Harmans Water Primary School

We teach the History National Curriculum through Cornerstones projects. Most of the History units are the driving projects for a term and tend to be taught in the Autumn and Summer terms. The History projects are well sequenced to provide a coherent subject scheme that develops children’s historical knowledge and skills. Key aspects and concepts like chronology, cause and effect, similarity and difference, significance and hierarchy are revisited through each project and are developed over time. The projects will also develop historical skills based on evidence and historical enquiry.  

The choice of historical periods follows what is set out in the National Curriculum and creates a rich and diverse account of British and world history.  

In Nursery and Reception, History is taught through the EYFS Framework – Understanding the world. The children will look at past and present and start to gain an understanding of changes that have happened over time. Children are encouraged to look at similarities/ differences to allow them to make sense of the world around them.  

In Year 1, the children start the year with the project ‘Childhood’. This builds on children’s past experiences, including their family history and events within living memory. In the Summer term children will learn about the history of their school and then will make comparisons to schooling in the Victorian period.  

In Year 2, they start the year looking at the concept of significance and will look at significant people who have greatly influenced history. In the Spring, the children will be introduced to the challenging concepts of power and monarchy in preparation for more complex projects in KS2.  

All the projects in KS 1 provide numerous opportunities for children to explore significant historical events, people and places in their locality.  

In Year 3, children begin the year by looking at the chronology of British history. The children will study the significance of prehistoric periods and the changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age. In the Summer term, children will continue to develop their knowledge of the chronology of British history by learning about the Roman empire and its invasion of Britain.  

In the Autumn of Year 4, children will learn about the Roman withdrawal from Britain and the invasion and settlement of the Anglo Saxons and Vikings. Links to local history are also made through these projects. This concludes British history in 1066, which is what is set out in the National Curriculum. In the Summer term, the children start looking at Ancient History by looking at the achievements of the earliest civilisations including ancient Sumer, the Indus Valley Civilisation and Ancient Egypt.  

At the start of Year 5, children will continue their knowledge of ancient civilisations with an in-depth study of ancient China. The children will learn about the significance and influence of ancient China and its advancements in the written word, technology and metal work. In the Summer the children learn about the ancient Greek’s and their achievements and influences on the Western world.  

In Year 6, children will study more complex historical issues of enslavement, colonialism and power. The children will study African kingdoms, including the Kingdom of Benin, and look at Britain’s role in the development, perpetuation and abolition of the slave trade. In the Summer, the children will finish their historical studies by looking at the role war has played in British history. The children will focus on the First and Second World Wars as crucial turning points in British History. 

If you would like to find out more about the History curriculum, then please speak to a member of SLT or Mrs Ferguson, our History Subject Leader.