History

History

At Stonehill School we want the teaching pf History to inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Children should have a deepening knowledge of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Our History curriculum aims to promote this curiosity and ensures full coverage of the national curriculum.

Our aim is to ensure children:

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
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
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 History – key stages 1 and 2 2
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.

At Stonehill School we aim to teach History through interesting, engaging lessons with historical enquiry at their core.

We intend to do this by:

Ensuring our children have access to a high quality History curriculum that clearly covers all aspects of the curriculum.
Providing a stimulating, challenging and engaging learning environment.
Ensuring children are curious historians who are not afraid to ask questions and investigate them further.
Fully developing independent learners with inquisitive minds who have secure historical knowledge and enquiry skills and a keen interest in expanding this knowledge throughout their lives.

History Topics

All history projects are taught in the autumn and summer terms, with opportunities for pupils to revisit historical concepts in some of the spring term geography projects.

Summer Term History Topics

Year 1 - School Days	This project teaches children about their own school and locality, both today and in the past. They compare schooling in the Victorian era to their experiences today.
Year 2 - Magnificent Monarchs	This project teaches children about the English and British monarchy from AD 871 to the present day. Using timelines, information about royal palaces, portraits and other historical sources, they build up an understanding of the monarchs and then research six of the most significant sovereigns.
Year 3 - Emperors and Empires	This project teaches children about the history and structure of ancient Rome and the Roman Empire, including a detailed exploration of the Romanisation of Britain.
Year 4 - Ancient Civilisations	This project teaches children about the history of three of the world’s first ancient civilisations: ancient Sumer, ancient Egypt and the Indus Valley civilisation. Children will learn about the rise, life, achievements and eventual end of each civilisation.
Year 5 - Groundbreaking Greeks	This project teaches children about developments and changes over six periods of ancient Greek history, focusing on the city state of Athens in the Classical age, and exploring the lasting legacy of ancient Greece.
Year 6 - Britain at War	This project teaches children about the causes, events and consequences of the First and Second World Wars, the influence of new inventions on warfare, how life in Great Britain was affected and the legacy of the wars in the post-war period.

Autumn Term History Topics

Year 1 - Childhood	This project teaches children about everyday life and families today, including comparisons with childhood in the 1950s, using artefacts and a range of different sources.
Year 2 - Movers and Shakers	This project teaches children about historically significant people who have had a major impact on the world. They will learn to use timelines, stories and historical sources to find out about the people featured and use historical models to explore their significance.
Year 3 - Through the Ages	This project teaches children about British prehistory from the Stone Age to the Iron Age, including changes to people and lifestyle caused by ingenuity, invention and technological advancement.
Year 4 - Invasion	This project teaches children about life in Britain after the Roman withdrawal. Children will learn about Anglo-Saxon and Viking invasions up to the Norman conquest.
Year 5 - Dynamic Dynasties	This project teaches children about the history of ancient China, focusing primarily on the Shang Dynasty, and explores the lasting legacy of the first five Chinese dynasties, some of which can still be seen in the world today.
Year 6 - Maafa	This project teaches children about Africa past and present, with a particular focus on Benin. It traces the development of the slave trade and explores Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, the causes and consequences of the European colonisation of Africa and the worldwide communities that make up the African diaspora.