Intent
Our history curriculum empowers pupils to take on the world by helping them become brave, kind, and curious learners who understand the past and its impact on the present. Through Kapow Primary’s scheme, children learn to think critically, ask thoughtful questions, and analyse evidence like true historians. They explore significant events and individuals from local, British, and global history, developing an appreciation for the complexity of people’s lives and the diversity of societies. This understanding fosters empathy and encourages pupils to learn from past mistakes, shaping them into responsible citizens.
The curriculum builds chronological knowledge and helps pupils make meaningful connections across time, introducing key concepts such as power, migration, empire, and culture. Pupils gain insight into how historians construct accounts and develop the skills to carry out their own enquiries. By nurturing curiosity and creativity, we inspire children to see history not just as facts, but as stories that explain human achievement and resilience. Aligned with the National Curriculum and EYFS goals, this foundation equips pupils with the confidence and understanding to engage with the world and contribute positively to its future.
Implementation
Our history planning and approach to teaching immerses pupils in the discipline of history, enabling them to investigate the past as historians do. Each six-lesson unit is structured around chronology, helping children build a secure understanding of where events and people fit in time. This begins in EYFS, where pupils reflect on their own experiences and compare characters from stories, including historical figures. As they progress through Key Stage 1 and 2, pupils develop a ‘mental timeline’ to identify connections, contrasts, and trends over time.
The scheme follows a spiral curriculum model, revisiting and deepening knowledge of key substantive concepts such as power, trade, invasion, and settlement across different historical contexts. Lessons are enquiry-based, encouraging pupils to follow the enquiry cycle: Question, Investigate, Interpret, Evaluate and Conclude, Communicate. Through this approach, children explore disciplinary concepts including change and continuity, cause and consequence, similarities and differences, historical significance, interpretations, and sources of evidence. These skills empower pupils to create and conduct their own historical enquiries using authentic sources.
We enrich this learning by weaving in high-quality oracy opportunities, drawing on our training from Voice 21. Pupils engage in structured discussions, debates, and presentations, developing confidence to articulate ideas clearly and listen respectfully to others. This emphasis on speaking and listening ensures that historical thinking is deepened through dialogue, supporting critical thinking and empathy.
Our history scheme has varied activities that develop both conceptual understanding and factual knowledge. Knowledge organisers support recall of key facts, vocabulary, and concepts, while guidance ensures lessons are accessible for all learners and provide opportunities for challenge. 'History in Action' videos introduce pupils to careers in history and heritage, inspiring curiosity and showing how historical skills apply in the real world.
By combining disciplinary and substantive knowledge with engaging enquiry-based learning and oracy-rich experiences, our approach to teaching history empowers pupils to be brave in questioning, kind in understanding diverse perspectives, and curious about the past, preparing them to take on the world with confidence and insight.
Impact
By the end of primary school, pupils will be brave, kind, and curious historians, equipped with the skills and knowledge to succeed in secondary education and beyond. They will ask thoughtful questions, investigate evidence, and make informed judgements about the past. Our enquiry-based approach, enriched with high-quality oracy opportunities, ensures pupils think critically, communicate effectively, and understand how history shapes the world.
The expected impact is that children will:
- Know and understand Britain’s history, how lives shaped the nation, and its influence on the wider world.
- Develop knowledge of global history, including ancient civilisations, empires, and human achievements.
- Gain a historically grounded understanding of key concepts: power, invasion, settlement, migration, civilisation, religion, trade, and culture.
- Form historical arguments using cause and consequence, continuity and change, similarities and differences.
- Appreciate significant individuals, inventions, and events that impact our world.
- Understand how historians construct accounts and use evidence.
- Ask historically valid questions and create structured enquiries.
- Explain how and why interpretations of the past differ.
- Make connections across concepts and timescales.
- Meet EYFS Early Learning Goals and National Curriculum expectations for Key Stages 1 and 2.
This foundation empowers pupils to take on the world with confidence and curiosity.