At St Joseph’s we aim for a high-quality history curriculum which inspires children to be curious about Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Through the history curriculum, pupils will learn about the past and consider how the past has influenced the present. They learn about what past societies were like, how these societies were organised and the beliefs and cultures that influenced people’s actions.
Children will learn about chronology, developing their use of vocabulary associated with chronology and creating timelines showing key dates and eras. They will make links between different periods of time and see how different civilisations developed at different rates.
Long arc studies enable children to see how things have changed over time. Within these units, children delve deeper into one aspect of society, discovering how it has changed and how those changes have influenced our lives.
Local history plays a significant part of our history curriculum too. Being located on the Wirral, we are surrounded by history. We learn about how the Vikings settled on the Wirral; the Roman’s built the town of Chester; and consider the impact of World War 2 on Liverpool and surrounding areas. We look at how the city of Liverpool has changed over time and the significant dates and people associated with this major city.
Pupils in Key Stage 1 learn about events beyond living memory that are significant nationally or globally including the Great Fire of London, the Great Plague of London, the sinking of the Titanic and the Gunpowder Plot. They learn about the history of exploration, examining how exploration has changed over time and significant explorers. They discover how medicine has changed over time too, learning about significant people connected to the development of health care. They also study significant people who have stood up for change, learning about the lives and actions of these individuals and how their actions brought positive change for the lives of many others.
In Key Stage 2, develop their knowledge of British, local and world history. Pupils will be taught about changes in Britain through the study of the Stone Age, the Iron Age, the Roman Empire, Anglo Saxons and Scots, The Vikings. They learn about significant events in British history including the impact of World War 2. They look at the wider world in Key Stage 2, learning about the significant achievements of world civilisations including the ancient Greeks, ancient Egyptians and Early Islamic civilisations.
Throughout these units, the children develop their awareness of the past increasingly, developing understanding of where people and events fit within a chronological framework. Children learn to use sources to learn about the past and will consider the reliability of the sources that they study.