INTENT
At Monteagle Primary School, we aim to deliver a high-quality history education that inspires our children – our historians – to achieve their best. As Theodore Roosevelt said, “The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”
Through a rich and coherent curriculum, pupils work hard to build knowledge of Britain and the wider world, developing curiosity and critical thinking. We foster trust by exploring local history and offering meaningful learning beyond the classroom, including educational visits. Pupils learn respect by studying diverse societies and historical perspectives, helping them understand change, identity, and their place in the world.
IMPLEMENTATION
Curriculum Breadth
History is taught through a carefully planned, spiral curriculum that revisits key learning to secure long-term memory. Pupils study British history from the Stone Age to the present day, alongside ancient civilisations such as Egypt, Greece, Rome, and Benin. This broad coverage enables meaningful comparisons across time and culture, helping pupils build a clear sense of chronology and understand how societies change and develop.
Conceptual Development
Pupils develop both substantive knowledge (people, events, ideas) and disciplinary knowledge (how historians investigate and interpret the past).
They explore recurring substantive concepts — empire, civilisation, monarchy, democracy, invasion, parliament, and trade — and apply disciplinary concepts such as causation, change and continuity, similarity and difference, significance, and evidence and interpretation.
We also place a strong emphasis on oracy. Pupils are encouraged to speak and think like historians — discussing ideas, explaining reasoning, asking questions, and using subject-specific vocabulary confidently.
- In the Early Years, children encounter historical ideas through stories, role play, and discussion.
- In Key Stage 1, pupils study real events and significant individuals from the past.
- In Key Stage 2, pupils investigate historical questions, analyse evidence, and develop arguments about cause, change, and significance.
Progression of Learning
Learning is carefully sequenced to help pupils know more and remember more over time. Progress is shown through pupils’ ability to recall facts, apply historical vocabulary and concepts, and link prior knowledge to new learning. Chronological understanding and conceptual depth build progressively from EYFS to Year 6.
Teacher Development
Regular CPD and coaching strengthen staff expertise in both substantive and disciplinary knowledge. Targeted INSET sessions address identified needs, ensuring consistently high-quality, confident teaching across all phases.
Enrichment
History is brought to life through enrichment opportunities such as museum visits, heritage site trips, historical re-enactments, themed events, and workshops with historians or archaeologists. These experiences extend cultural capital, spark curiosity, and embed pupils’ love for the subject.
Monitoring and Evaluation
The subject leader monitors teaching and learning through lesson visits, book looks, and pupil discussions. Feedback informs curriculum refinement, professional development, and future enrichment planning. This ensures the history curriculum remains engaging, ambitious, and continuously improving.
Impact
At Monteagle Primary School, our history curriculum inspires pupils to become curious, reflective, and knowledgeable learners. Regular assessment, pupil voice, and staff training ensure that children develop a strong foundation of historical understanding and skills.
Through engaging lessons and a wide range of enrichment opportunities, pupils develop a lifelong love of history and an appreciation of how the past influences the world around them today. They leave Monteagle as confident, thoughtful young people — ready to take their place as informed citizens, and perhaps even as the archaeologists, museum curators, or historians of the future.
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