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History

It is our intent that children are able to investigate the past through drama, role play, artefacts and the use of interactive digital media; our children are immersed in historical contexts. Through studies of significant people, events and time periods, children will secure their understanding of chronology. They will compare and contrast, making connections with themes in history, as well as evaluating the impact and influence through time. The children will develop enquiring minds through critical use of primary, secondary and digital sources to support their explanations and judgments.

WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO HAVE...
  • An excellent knowledge and understanding of people, events, and contexts from a range of historical periods and of historical concepts and processes.
  • The ability to  think critically about history and communicate ideas very confidently in styles appropriate to a range of audiences.
  • The ability to consistently support, evaluate and challenge their own and others’ views using detailed, appropriate and accurate historical evidence derived from a range of sources.
  • The ability to think, reflect, debate, discuss and evaluate the past, formulating and refining questions and lines of enquiry. 
  • A passion for history and an enthusiastic engagement in learning, which develops their sense of curiosity about the past and their understanding of how and why people interpret the past in different ways. 
  • A respect for historical evidence and the ability to make robust and critical use of it to support their explanations and judgments. 
  • A desire to embrace challenging activities, including opportunities to undertake high-quality research across a range of history topics.
THRESHOLD CONCEPTS: 

At Our Lady of Lourdes, we aim to develop the following concepts through the progressive teaching of historical knowledge, skills and understanding. These essential threshold concepts are based on the requirements of the National Curriculum Programme of Study for Key Stage One and Key Stage two.

Investigate and interpret the past Build a depth of historical understanding Understand chronology Communicate historically
This concept involves understanding that our understanding of the past comes from an interpretation of the available evidence. This concept involves an appreciation of the characteristic features of the past and an understanding that life is different for different sections of society.
 
This concept involves an understanding of how to chart the passing of time and how some aspects of history studied were happening at similar times in different places. This concept involves using historical vocabulary and techniques to convey information about the past.

Our Geography and History curriculum is taught through mini topics- these can be found below: 

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6
Treasure Island From A to B Island Life Temples, Treasures and Tombs The Story of English WWII
  The Magic Toymaker       Windrush and the impact of migration
A Day in the Life Buildings Bienvenue en France Victorians Earth as an Island Greeks and Romans
  China Gateways to the World Earthquakes, Mountains and Volcanoes    
Seaside Time Travellers Scavengers and Settlers Anglo Saxons AD900 (Mayans) El Salvador 

 Please click below for specific learning in each year group

EYFS

Each area of the EYFS curriculum has an Early Learning Goal, which is the standard that a child is expected to achieve by the end of their reception year. The ELG (Early Learning Goals) covers all of the 7 areas of learning as specified in the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum.


The following link to the teaching and learning of history in our EYFS:

 

ELG 13: Understanding the World: Past and Present

Children at the expected level of development will:

 
  • Talk about the lives of the 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.

Year 1

Treasure Island Autumn
Overview What can we find out about pirates? 
How do we find out about the past? 
What can we find out about pirates from various sources? 
What can we find out about a significant pirate? 
How reliable are the stories about the Jolly Roger flag? 
Concepts Historical Enquiry
Day in the Life Spring
Overview How have people and their work changed over time? 
Who was Florence Nightingale and how did her work affect our lives? 
Who was Edith Cavell how does her life compare with Florence Nightingale? Why was their work significant?
How has nursing changed over time? What are the similarities and differences? 
How has being a fire officer changed over time?  
Why are these changes significant? 
Concepts Chronological understanding
Seaside Summer
Overview Am I making History?
What are the key events in my life so far? What makes an event important? 
What is a family tree? What is the story of my family? 
What historical objects can my family share with me?
What memories of the seaside do my family have? 
What was the seaside like in the past? 
Concepts Interpretation of history

Year 2

From A to B

The Magical Toymaker

Spring 1 Spring 2
Overview How has transport changed over time? 
How have cars changed over time? 
How have fire engines changed over time? 
Who were the Wright Brothers? What change did their invention bring to the way people travelled? 
Who was Grace Darling and what influence did she have over travelling by sea? 
How have toys and games changed?
What are toys like today and how do I find out about toys in the past?
How are my family’s toys different to mine? 
How were toys made in the past?
How have toys and games changed since Victorian time?
Why did toys and games change over time?
 
Concepts Range and depth of historical Knowledge  Change and  continuity
Buildings Spring
Overview How have buildings and homes changed over time? 
How have home around our school changed overtime? 
Can we make a timeline of when houses were built in our town? What does this tell us about how long people have lived here? 
Investigate an old building in our town. How old is it? How have houses changed since that time? 
Concepts Chronological Understanding
Time Travellers (Great Fire of London) Summer
Overview How did the Great Fire change London?
What was life like in Pudding Lane before the Great Fire?
What is similar and different in housing then and now?
How has London changed since then? 
What was the story of the Great Fire of London
Could the fire have been stopped earlier than it was?
How do we know the fire happened?
What was left in London after the Fire?
How did the Great Fire change London? 
Concepts Significance, continuity and change

