History
Intent
At Harpole Primary School, we aim to inspire a deep curiosity about the past. Through our rich and inclusive History curriculum, we support pupils to ask meaningful questions, think critically about evidence, and form their own informed judgements.
We want our children to understand the complexity of people’s lives and how societies—both past and present—have adapted to the challenges of their time. Pupils learn about the similarities and differences between communities, how they relate to one another, and how the past influences the world today.
Our curriculum includes a mix of long-term and focused historical enquiries. These help children examine a wide range of historical sources, considering their reliability and the perspectives they represent. Pupils are taught to build a secure understanding of chronology, learning how to place events and people in time, and to make connections between different historical periods.
We ensure that children gain and retain powerful knowledge about significant people and events—locally, nationally, and globally—from ancient times to the modern era.
A Curriculum Driven by Curiosity and Pupil Voice
Our topic-based approach allows children to take ownership of their learning. We believe that child-initiated enquiry leads to greater engagement and understanding. Teachers are encouraged to respond flexibly to pupils’ interests, making learning dynamic, relevant, and meaningful. Revisiting key themes and events is welcomed as a valuable opportunity for deepening understanding and making connections across time and place.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
We are committed to ensuring that our History curriculum reflects the diverse society in which we live. It acts as both a window into other cultures and contexts, and a mirror that helps children see themselves and their experiences reflected in the past. Our teaching embraces a variety of family structures, backgrounds, and identities, helping pupils build empathy and a strong sense of belonging.
Special Educational Needs (SEND)
We believe that all children should have access to a high-quality and ambitious History curriculum, regardless of ability or need. Our lessons are adapted and differentiated to ensure that every child can participate fully and make progress. By equipping pupils with tools for independence and curiosity, we prepare them to become confident learners both in and beyond the classroom.
Pupil Premium
At Harpole Primary School, we do not label pupils as "disadvantaged." Instead, we recognise each child as an individual with unique potential. Our aim for all children—including those supported by Pupil Premium Grant funding—is the same: to develop into independent, resilient thinkers who can adapt to challenges and succeed in life.
Our holistic approach blends high-quality teaching with strong pastoral support, focusing on academic achievement, emotional wellbeing, and personal growth. This inclusive model benefits all pupils while providing additional support where it’s most needed.
Our Curriculum and the National Curriculum for History
Our curriculum reflects the aims and purpose of the National Curriculum for History, which seeks to ensure that all pupils:
- Gain a coherent understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world
- Ask perceptive questions and think critically
- Weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop informed perspectives
- Understand historical concepts like change and continuity, cause and consequence, and significance
- Explore local, national, and international contexts across different time periods
By the time they leave Harpole Primary, we want every child to have developed a lifelong interest in history—understanding where we come from, how we’ve changed, and how the past continues to shape our future.
Implementation
At Harpole Primary School, our History curriculum is carefully designed to meet the aims of the National Curriculum and reflects key recommendations from the Ofsted Research Review into History. We use the Kapow Primary scheme of work, which provides a rich, structured approach to teaching History through key strands that help our pupils become young historians.
Our Key Strands in History
To ensure progression and depth of learning, our curriculum focuses on the following key strands:
Chronological Awareness – Developing a secure sense of time and how events and periods connect
Substantive Knowledge – Learning about people, places, events and significant developments in the pas
Disciplinary Concepts – Exploring how historians investigate the past (e.g., cause and consequence, change and continuity, similarity and difference, and significance)
Historical Enquiry – Asking questions, examining evidence, and drawing conclusions from a range of historical sources
Topic Knowledge – Gaining a deep understanding of specific historical periods, people and themes
These strands are carefully interwoven across all year groups to help pupils understand how we know about the past, not just what happened.
What History Looks Like in the Classroom
Each unit of work follows a six-lesson structure, incorporating:
A strong focus on chronology, helping pupils understand where events fit on a timeline
Comparisons across different times and cultures, building pupils’ global and historical awareness
Active historical enquiry, encouraging children to think like historians through questioning, evidence analysis, and discussion
Progression Through the School
In EYFS, children begin to explore history through personal experiences, recognising changes in their own lives and the lives of others. They compare characters from stories and learn about significant individuals through meaningful and engaging contexts.
In Key Stage 1, children start to place people and events within a chronological framework and use historical vocabulary to describe key features.
In Key Stage 2, children build on this foundation, developing a strong ‘mental timeline’ that they can refer to and expand as they move through school. They investigate sources, consider different perspectives, and make connections across time periods.
By embedding disciplinary thinking and historical enquiry into every unit, we ensure that our pupils don’t just learn about history—they learn how to think like historians, making informed judgements and recognising how the past continues to shape the present.
Impact
At Harpole Primary School, our History curriculum equips pupils with the knowledge, skills, and curiosity to think critically about the past. Through the Kapow Primary scheme, children develop a secure understanding of British and world history, learning how events and people have shaped the world we live in today.
Pupils learn to ask thoughtful questions, analyse sources, and build well-informed historical arguments. Regular assessment helps teachers track progress and ensure pupils meet national expectations.
By the end of Key Stage 2, our pupils are confident historians—ready for secondary school—with a strong sense of chronology, historical perspective, and an appreciation for how the past influences the present.