“It is in your hands, to make a better world for all who live in it.” Nelson Mandela 

Our Intent

AT SS Peter and Paul, we believe history should be memorable, stimulating and exciting for children.  Our enquiry- based, child-led learning approach fosters curiosity and a knowledge and understanding of Britain's past and successes, and that of the wider world.  As little historians, the children will focus on gaining key skills encompassing the study of various historical periods, knowledge and awareness, people and their actions as well as chronology and changes over time.  The history curriculum at SS Peter and Paul has been designed to reflect the historical connections between school communities, and encourages pupils to develop historical knowledge and skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas. It is our aim to ensure that children see themselves and their communities represented in our curriculum.  Our Year 6 children leave SS Peter and Paul with a clear understanding of the periods in history that have contributed and shaped the way that our society is today.

Our curriculum is driven by a progression of skills, concepts and key questions that ensure:

• a broader, more detailed, conceptual and chronologically secure knowledge 

• a variety of methods of enquiry and communication 

• a deeper understanding of concepts, issues and of abstract ideas

• to understand history’s second order concepts: Continuity and change in and between periods; Cause and consequence (to question, identify and give reasons for historical events, situations, changes); similarities and differences (children are able to make observations and describe social, cultural, religious and ethnic diversity in Britain & the wider world) and to be able to recognise, describe and Identify historically significant people and events  

• a greater independence in applying knowledge, concepts and skills which enables pupils to analyse, make links, frame historically-valid questions, enquire and create their own structured accounts

Our Approach

We ensure that children develop secure knowledge through the use of a number of golden threads that link each of our topics with similar, overarching themes that are revisited throughout their time at SS Peter and Paul. Our golden threads are: Local History, Home Life, Equalities, Relationships and Beliefs, and Governance and Legacy. The children will have an opportunity to revisit and explore themes within topics more than once through the year which enables them to make links with their previous learning about other historical periods.  Maintaining strong links to the National Curriculum, history is taught through a topic led curriculum. Learning is not only accessed through a dedicated, weekly history hour but also cross curricular through subjects such as; literacy, maths, art, DT, RE, geography, music, science and PSHE, as well as via external trips, visitors and theme days, providing rich and memorable learning for all pupils. Children will be given opportunities to ask questions, thus forming their line of enquiry and helping to stimulate their curiosity about the past, and how it has influenced our lives and our values today.

History at SS Peter and Paul

The areas of study for History in KS1 and KS2 can be seen below. 

We follow the National Curriculum Programme of Study for History. This can be viewed here.