Year 3

Scavengers and Settlers Summer
Overview What was life like in Prehistoric Britain? 
How do we know about Prehistoric Britain?
Which animals lived in Prehistoric Britain?
What were the different periods in the Stone Age?
What are the similarities and differences between Stone Age periods?
What can artefacts from the Stone Age tell us about how people lived during the different periods?
What was life like in a Neolithic settlement?
How did farming change how humans lived?
How did the Bronze Age change how humans lived?
Who were the Celts, and why did they use iron?
What can monuments tell us about the Prehistoric period?
Concepts Continuity and change

year 4

Temples, Treasures and Tombs Autumn 1 Autumn 2
Overview What was life like in ancient Egypt? 
Who were the Pharaohs of Egypt and what do we know about them? 
What different roles did people have in Egyptian society? 
What role did slavery play in Ancient Egypt?
What important events happened in Egyptian civilisation? 
Why Tutankhamun's tomb was an important discovery?
What was the purpose of the Egyptian temples, tombs and pyramids?
Who did the Ancient Egyptians worship? 
What religious festivals did the Egyptians have? How did they celebrate them?
What do burial practices reveal about Ancient Egyptian art and language?
Concepts History enquiry, organisation and communication, chronological understanding History enquiry, organisation and communication, chronological understanding
Victorians Spring
Overview Was life like in Victorian Britain? 
Who were the Victorians?
What are the key events of this period? 
How did the Industrial Revolution change Victorian Britain?
How did the introduction of railways change travel and trade?
What jobs did children do? (mines/factories/chimney sweep)
Was school the same for rich and poor children? 
Concepts

Chronology

British, local and world history.  

Anglo Saxons Summer
Overview Who were the Anglo-Saxons? 
Where did the Anglo Saxons come from and why did they come to Britain? 
What early beliefs did they have? 
What do we know about Anglo-Saxon Kings? 
What did the Anglo- Saxons believe in after 596AD?
What laws were there at this time?
How important was slavery to the Anglo Saxons?
What was life like for women and children in Anglo- Saxon England?
How did gold change Anglo- Saxon England?
Concepts

Continuity and change
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

Year 5

The Story of English Autumn 1 Autumn 2
Overview How has the English language been influenced by invaders? 
Who has settled in Britain and when did that happen? Can we identify the chronology of the Anglo Saxons, 
How do place names show us about previous settlers and where they settled? 
What was storytelling like in Anglo-Saxon Times? ? 
Who invaded in 1066 and what changes did it bring to the English language? 
What does Chaucer’s Tale tell us about oral storytelling and the language of medieval Britain? 
How did the printing press change the way stories were shared? 
What were Shakespeare’s plays like for the Tudor audience? What was Shakespearean language like? 
Who were the Vikings and did they leave a mark on Britain? 
Who were the Vikings and what did they believe in?
Where did the Vikings come from? How did the Vikings raid Britain? 
How did the monks and Anglo Saxons react to the Viking raid on Lindisfarne?  
Why were the Vikings successful in wars against the Saxons? 
 
Concepts

Reviewing English Literature as historical sources showing the  development of our language over time

A study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066

Causation consequence, using evidence

The Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the time of Edward the Confessor

AD900

Mayans

Summer
Overview Who were the Mayans and what is their legacy? 
Who did the Mayans believe in? 
How was society organised in Mayan culture? 
What were Mayan buildings like and what other artefacts did they leave behind? 
What was family life like? What was life like for children? 
How important was chocolate? What other foods did they eat? 
Did the Mayans read, write and do mathematics? 
What was fashionable? 
What sport or games did they play? 
How was the Mayan calendar different from the Gregorian calendar? 
Why did the empire fall?
Concepts

Continuity and Change; similarity and difference

A non-European society that contrasts with British History

Year 6

World War II/

Windrush and migration

Autumn 1 Autumn 2
Overview How did life change in Britain during World War Two?
Why did World War 2 begin and how did it affect the families in Britain? 
What was evacuation and what was life like for evacuees? 
What was the impact of food rationing on people’s lives? 
Why ‘make do and mend’ was so important in wartime Britain?
How did the Blitz change London and what was the impact on families? 
How did life change for women? 
How did the war end? Why is remembrance important? 
How did WW2 change Britain?  
Who were the Global Britons at war?
What was life like in the Caribbean in the 1940s? 
Who was on HMS Windrush and why did they travel to England? 
What was life like for families who migrated to Britain from British colonies?
How has Windrush affected life in Britain today? 
 
Concepts

Change and continuity, conflict, war

 

Pupils should continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history.  
A study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066.
A local history study – the opportunity to relate events from WW2 to your local context.

Change and continuity , immigration, nation, rights , war

Ancient Greeks

Ancient Romans

Spring 1 Spring 2
Overview Who were the Ancient Greeks and what impact did they have on life today? 
Who were the Ancient Greeks? 
What do some of our buildings tell us about how we view Ancient Greece today? 
What do we know about Greek culture and how do we know? 
Can we learn anything from Greek myths and legends?
How the Ancient Greeks were governed and are there any similarities with how we are governed today?
Who was Alexander the Great and how did he spread Greek influence and culture?
 
Who were the Romans and how did they influence life in Britain? 
What was the Roman Empire and how did it grow? 
How was life different for different people living in Rome? 
Who was Boudicca and why do we remember her? 
How did Romans change our homes? 
Who migrated to Britain during the Roman occupation? 
Which is the most important legacy of the Romans in Britain? 
 
Concepts

Using evidence – Marbles, sculpture, architecture, plays/literature and pottery 

Ancient Greece – a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world 

Continuity and change

The Roman Empire and its impact on Britain