observe in their lives and the lives of others.

In EYFS, children observe and talk about changes in objects through both adult-led and child-led activities and a floor book is produced to capture the exciting learning they have been involved in.

Throughout Years 1-6 each year enquires in History through a Learning Question giving them purpose and aim to their learning. This big question is answered through a series of smaller questions, guiding the children through their learning, allowing them to answer the question in steps. The small questions can take any form that the teacher plans to, this can be: research, evaluating a variety of sources, debates, writing, etc. The aim of the questions is to inspire the children to want to find out more and to continuously ask questions about their current learning and beyond the classroom.

Lessons frequently begin by referring to the interactive timeline on KAPOW, placing their knowledge within the context of other historical events in our curriculum. Chronology is therefore the root of our growing historical knowledge.

If Chronology is the root, our substantive and disciplinary concepts are the branches. Our substantive concepts teach historical knowledge – as a historian I know about: society; culture and religion; military and warfare; trade and technology; power. Our disciplinary concepts teach knowledge of the investigative methods used by historians – as a historian I can investigate: change and continuity; similarities and differences; cause and consequence; historical significance; sources of evidence; historical interpretations. All lessons relate to a substantive and a disciplinary concept which is mapped in our progression document.

In EYFS, society is the crucial substantive concepts because we want children to be rooted in the world around them before looking outwards as they move through school. Historical significance is a crucial disciplinary concept in EYFS because we want children to ground themselves in learning which events carry greater importance than others. In KS1 society remains at the core of children’s understanding of the world, but we take our first steps to extending our gaze to the immediate world around us by exploring the history of our school and locality, and aspects of life lived by recent generations. In LKS2, we extend further, exploring the history of Britain chronologically (Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings). We include the substantive concept of Military and Warfare in LKS2 as the theme of invasion presents itself throughout the topics covered. In KS2, we are able to extend further and look beyond these shores and explore civilisations whose impact has been great enough to influence Britain and the World. Building in this way manages the cognitive load of children, allowing them to take steps to deepen existing means of historical investigation (disciplinary concepts) and to methodically extend their outlook of the world and the past.

Teachers planning is supported via KAPOW, Chris Trevor CPD and Historical Association.

Assessment in History is rooted in the big questions. By addressing it in small steps via each lesson, we are able to assess children’s understanding against the big question.