At Newlands, our History curriculum aims to inspire pupils’ curiosity about the past and develop a clear understanding of how people, events and societies have shaped the world we live in today. Through the study of a range of historical periods, pupils learn to ask questions, examine evidence and understand that the past can be interpreted in different ways.

Our curriculum is designed to build historical knowledge and skills progressively from the Early Years through to Year 6. Pupils develop an understanding of chronology, historical enquiry and interpretation, while learning about significant people, events and civilisations.

How we deliver our curriculum

At Newlands, History is taught through a carefully sequenced curriculum that builds pupils’ knowledge and historical skills progressively from the Early Years to Year 6. Learning is organised into engaging topics that allow pupils to explore significant events, individuals and civilisations while developing an understanding of chronology and historical enquiry.

How we support everyone to learn

At Newlands, we believe that all pupils should be able to access and enjoy learning about History. Our teaching is carefully planned to ensure that every child can develop their historical knowledge and skills, regardless of their starting point.

Teachers support pupils by using a range of inclusive teaching strategies. Lessons include visual resources such as photographs, artefacts, illustrations and timelines, which help pupils understand historical events and place them in chronological order. These resources support pupils in recognising how the past is represented in different ways.

Key historical vocabulary is introduced and revisited regularly so that pupils can confidently use words such as past, present, chronology, evidence and interpretation. Teachers also model how historians ask questions about sources and investigate events from the past.

Learning tasks are adapted so that all pupils can succeed. Teachers may provide:

• Scaffolds such as word banks, sentence starters and writing frames
• Structured timelines and visual prompts to support understanding of chronology
• Guided questioning and discussion to help pupils develop and explain their ideas
• Adult support where appropriate, particularly for pupils who need additional help to access the learning.

Pupils are also given opportunities to work collaboratively through discussion, role-play and enquiry activities. This allows children to explore ideas together and develop their confidence in explaining historical events and concepts.

For pupils who are ready to deepen their thinking, teachers provide opportunities to analyse different historical sources, consider different interpretations of events and explain causes and consequences in greater depth.

Through these approaches, we ensure that all pupils at Newlands can engage with History, develop their curiosity about the past and build the skills needed to think critically about historical events and evidence.