Intent, Implementation, Impact

Intent

At Haslam Park Primary School, we deliver an inclusive, enquiry-based history curriculum that reflects our pupils’ interests and local context. The curriculum is designed to build pupils’ historical knowledge, cultural capital and understanding of the world, while developing their ability to think critically and ask meaningful questions about the past. Our curriculum is carefully constructed to develop both substantive knowledge (knowledge of historical facts, concepts, vocabulary and chronological frameworks) and disciplinary knowledge (understanding how historians investigate the past through evidence, interpretation, cause and consequence, similarity and difference, change and continuity, and significance). History learning is structured around five key concepts—culture, rule of law, society, conflict and migration—which are revisited and deepened across the school. This carefully sequenced approach enables pupils to make connections across time periods and places, develop a secure sense of chronology and gain a well-informed historical perspective. Our aim is for pupils to leave Haslam Park with the knowledge, skills and conceptual understanding required for success in KS3 and beyond.

Implementation

History is taught through a consistent, enquiry-led approach, with each unit organised around a key historical question. These questions are designed to develop pupils’ disciplinary thinking by requiring them to interpret evidence, evaluate significance and construct historically valid responses. Lessons begin with a daily review to revisit prior substantive knowledge and strengthen long-term retention. Key vocabulary and core knowledge are explicitly taught, practised and revisited to ensure pupils build a secure and well-connected body of knowledge over time. The curriculum is carefully sequenced from EYFS to Year 6 to ensure clear progression in both substantive and disciplinary knowledge. In EYFS and KS1, pupils develop foundational disciplinary concepts such as then and now, similarity and difference, and cause and consequence, while building substantive knowledge through the study of significant individuals and events including Florence Nightingale, Rosa Parks and the Great Fire of London. A whole-school approach ensures pupils develop a secure chronological framework from an early age. In addition, Key Stage 1 pupils take part in focused local history studies. In Year 1, pupils explore the history of local shops, considering how they have changed over time and what this tells us about the local community. In Year 2, pupils study retained and changed features of local houses, developing their understanding of continuity and change within their immediate environment. These studies strengthen pupils’ ability to apply disciplinary concepts within a familiar context.

In KS2, pupils study a range of British, local and world history, from the Roman Empire to the Ancient Maya. Ancient civilisation units in KS2 are deliberately sequenced chronologically, enabling pupils to build a coherent and secure sense of substantive chronological knowledge across time periods. To further strengthen this understanding, pupils maintain a timeline at the front of their history books which maps the units studied across the academic year. Teachers refer to this regularly, helping pupils to place new knowledge within a broader historical framework and make connections across periods. Throughout KS2, pupils increasingly engage with complex sources, interpretations and historical arguments. They learn to question reliability, consider bias and evaluate different viewpoints, deepening their disciplinary understanding of how history is constructed. Local history, including the Battle of Peterloo, strengthens pupils’ understanding of historical significance and change over time. Reading skills are deliberately embedded within history lessons to support interpretation, inference and critical thinking.

Impact

Pupils leave Haslam Park with a secure and well-connected body of substantive historical knowledge and a deepening grasp of disciplinary concepts. They demonstrate a secure chronological understanding and can place periods studied within a broader historical framework. Pupils can ask and answer historically valid questions, evaluate sources critically, analyse interpretations and construct informed responses using accurate subject-specific vocabulary. They can identify patterns of change and continuity, explain cause and consequence, and discuss historical significance with increasing confidence and independence. Assessment is used effectively to support long-term learning. At the end of each academic year, pupils complete a Mastermind assessment, covering the history units taught that year and assessing both substantive knowledge retention and disciplinary understanding. Leaders analyse this information to identify strengths, misconceptions and gaps in knowledge, which are shared with teachers. This analysis directly informs the planning of daily reviews in the autumn term, ensuring teaching builds on prior learning and addresses gaps early. Work in history books, pupil voice and assessment outcomes demonstrate clear progression in substantive and disciplinary knowledge over time. Standards in history are high and consistent with those across the curriculum. Pupils are confident, curious historians who understand how the past has shaped the world they live in and are well prepared for the demands of KS3.