Intent

At Berewood Primary, our History curriculum is designed to spark children’s curiosity about the past and help them understand how people’s lives have changed over time. We want pupils to enjoy discovering stories, events and people from different times and places, and to begin exploring how we know about the past.

The National Curriculum expects pupils to gain knowledge of significant people and events, understand changes within and beyond living memory, and learn about key periods in British and world history. Our aim is to give children a strong sense of chronology so they can understand what came first, what came later, and how different events link together. 

We recognise that a high‑quality history curriculum should teach both substantive knowledge (facts, people, events) and disciplinary knowledge (how historians work and how historical accounts are created). We want children to develop these early skills in age‑appropriate ways—by asking questions, thinking about evidence and talking about why people in the past made certain choices. 

Above all, we want every child, including those with SEND or those who may need extra support, to feel confident “thinking like a historian”: noticing clues, comparing past and present, and forming their own ideas about historical events.

How we teach History (Implementation)

History at Berewood is taught through carefully planned topics that build on children’s previous learning. This aligns with National Curriculum guidance that learning should be clearly sequenced so pupils can remember more over time. 

Teachers introduce children to a wide range of historical periods—from familiar local history to significant national and world events. We make sure children revisit important ideas so they can grow stronger in their chronological understanding, disciplinary thinking and historical vocabulary.

Lessons mix stories, enquiry questions and hands‑on exploration. Children look at photos, artefacts, maps and simple written sources to help them think about what life was like in different times. We give our pupils chances to understand how historians create accounts of the past and how evidence is used. Teachers support children in developing these skills through discussion, questioning and practical tasks. 

Our curriculum also reflects research that encourages a diverse and balanced history offer, helping children see a wide range of experiences, cultures and viewpoints across time. We choose stories and studies that help pupils understand both the “big picture” of history and the detailed experiences of people who lived it.

Impact

By the time pupils leave Berewood Primary, they will have a strong foundation of historical knowledge and skills. They will be able to talk confidently about people and events from the past, explain how things have changed over time, and make simple comparisons between different periods.

Children will learn to ask thoughtful questions and use clues from photos, artefacts and stories to build their own ideas about the past. History helps our pupils engage in a rich dialogue with the past and understand how historical accounts are created. 

Pupils will also develop a sense of where key events fit on a timeline and understand that history is built from evidence. They will become more confident in explaining their thinking, using historical vocabulary and noticing connections between different times and places.

Most importantly, children leave Berewood with an enthusiasm for history. They understand that the past shapes the world they live in today, and they are ready to build on their learning at secondary school—curious, reflective and keen to keep exploring the stories of the past.