History

Subject Leader: Mrs Rainbow

‘People without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots’

Curriculum Intent

History at Brookfield Community Primary School is about helping children create a sense of identity and understand how people, events and changes from the past shape the world today. Our pupils will study their local area and compare it with different periods in history, exploring the impact of historical developments on modern life. They learn to use a range of sources to critique and interpret the lives of significant people and events.

Our aim is to motivate and inspire children through a curriculum that stimulates, engages and challenges all learners. Our curriculum is designed to inspire pupils to become curious and analytical thinkers with a broad understanding of the past – in other words, to think like historians. Pupils develop the confidence to question and investigate evidence, explore different perspectives, and build informed interpretations of events, people, and societies.

We also aim to build pupils’ awareness of how history shapes identities, cultures and communities over time. Our goal is to inspire them to become reflective, active citizens who can draw on historical understanding to make sense of the present and contribute thoughtfully to the future.

Our aim is to provide all our pupils with well-informed lessons that are both accessible and ambitious, ensuring all pupils’ participation and achievement.

Specific vocabulary for each unit is taught and built upon alongside effective questioning to communicate ideas.

Our School Mission Statement of ‘Many hearts make a school’ and our School Values, are at the heart of our curriculum and all that we do at Brookfield Community Primary School.

Implementation

History is taught discretely over three half terms per year, following our curriculum overview. This approach ensures lessons are engaging, progressive, and enquiry-based.

Our curriculum aims to inspire pupils to become curious and analytical thinkers with a broad understanding of the past – to think like historians. Pupils develop confidence to question and investigate evidence, explore different perspectives, and build informed interpretations of events, people, and societies. We also aim to build awareness of how history shapes identities, cultures, and communities over time, encouraging pupils to become reflective, active citizens who can use historical understanding to make sense of the present and contribute thoughtfully to the future.

Key features embedded in our implementation:

• Enquiry-based learning: Pupils pose and answer historical questions using evidence, developing disciplinary knowledge alongside substantive knowledge
• Chronological awareness: Lessons use timelines and sequencing activities to help pupils understand the passage of time and place events in context
• Substantive and disciplinary concepts: Pupils explore themes such as power, migration, trade, civilisation and beliefs while learning how historians interpret the past
• Accessibility and ambition: Lessons are designed to ensure all pupils can participate and achieve with clear progression from EYFS through KS1 and KS2

Each unit begins by eliciting prior knowledge and builds towards enquiry-based outcomes. Lessons include a variety of approaches: whole-class teaching, group work, discussion and hands-on investigation using artefacts, sources, and digital tools.

Educational visits and visitors enrich learning and provide cultural capital.

Knowledge organisers and vocabulary lists support retention and application of key terms, ensuring pupils can communicate ideas effectively.

Inclusion and Adaptive Teaching

At Brookfield Community Primary School, we are committed to ensuring that History is accessible and engaging for all pupils, including those with SEND. 

Children learn in different ways, so our History lessons incorporate a range of strategies to support and challenge every learner, such as:

• Scaffolding: Activities are flexible, allowing for additional support or challenge where needed
• Multi-sensory approaches: Lessons include visual, auditory and practical elements to engage all learners
• Clear instructions and structured tasks: Reducing cognitive load and supporting pupils who benefit from step-by-step guidance
• Collaborative and independent learning opportunities: Building confidence and independence at an appropriate pace

By embedding adaptive teaching throughout, we ensure that all pupils, regardless of starting point, can access and succeed in History. The step-by-step curriculum design supports pupils with SEND by avoiding sudden jumps in complexity and allowing for steady, manageable progression.

Knowledge retention is supported through the use of knowledge organisers, retrieval activities and regular opportunities to revisit key concepts and vocabulary, ensuring pupils build a secure and lasting understanding of the past.

Impact

Our History curriculum ensures pupils develop secure knowledge and skills, enabling them to think and act like historians. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils will:

• Have a coherent understanding of British and world history
• Ask perceptive questions, weigh evidence, and explore different perspectives
• Understand how history shapes identities, cultures, and communities
• Retain key knowledge through retrieval practice and vocabulary development
• Demonstrate curiosity, confidence, and independence in historical enquiry

Assessment

• Formative: Ongoing assessment through questioning, retrieval practice, and interactive activities
• Summative: Each unit ends with an Assessment Quiz to measure understanding
• Pupil Voice: Discussion, reflection, and verbal explanations capture understanding beyond written work.
• Written Outcomes: Structured tasks, annotated diagrams and creative responses provide evidence of progress