At Eaglesfield Paddle CE Primary Academy, we provide a rigorous and carefully planned history curriculum that enables pupils to develop a coherent understanding of British, local, and world history. Through a combination of enquiry-based learning, narrative study, and practical experiences, pupils gain both substantive knowledge and the skills required to think and work like historians. Our curriculum fosters curiosity, critical thinking, and a respect for different cultures and perspectives, ensuring that children leave school with a well-rounded understanding of the past and its significance.

Intent – What Do We Aspire for Our Children?
We provide a high-quality history curriculum that has been carefully designed and sequenced to equip our children with a secure, coherent knowledge of British, local, and world history. The curriculum is rich in knowledge, vocabulary, and experiences, delivered in a sequenced chronological order, allowing children to develop their understanding of abstract historical concepts as they progress through school.

Our curriculum reflects our locality and ensures children are knowledgeable about the history of their community and the changes it has experienced. It promotes curiosity and a love for learning about the past. Through an enquiry-based approach, children are encouraged to ask and explore historically valid questions and report their findings by drawing on skills from across the curriculum. Alongside the development of substantive knowledge, children also develop their disciplinary skills as they learn the fundamental elements of what it means to be a historian.

Children study a range of cultures and historical perspectives, enabling them to be respectful, tolerant, and empathetic. Pupils leave Eaglesfield Paddle knowledgeable about key people, events, and time periods from the past, and they are able to weave this knowledge together to form informed, overarching historical narratives.

Implementation - How Will We Deliver the Curriculum? 

Learning knowledge is not an endpoint in itself; it is a springboard to learning more knowledge. Each unit in our overview is underpinned by rich, substantive knowledge and ambitious vocabulary, whilst also ensuring children are developing their disciplinary knowledge (historical skills). Each unit of work is carefully planned to ensure concepts are taught to support children’s understanding.

As well as developing a breadth of historical knowledge, we want our children to become skilful historians. Each unit of work emphasises historical enquiry, where children investigate historically framed questions whilst also developing enquiries of their own. In addition to substantive and disciplinary knowledge, children develop experiential knowledge through museum visits, handling artefacts, and engaging in carefully planned fieldwork.

Key Historical Concepts
Key historical concepts sit at the core of our curriculum to ensure the defining characteristics of the subject are ever-present. Our curriculum is refined yearly, while maintaining a consistent knowledge base to ensure conceptual progression. We have identified a set of key historical concepts that children will repeatedly revisit. Our key concepts are: chronological understanding, similarity and difference, continuity and change, cause and consequence, interpretation of evidence, significance, empire, civilisation, invasion, and democracy. Each unit will not include every concept, but during each key stage, children will encounter each one more than once.

Teaching History Through Narrative
Humans are a storytelling species. Stories are ‘psychologically privileged’ in the way our memory treats them. Put simply, if we encounter new knowledge within a narrative, we are more likely to retain it. When possible, history units are taught alongside thematically linked texts during English lessons. For example, when studying what life was like for children during WWII, Year 6 children also study the texts Rose Blanche and Once. Similarly, Year 3 study The Bronze Axe whilst learning about changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age. Narratives are also used within history lessons to bring time periods to life. For example, when studying WWII in Year 6, children examine recounts from the text Young Voices by Lyn Smith.

Impact

Pupil Voice
We believe that knowledgeable historians are able to articulate their understanding with confidence. Pupil voice is therefore a key tool in assessing whether children have made progress. If a child can confidently formulate and explain their responses to an overarching enquiry, it demonstrates that the curriculum and its delivery have been successful.

High-Quality Outcomes
Children’s learning is documented in their books, providing a clear record of their progress. Our history curriculum is also celebrated through displays around the school, showcasing children’s work and achievements while promoting curiosity and a love for learning about the past.