History at Sawley Junior School

Intent

What do we want SJS children to learn?

At Sawley Junior School, our history curriculum is designed to inspire pupils to become curious, reflective and knowledgeable historians who develop a strong understanding of Britain's past and the wider world. Guided by the National Curriculum, we have developed a carefully sequenced curriculum that enables children to gain a coherent knowledge of significant historical events, civilisations and people whilst making meaningful links between the past and present. Our curriculum includes studies of Prehistoric Britain, Roman Britain, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Ancient Egyptians, the Maya civilisation, the Tudors, Victorians, Ancient Greece, the Second World War, the Windrush Generation and a local study of Sawley and Long Eaton. 

We want all pupils to develop a secure chronological understanding of history and build a rich store of substantive knowledge about how people lived, worked, travelled, traded, governed and believed in different periods. Through their studies, pupils learn how past societies were organised, how events shaped the modern world and how historical changes continue to influence life today. They explore similarities and differences across periods of history and develop an understanding of historical significance, continuity and change, cause and consequence, and the experiences of different groups of people.

Our curriculum is built around five key historical concepts which are revisited throughout Key Stage 2:

• Travel, Exploration and Trade
• Settlements and Location
• Conflict
• Society, Culture and Beliefs
• Chronology

These concepts allow pupils to make connections between different periods of history and deepen their understanding as they encounter familiar themes in new contexts. For example, pupils explore migration and settlement through studies of the Anglo-Saxons, Vikings and Windrush Generation; trade through Roman Britain, the Vikings, Ancient Greece and local industrial history; and beliefs through studies of Ancient Egypt, the Maya civilisation and the Anglo-Saxons. 

Alongside substantive knowledge, pupils develop disciplinary knowledge by working as historians. They investigate historical questions, analyse sources and artefacts, evaluate evidence, consider different interpretations of the past and make informed judgements. Through enquiry-based learning, pupils learn how historical knowledge is constructed and how historians use evidence to understand the past. This enables children to develop the skills of:

• Investigating and interpreting the past
• Understanding chronology
• Communicating historically

We aim for all pupils to become confident historians who can ask questions, think critically, evaluate evidence and communicate their historical understanding effectively. Our curriculum is ambitious, inclusive and relevant, ensuring that all learners can access and engage with historical learning and develop a lifelong interest in the past.

Implementation

How do we achieve our Intent?

History is taught through carefully planned units which build knowledge progressively across Key Stage 2. Learning begins with developing children's understanding of chronology through studies of Prehistoric Britain before moving through significant periods of British and world history. Knowledge is revisited regularly, allowing pupils to strengthen their understanding and make connections between different historical periods and themes. 

 

Each unit is built around a clear enquiry question which encourages pupils to investigate historical issues and think critically about evidence. Lessons combine direct teaching of key knowledge with opportunities for discussion, research, interpretation of sources, artefact investigation and collaborative enquiry. Pupils are encouraged to justify their views, explain historical significance and support conclusions with evidence. 

 

Knowledge organisers are used at the start of each unit to introduce key vocabulary, concepts, timelines and essential knowledge. Retrieval practice and regular revisiting of previous learning support pupils in transferring knowledge to their long-term memory and strengthening chronological understanding across the curriculum.

Teachers are supported through:

• Long-term curriculum planning
• Detailed unit plans and knowledge organisers
• Subject leadership support
• Collaboration through ONE Academy Trust subject leader networks
• High-quality historical resources and source materials

Assessment is ongoing throughout lessons through questioning, discussion, retrieval activities, analysis of pupil work and teacher feedback. These formative assessment opportunities allow teachers to identify misconceptions and ensure pupils are building secure historical knowledge over time.

We enrich the curriculum through educational visits, visitors, workshops and local studies which bring history to life. These opportunities allow children to engage directly with historical evidence, artefacts and places of significance, including studies linked to the local history of Sawley, Long Eaton, the Erewash Canal and the wider Derbyshire area.

 

By the time pupils leave Sawley Junior School, they will have developed a secure chronological framework of British and world history, an understanding of how historians investigate the past and the confidence to think critically about historical evidence. They will be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to continue their study of history and understand how the past has shaped the world in which they live.