History at St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School

At St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School, we are passionate about equipping children with the knowledge and skills to think critically, ask perceptive questions, and develop a deep understanding of the past. Our history curriculum follows the CUSP History Curriculum, which provides a carefully sequenced, knowledge-rich approach to ensure progression, engagement, and critical thinking.

Intent

Our history curriculum aims to:

• Foster a love of history by exploring key events, people, and changes across time.
• Equip children with the ability to think like historians through disciplinary knowledge such as chronological understanding, cause and consequence, change and continuity, and evidence evaluation.
• Develop an understanding of historical concepts such as significance, similarity and difference, and interpretations of the past.
• Build a strong sense of chronology to help children place historical events in context and make connections across time periods.

Implementation

• Knowledge-Rich Curriculum: The CUSP History Curriculum is designed to deepen understanding by focusing on substantive concepts (key events, people, and changes) and disciplinary skills (thinking and working like a historian).
• Structured Progression: Each year group builds on prior knowledge while introducing new historical periods and concepts, ensuring cumulative learning.
• Engaging Units: Pupils explore exciting topics, such as Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire, the Viking struggle, the Windrush generation, and local history studies. These are carefully selected to provide breadth and depth.
• Critical Thinking: Lessons include tasks that challenge pupils to analyze evidence, explore cause and consequence, and understand the significance of historical events.
• Assessment and Support: Progress is monitored regularly, with targeted support provided to ensure all children succeed.

Supporting SEND Learners in History

At St Catherine’s, we are committed to ensuring all children can access and enjoy the history curriculum. To achieve this, we:

• Adapt Tasks: Activities are scaffolded to support learners with SEND, ensuring accessibility while maintaining high expectations.
• Visual and Practical Resources: Use of timelines, maps, artifacts, and visual aids supports understanding and engagement.
• Focus on Key Knowledge: Repetition and consolidation of core ideas ensure all pupils can build a secure foundation for future learning.
• Encourage Participation: Discussions, group work, and creative activities ensure every child can contribute to and engage with lessons.

Impact

• Knowledgeable Historians: By the time they leave St Catherine’s, pupils have a deep understanding of significant historical events, people, and changes, as well as the skills to analyze and interpret history.
• High Standards: Our pupils consistently demonstrate strong historical knowledge and skills, reflecting the rigorous and engaging curriculum.
• Confident Thinkers: Pupils develop critical thinking skills, enabling them to ask insightful questions, draw reasoned conclusions, and connect past events to the present day.

Key Topics by Year Group

• Year 1: Changes within living memory; significant people (Mary Anning, Sir David Attenborough)
• Year 2: Events beyond living memory (Great Fire of London); local history study
• Year 3: Changes in Britain (Stone Age to Iron Age); Roman Empire and its impact
• Year 4: Anglo-Saxons and Vikings; Ancient civilizations (Egypt or Shang Dynasty)
• Year 5: Ancient Greece; Non-European society (Maya or Benin)
• Year 6: Local history (WW2 and conflict); Windrush generation; British history beyond 1066 (e.g., monarchs)

EYFS and Early Key Stage 1

In EYFS and Year 1, children begin their historical journey by exploring their personal history and the concept of time. They develop early chronological skills and engage with stories about significant people and events.

Resources and Enrichment

• High-Quality Resources: Lessons are enriched with artifacts, primary sources, and CUSP’s unique Thinking History tasks.
• Parental Engagement: Families are encouraged to support their child’s learning through discussions, visits to historical sites, and shared reading.

At St Catherine’s, we are proud of the achievements of our pupils in history and their enthusiasm for exploring the past. For more information about our history curriculum, or to arrange a visit, please contact the school office.