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HISTORY

HISTORY

“The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.” 

Theodore Roosevelt

CURRICULUM STATEMENT

Our history curriculum aims to inspire our pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past.


History helps pupils to understand the process of change, the diversity of societies as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.


Our history curriculum will equip the children to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgment.

INTRODUCTION

At English Martyrs' we believe that a high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.


The aim of our history curriculum is to ensure that all pupils:

  • know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world

  • know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind

  • gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’

  • understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses

  • understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed

  • gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

KEY STAGE 1

Pupils will be taught about:

  • changes within living memory. Where appropriate, these should be used to reveal aspects of change in national life

  • events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally

  • the lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements. Some should be used to compare aspects of life in different periods

  • significant historical events, people and places in their own locality.

KEY STAGE 2

Pupils will be taught about:

  • changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age

  • the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain

  • 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

  • a local history study.

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

  • the achievements of the earliest civilizations – an overview of where and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth study of one

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

  • a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history

English Martyrs' Catholic Primary School

Beaufront Gardens, Fenham, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE5 2SA

office@emcps.co.uk
Tel. 0191 274 7463

Part of the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust

A company limited by guarantee in England & Wales
Company registration no: 7841435
Registered Office: Fenham Hall Drive, Fenham, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 9YH

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