History

I love History because it is fun learning about the past and how different it was from today.

Year 6 pupil

History Curriculum Statement

We believe History should stimulate interest and understanding about the lives and times of people who lived in the past. We believe children should have a strong awareness of a range of cultural heritages and how they fit into a chronological timeline.

We aim to inspire pupils’ curiosity through a range of different activities. The children examine both primary and secondary sources of evidence, they visit sites of historical significance through a range of different trips and we encourage visitors to come into the school to talk about their experiences of the past.

The children will learn about a range of different historical periods. Through our varied topics the ultimate aim is that the children are curious and inspired about the past, so they are able to ask perceptive questions, think critically and develop their own perspectives and judgements.

Topics covered

EYFS

The main topic during Foundation Stage is ‘Understanding the World’. During this topic, children explore a range of different aspects and tasks such as:

Begin to make sense of their own life-story and family’s history
Comment on images of familiar situations in the past
Compare and contrast characters from stories, including figures from the past.

By the end of their time in Foundation Stage, children should be able to:

Talk about the lives of people around them and their roles in society
Know some similarities and differences between things in the past and now, drawing on their experiences and what has been
read in class
Understand the past through settings, characters and events encountered in books read in class and storytelling.

Key Stage 1

Year 1:

The Great Fire of London
Queen Victoria – Old and New Objects
How the Seaside Has Changed

Year 2:

Local Artists – Barbara Hepworth
The Titanic
The Race to Space

Key Stage 2

Year 3:

Stone Age to Iron Age
Romans
Ancient Greece

Year 4:

Anglo-Saxons
Vikings
Ancient Egyptians

Year 5:

The Battle of Wakefield
The Tudors
Ancient Islamic Civilisations

Year 6:

Coal Mining Disasters
World War II
Crime and Punishment Through the Ages

Key Documents

Curriculum Overview EYFS and KS1 Learning Objectives KS2 Learning Objectives

History Leaders

The History Leaders at Middlestown Primary Academy are an integral part of our team.

They work alongside Mrs Ashcroft to drive forward improvements in the teaching and learning of History, and they ensure that History has a high profile in school with lessons/events that promote curiosity and acquisition of knowledge and skills.

Furthermore, they help Mrs Ashcroft monitor History by observing lessons, supporting with pupil voice interviews and looking at learning in workbooks. They have their own special display board in school which they design linked to a topic that a class are currently learning about. They hold assemblies and competitions and are just all-round History enthusiasts!

I like learning about how people used to live their lives, and I like learning about how people discovered different things.

Year 6 pupil

History Curriculum Statement

Topics covered

Key Documents

History Leaders

Year 5 pupil