History
Intent
At Northfields Infants and Nursery School, History is planned as a clear and progressive learning journey from Nursery through to Year 2. Pupils develop an understanding of the past through studying their own lives, their local area and significant events and people beyond living memory.
Our curriculum is built using the Keystage Primary framework as a starting point and has been carefully adapted to meet the needs, interests and starting points of our pupils. This ensures that learning is relevant, inclusive and meaningful within our school context.
History is taught through an enquiry-led approach which develops pupils’ curiosity and understanding of the past. Pupils learn to ask questions, consider evidence and begin to understand how and why things have changed over time. Through this, they develop respect for different people, cultures and experiences, alongside an emerging sense of chronology.
We aim for all pupils to see themselves as historians—curious, thoughtful and increasingly confident in talking about the past using appropriate vocabulary.
Implementation
History is taught through a two-year cycle, ensuring full coverage across mixed-age classes. Each unit is structured around a clear enquiry question, guiding pupils through a coherent learning journey.
Our curriculum maps and “sticky mats” have been developed in school, drawing on planning from Keystage Primary and adapted to reflect our pupils, setting and local context. These provide clarity over key knowledge, vocabulary and progression.
Each unit includes:
- clearly defined key knowledge
- explicitly taught tiered vocabulary
- opportunities to develop chronological understanding through timelines
- carefully sequenced learning that builds from prior knowledge
Pupils are supported to engage with historical content through discussion, questioning and structured enquiry. Learning is designed to be accessible to all, with scaffolds such as working walls, visuals and pre-teaching of vocabulary used consistently across the school.
High-quality resources, including books, images, artefacts and digital materials, are used to deepen understanding and support pupils in making connections between different periods of history.
Where appropriate, learning is enriched through visits, visitors or first-hand experiences to strengthen understanding and bring history to life.
Cross-curricular links, particularly with English, allow pupils to communicate their understanding through speaking, listening and writing.
The subject leader supports consistency and quality through monitoring, learning walks, book scrutiny and staff development.
Impact
The impact of our History curriculum is seen in pupils’ developing knowledge, understanding and confidence.
Pupils:
- demonstrate secure knowledge of the topics studied and can recall key facts and events
- use appropriate historical vocabulary when talking about their learning
- show an understanding of chronology and how events relate to one another over time
- ask and respond to questions about the past with increasing confidence
Work in books shows clear progression from individual starting points, with pupils building on prior knowledge and developing their understanding over time.
Through pupil discussion, children can talk about what they have learned, explain key ideas and reflect on their learning with interest and engagement.
