At Queenswell, history aims to stimulate pupils’ curiosity and develop an understanding of the lives of people in the past through a secure foundation of knowledge and a clear progression of skills. We firmly believe that the study of history should be active, engaging and enquiry-based, ensuring that children are happy to learn and inspired to flourish.

Our history curriculum supports the development of pupils’ personal identity through learning about British and world communities. Pupils develop an awareness of diverse cultures, both past and present, at a local, national and global level, preparing them for life as adults in a multicultural society. In line with the National Curriculum (2014), Queenswell aims to ensure that all pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world.

We implement our history curriculum through a cross-curricular, topic-based approach, ensuring strong and meaningful links with other subjects to contextualise learning. Each history topic is taught over a half or full term to enable children to achieve depth in their learning. Although approaches differ across key stages, assessment tools such as knowledge organisers are used to identify what children already know, what they need to learn and what they have learned by the end of each topic. This promotes pupil ownership and engagement while providing valuable opportunities for assessment for learning and for identifying starting points across year groups.

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, history is shaped by the Development Matters in the EYFS 2021 guidance within Understanding the World, as well as by children’s interests and experiences. By the end of Year 6, children will have developed a secure chronological understanding of British history from the Stone Age to the present day. They will be able to draw comparisons and make connections between different historical periods and their own lives. Alongside this, pupils study significant aspects of world history, including ancient civilisations such as Greece, Egypt and the Maya. 

Teachers use a range of approaches when delivering historical content, including role play, artefact handling, group work and research. Extensive opportunities are provided for learning beyond the classroom, whether through local studies, class trips or interactive workshops, to inspire excitement and foster a love of learning. Children are taught in mixed-ability groups during history lessons, with teaching adapted to ensure all pupils can achieve. Enquiry-based learning underpins all teaching; key enquiry questions are used to ensure pupils can think and work like historians. Planning is informed by the National Curriculum, and teachers use Queenswell’s history curriculum overview to identify the knowledge and progression of skills appropriate for each year group. Book looks, learning walks and professional development opportunities are used to monitor and enhance teaching and learning outcomes.

Our history topics are often used as the stimulus and context for our writing tasks, enabling children to demonstrate their understanding in many different ways.