History Curriculum
Overview
At Rathfern Primary School, History inspires curiosity about the past and helps pupils understand how it has shaped the world today. Our curriculum develops a secure chronological understanding, exploring local, British, and world history through engaging enquiry questions. We celebrate diverse stories, voices, and experiences, ensuring that every child sees themselves reflected in the past.
Intent
Our intent is for all pupils to:
- Develop secure locational and place knowledge of the UK, Europe, and the wider world.
- Understand key physical and human processes shaping Earth.
- Use geographical skills to collect, interpret, and communicate data.
- Recognise connections through Golden Threads of Settlement, Weather and Climate, Water, Data for Decision Making, Trade, Migration, and Sustainability.
- Become environmentally aware citizens who act for a sustainable future.
Implementation
History is taught through enquiry-based units linked to a Main Enquiry Question (MEQ) that encourages curiosity and critical thinking.
Each lesson focuses on:
- Substantive knowledge (core facts and concepts).
- Disciplinary skills (historical enquiry, evidence analysis, and chronology).
- Retrieval practice using “Goldfish, Dog, Elephant” recall questions (last lesson, last week, last term).
- Knowledge organisers and visual timelines to support understanding of key people, periods, and places.
- Opportunities to explore sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We ensure full National Curriculum coverage and build progression from EYFS to Year 6. Educational visits and experiences—such as visits to historical sites and immersive historical days—enhance learning and cultural capital.
Impact
By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils:
- Demonstrate secure chronological understanding and can discuss cause, consequence, and significance.
- Make links across time using the Golden Threads.
- Express informed opinions about historical events and people.
- Value diverse perspectives and recognise their role in history’s ongoing story.
Curriculum Map
Our curriculum covers a wide range of historical periods, including:
EYFS: Identity and Belonging; Celebrations around the World; Once Upon a Time; Travel and Transport
Year 1: Explorers; Castles (significant individuals); Toys (changes in memory)
Year 2: The Great Fire of London (events beyond living memory); Monarchy (significant individuals)
Year 3: Stone Age to Iron Age, Ancient Egypt; Lewisham (local history)
Year 4: Ancient Greece; Roman Britain; The Golden Age of Islam (Non-European society)
Year 5: Turning Points in Travel; Anglo-Saxon and Scots; Vikings
Year 6: Benin (Non-European society); Henry VIII and Greenwich (Local History); WWII
Rathfern History Curriculum Overview
rathfern curriculum overview 2025 2026 2.pdf
Progression of Skills
Pupils progress from identifying differences between past and present to:
- Analysing cause and effect.
- Evaluating sources and evidence.
- Understanding abstract concepts such as empire and legacy.
Progression is mapped through the Golden Threads: Power, Settlement, Trade, Empire (KS2), Society, Innovation and Sustainability.
KS1 & KS2 History Golden Threads
ks1 ks2 history golden threads 2.pdf
Gallery
Useful Links / Documents
History Golden Threads KS1 & KS2
Rathfern Curriculum Overview 2025-26
BBC Bitesize at https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z7svr82
