Intent

At Leechpool, our history curriculum is designed to ignite curiosity, deepen understanding of the past, and equip children with the knowledge and skills to think critically as historians. We believe that understanding how the past shapes the present helps children make sense of the world around them and their place within it.

We aim for children to:

• Develop chronological awareness and an understanding of key events and periods in British and global history.

• Explore diverse perspectives and voices, including local history and contributions from different cultures, civilisations, and societal groups.

• Build historical thinking skills, including enquiry, interpretation, reasoning, and evaluation of sources.

• Communicate ideas effectively using historical vocabulary and develop empathy through exploring different experiences and viewpoints.

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Implementation

History is taught bi-weekly through a carefully sequenced and interleaved curriculum from EYFS to Year 6. Our long-term plan ensures broad coverage across local, British and global history, supporting children to revisit and build on key concepts over time.

Key features of our implementation:

• Progressive units and skills development: Lessons are mapped against our detailed history progression framework, supporting children to develop historical vocabulary, questioning, and reasoning.

• Diverse content and perspectives: Children learn about a range of civilisations, individuals, and historical themes — from Ancient Greece and the Shang Dynasty to the impact of WW2 and apartheid in South Africa.

• Practical and immersive learning: Teaching is supported by artefacts, historical sources, visits, role play, and themed events such as British Fortnight.

• Inclusive strategies: Adaptations support all learners, with scaffolds, visuals, sentence stems and vocabulary pre-teaching guided by NASEN-aligned principles.

• Assessment and review: Teachers assess pupils’ understanding against clear objectives and historical skills. Subject leaders monitor impact through book looks, learning walks and pupil conferencing.

Children record their learning in topic books or class journals, presenting ideas through timelines, maps, reports, drama, and discussion. High-quality CPD, resource development, and regular PDMs ensure consistency and subject integrity across the school.

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Impact

Our children develop a secure sense of chronology and a growing awareness of how people and events have shaped the world. By the time they leave Leechpool, they:

• Use historical vocabulary with confidence and accuracy.

• Ask and answer thoughtful questions using a range of sources.

• Make connections between different time periods and civilisations.

• Understand the importance of evidence, bias, and perspective in historical interpretation.

• See themselves as reflective learners, ready to engage with history at Key Stage 3 and beyond.

Through our rich and inclusive curriculum, children build cultural capital, critical thinking skills, and a lifelong interest in the past.