Our History Curriculum (Intent)

Our bespoke history curriculum at Springhead is ambitious, inclusive and rich in substantive knowledge and disciplinary understanding. It nurtures curiosity, supports critical thinking and helps pupils make sense of the past, while fully meeting the expectations of the EYFS Framework and the National Curriculum.

 

Learning is carefully sequenced to develop secure chronological understanding and key historical concepts before pupils engage in enquiry and interpretation. This ensures historical thinking is purposeful and meaningful, giving pupils regular opportunities to revisit prior learning as they analyse evidence, draw connections and communicate their understanding in new contexts.

Our full History Policy can be accessed using the link below.

Policies

History Dashboard Documents

Each year group has its own History Dashboard Document, which provides a clear overview of what pupils will learn in history and how learning is structured across the year. Each document brings together the following elements:

  • Programme of Study – an overview of the scientific knowledge (what pupils will know) and disciplinary skills (what pupils will be able to do) that will be taught throughout the year.
  • Small‑Step Learning Sequences and Knowledge Builders – detailed, step‑by‑step progression of component knowledge and key vocabulary for every unit (e.g., Romans, Ancient Greece, etc.), ensuring pupils develop secure understanding through manageable chunks of learning.
  • Examples of Disciplinary Questioning and Sources – purposeful historical enquiries pupils may undertake as they progress through the school, and a range of primary and secondary sources they may examine and apply their disciplinary skills to make sense of.
  • Suggested Lesson Sequences – example lesson‑by‑lesson guidance showing how units could be taught, including BAD (Basic/Advancing/Deep) statements to support in‑lesson assessment.
  • Pupil Reference Sheets and Assessment Materials – pupil‑friendly knowledge organisers and end‑of‑unit assessments to support retrieval and measure understanding.

Year 1 HISTORY Dashboard Document

Year 2 HISTORY Dashboard Document

Year 3 HISTORY Dashboard Document

Year 4 HISTORY Dashboard Document

Year 5 HISTORY Dashboard Document

Year 6 HISTORY Dashboard Document

Lesson Pathway

Every history lesson begins with an opportunity for pupils to retrieve, revisit and consolidate prior learning—this is our Smart Start. These questions draw on:

  • What pupils learned last lesson
  • What pupils learned in the last unit
  • What they learned the last time they studied the current unit (last link)
  • What they learned last year

Lessons then move into a discussion of the learning journey, including the learning objective and BAD statements, which outline the depth at which pupils will engage with new content.

Key vocabulary is introduced before new learning is modelled using our ‘I Do – We Do – You Do’ structure, with low‑stakes quizzing interwoven throughout to support assessment and retrieval.

Assessment

Our approach to assessment aims to give timely feedback that moves learning forward. We use both formative and summative assessment to evaluate pupils’ understanding, knowledge and skills. This includes:

  • Smart Start activities
  • Live marking and feedback during independent tasks
  • Class discussions
  • Targeted questioning

Teachers also make summative judgements at the end of each unit, considering both substantive knowledge and disciplinary knowledge.