1. Vision and Key principles

History at Barnes Primary will help pupils to understand how the past can be divided up into different times, and to recognise and understand that there are similarities, differences and connections between eras. Our curriculum develops pupils’ substantive knowledge: topic knowledge (of events and people), chronological knowledge, and their understanding of golden threads (the larger themes or concepts which thread through our curriculum). Within topics, pupils develop a rich and secure understanding and makes links across historical periods and to what has been learnt before. Our curriculum develops pupils’ disciplinary knowledge: how to historians construct knowledge about the past? Pupils at Barnes explore causation, change and continuity, historical significance and source work, and progression in these concepts is carefully planned from EYFS to Y6. We provide a framework of historical skills for the pupils to draw from which will equip them to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement and ultimately inspire pupils’ passion and curiosity to know more about the past. Artefact handling, problem solving with source material, day trips, themed events and visiting speakers all contribute to make the subject a vivid and stimulating area. Pupils will have the opportunity to learn about the impact that events from the past have had on the modern day and British values are explored throughout.

Key stage 1 Pupils should 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 [for example, the Great Fire of London, the first aeroplane flight or events commemorated through festivals or anniversaries]
• 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 [for example, Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria, Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong, William Caxton and Tim Berners-Lee, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and LS Lowry, Rosa Parks and Emily Davison, Mary Seacole, Florence Nightingale and Edith Cavell]
• significant historical events, people and places in their own locality.

Key stage 2 Pupils should 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 of the following: Ancient Sumer; The Indus Valley; Ancient Egypt; The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China
• 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 – one study chosen from: early Islamic civilization, including a study of Baghdad c. AD 900; Mayan civilization c. AD 900; Benin (West Africa) c. AD 900-1300.

The overarching concepts or themes of history are our golden threads. These include change and continuity, cause and consequence, civilisation, empire, the movement of people (immigration/ emigration), conflict.

Vocabulary is organised into Tier 2 and Tier 3 words.

Wetlands Centre and Vine Park (YR), Florence Nightingale Museum (Y2), Richmond Park (Y3), Imperial War Museum and HMS Belfast (Y4), Portals from the Past provide workshops on Stone Age & Romans (Y3), Ancient Greece (Y4), Vikings (Y5) and Ancient Maya (Y6).