History
At St Edmund’s, we believe it is important for children to develop a sense of identity through learning about the past and how history has shaped their lives. We teach a clearly mapped out journey, starting in EYFS and developing through a tailor-made curriculum through to year 6. Our units follow the EYFS Framework and the National Curriculum, as well as being in the context of the local area. The children are taught the subject knowledge and historical enquiry skills they need to behave like a historian.
We also aim for children to develop a deep curiosity about the past, ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence and sift arguments and develop perspective and judgement skills.
Through the provision of our History Curriculum, it is our aim for pupils to:
- gain a secure understanding of historical chronology, – classify, analyse and evaluate critically a large range of primary and secondary sources considering bias and provenance
- build a secure knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world making links between historical periods previously taught
- develop a good understanding of local history that complements studies about the UK and the wider world
- be able to develop effective communication skills, including being able to give a balanced account and to be able to argue one point of view
We have identified some key historical themes which the children will revisit during their time at St. Edmund’s:
- Culture and Identity: – Throughout their time at St. Edmund’s, the children will learn about the different beliefs, values and practices in the past, both in this country and further afield. They will be encouraged to engage with past thought with empathy and appreciate the circumstances people living in the past faced and the motivations, values and attitudes behind their actions. They will also learn that people’s experiences in the past were not homogeneous, and they will consider the relationship between people’s identities and their experiences. They will particularly consider changing beliefs about the roles of men and women and changing attitudes towards race. The children will encounter some people from the past who, by the standards of their time, had unusual and unexpected ideas and attitudes, which can prompt students to think deeply about those ‘strange’ ideas, and also – by comparison and contrast – about the taken-for-granted assumptions of their own society.
- Power and Legitimacy: – While studying History at St. Edmund’s, the children will find out about the different ways that people and groups obtain and power throughout History and how they justify their claims to have authority over others. They learn about the visual signs of power used to impress or control. They examine the idea of kingship and explore the responsibilities that come with it. They learn about different ways of legitimising kingship, including hereditary kingship and dynasties, beliefs in the divine rights of kingship and possibility of winning the crown through military or political power, and study examples of uprisings where people have tried to overthrow their leaders. They also explore different political systems, including democracy and oligarchy and learn about the changing relationship between the Church, the monarchy and parliament in England during medieval times. They learn about social and political changes in more recent times which have resulted in the expansion of franchise.
- Civilisation: – While at St. Edmunds, the children will learn about a range of Ancient Civilisations in their History lessons. They will begin to understand a civilisation as a sophisticated society where people live together in cities. They will think about some of the conditions that would have been necessary for people to be able to come together in cities – the importance of having access to fertile land for agriculture and writing to run an administrative system, for example. They will learn about the achievements of non-European civilisations and consider the impact of Ancient Greek ideas in the wider world. They will consider the reasons that some new inventions did not spread further afield in ancient times.
- Empire: – Children will also learn that an Empire is when one country, state or ruler controls land outside its borders, taking advantage of the resources and the people who live there. They will study the way that Empire affects the indigenous population. They will specifically learn the reasons for the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, and they will find out about the power vacuum that was created in Britain by the fall of the Roman Empire. They also learn about the British Empire, contrasting its rise with that of the Roman Empire, and its impact on different people living in Britain and further afield, and particularly about the role of slavery as a source of wealth.
- Invasion and Conflict: – During their History studies at St. Edmund’s, the children will encounter the themes of invasion and conflict in a variety of contexts. They will find out some of the motiving factors for invasion: access to land, access to trade or perceived injustice and they will learn about some of the factors which contribute to success: increased numbers (sometimes through allies), better organisation, superior technology. They will also learn about the defensive actions that leaders take, such as building defence systems, developing alliances and negotiating peace treaties. The children will consider the social and political implications of invasion and warfare, such as the importance of gaining public support. They find out about examples where open warfare has been avoided, such as in the Space Race or the Danelaw.
We ensure that there is a balance between the acquisition of historical disciplinary skills and substantive knowledge so that at the end of the unit of work, pupils will be able to use this understanding to give a well-reasoned, substantiated answer to the enquiry question.
The following document lays our our History Curriculum from Early Years right through to Year 6:
You may find the following documents useful:
National Curriculum for History
The Subject Lead for History is Mrs Karen Ravenhill. If you have any questions about History please contact Mrs Ravenhill via the school office.