History
History Curriculum Intent
At St John’s, our History curriculum aims to create enthusiastic, confident historians who are inspired by a sense of awe and wonder about the past, and are equipped with the skills to question, analyse and interpret the world around them.
Our curriculum is carefully sequenced to build a strong chronological understanding of British and World History. From using vocabulary such as ‘then’, ‘before’ and ‘after’ in the Early Years, to developing timelines throughout Key Stages 1 and 2. During their time at St John’s, children gain a secure sense of how people and events are connected across time, which helps pupils to make sense of their own experiences, and the world around them today. From the beginning, children encounter big historical concepts such as Past, Future, Civilisation and Empires.
Across the History curriculum, children will develop their critical thinking skills through engaging, enquiry-led units that promote curiosity and deep thinking. This enables them, particularly in Key stage 2, to analyse and assess the reliability of primary and secondary sources across a range of historical periods. Children explore a variety of written sources, images and artefacts to uncover different perspectives and understand how evidence helps to interpret the past.
Rooted in our school’s Christian values, pupils learn to respect others through the History curriculum by recognising both the differences and similarities in humanity across time. Through their historical knowledge children can consider how the lessons they learn can help build a more peaceful and respectful future.