History is taught as part of our interdisciplinary topics and led by Mrs Aquino. Details of the topics can be found on the 'Topic Overview' page. The topics are planned so as to support the development of chronological knowledge, particularly in KS2. 

Please see below for how these topics ensure coverage of the History National Curriculum. 

Key stage 1 National Curriculum 

Pupils will develop an awareness of the past, using common words and phrases relating to the passing of time. They will be taught to understand where the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods using a wide vocabulary of everyday historical terms. They will ask and answer questions, choosing and using parts of stories and other sources to show that they know and understand key features of events. They will be taught to understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.

Pupils should be taught about:

• changes within living memory – where appropriate, these should be used to reveal aspects of change in national life (Year 1 Exploring Time);
• events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally (Year 2 City Study - The Great Fire of London); 
• 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 (Year 1 Exploring Place - Explorers) ;
• significant historical events, people and places in their own locality (Year 2 City Study - St Albans).

Key stage 2

Pupils will continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study. They will note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms. They will  regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance. They will construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information. They should understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.

Pupils will be taught about:

• changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age (Year 3 - Ancient Britain);

• the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain (Year 5 - Roman Britain);

• Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots (Year 5 - Invaders);

• a local history study (Year 5 - Roman Britain);

• a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066 (Year 5 - Crime and Punishment, Year 6 - Impact of War);

• the achievements of the earliest civilizations – an overview of where and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth study of  Ancient Egypt (Year 4 - Ancient Egypt);
• Ancient Greece – a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world (Year 4 - Ancient Greece);
• 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 (Year 6 - The Americas Mayan Civilization)