History at Knowle

At Knowle Primary, our History curriculum provides all children with coherent and chronological substantive knowledge, opportunities for all pupils, all pupils to see themselves reflected in the curriculum, but also to be taken beyond their own experiences, disciplinary and procedural knowledge (giving our pupils the ability to learn how to think, read and write like a historian) and encourages an excitement for history, which inspires a curiosity to learn about the past.

Building on the Framework for Excellence, our history curriculum has six core principles:

•Entitlement: All pupils have the right to learn what is in our Curriculum, and Knowle has a duty to ensure that all pupils are taught the whole of it.

•Coherence: Taking the National Curriculum as its starting point, our curriculum is carefully sequenced so that powerful knowledge builds term by term and year by year. We make meaningful connections within subjects and between subjects.

•Mastery: We ensure that foundational knowledge, skills and concepts are secure before moving on. Pupils revisit prior learning and apply their understanding in new contexts.

•Adaptability: At Knowle Primary School, the core content—the ‘what’—of the curriculum remains stable, ensuring a strong foundation of knowledge. However, we bring learning to life by embedding it within our local context. Our teachers adapt lessons—the ‘how’—to meet the specific needs of their classes, making learning meaningful, engaging, and relevant for all pupils.

.•Representation: All pupils see themselves in our curriculum, and our curriculum takes all pupils beyond their immediate experience.

•Education with character: Our curriculum - which includes the taught subject timetable as well as spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, our co-curricular provision and the ethos and ‘hidden curriculum’ of the school – is intended to spark curiosity and to nourish both the head and the heart.

Intent | Why do we teach what we teach?

Pupils are taught disciplinary knowledge, including change, cause, similarity and difference and significance, throughout each unit.

Our history curriculum provides all children with:

Coherent and chronological substantive knowledge of the history of Britain and the wider world, selected to build pupils’ understanding of three vertical concepts. These vertical concepts provide both a concrete lens through which to study and contextualise history, as well as use small steps to help pupils gain a deep understanding of complex, abstract ideas:
- Quest for knowledge
- Power, empire and democracy
- Community and family
Opportunities for all pupils to see themselves reflected in the curriculum, but also to be taken beyond their own experiences. The history curriculum teaches pupils about civilisations from across the world, and always incorporates the experiences – positive and negative – of ethnic minorities in the history of Britain.
Grounding in core disciplinary and procedural knowledge, and the ability to approach challenging, historically-valid questions, giving pupils the ability for pupils to learn how to think, read and write like a historian.
An excitement for history, which inspires curiosity to learn more about the past.

Local context is vitally important to give our children an idea of Plymouth and the South West’s role in local, national and world history.

Implementation | What do we teach and when?

At Knowle Primary, history is taught for an hour each week during dedicated half-term blocks, alternating with other humanities subjects. This approach ensures comprehensive coverage while allowing pupils to develop a deep and meaningful understanding of historical concepts over time. Our carefully planned and sequenced history curriculum allows meaningful links to be made between subjects, with the order of units designed to support these connections.

As a mixed-age school, we have organised our history curriculum into a two-cycle rolling programme (Cycle A and Cycle B) to ensure comprehensive coverage across year groups. This approach guarantees that all key content is covered while minimising repetition and supporting progression in learning. We are currently following Cycle B within the school, with content tailored to build upon prior knowledge and prepare pupils for the next stage in their education.

Careful planning has ensured that, at times, the curriculum is not taught in the intended chronological order due to the requirements of the different cycles. To address this, we embed strategies such as pre-teaching, reviews, and adapted tasks to ensure that all pupils can access the knowledge being taught while addressing any potential gaps in understanding. This thoughtful approach enables continuity and depth in learning despite the flexibility of the curriculum sequence.

During each unit, we use strategies such as live marking, questioning, capturing pupils' voices, and recall tools (e.g., KNOWLEdge checks or reviews) to formatively assess pupils' skills, knowledge, and progress.

At the end of each unit, we use quizzes for summative assessment to identify gaps and recognise patterns across classes, year groups, and key stages. Throughout the year, retention is reinforced through regular recall activities and low-stakes quizzes.

In EYFS, history is taught by helping children understand the world around them. By exploring their own families and communities, children begin to see that every person has a unique story that connects to the past and shapes the present. This approach not only nurtures a sense of identity and belonging but also introduces fundamental historical concepts such as change over time and narrative sequencing, making the study of history personal, accessible, and engaging from an early age.