History at Hartford
OUR INTENT - What We Teach in History
At Hartford Primary School, we see every child as a historian. Our history curriculum enables all pupils to develop a secure understanding of local, British and world history, while sparking curiosity, nurturing enquiry and fostering a lifelong interest in the past.
Our carefully sequenced curriculum builds both substantive knowledge (key facts, concepts and chronological understanding) and disciplinary knowledge (how historians investigate, interpret and evaluate the past), with increasing complexity and depth as pupils move through the school. Through exploring concepts such as cause and consequence, change and continuity, and significance, our historians learn to ask thoughtful questions, analyse evidence and form reasoned judgements.
Our well thought and mapped out golden threads, Hierarchy and Power and Culture and Community run throughout our curriculum. These help pupils understand how leadership, belief systems and social structures have shaped societies from prehistory to present day, while developing an appreciation of diversity, identity and different perspectives across time.
By the end of Key Stage 2, we aim for our pupils to leave as confident, knowledgeable historians with a strong sense of their place in the world.
OUR IMPLEMENTATION - How We Teach History
Our history curriculum is coherently planned and carefully sequenced, enabling our historians to build on prior learning and deepen their understanding over time. Pupils engage in a balance of chronological and thematic studies, helping them make connections across periods and develop a clear sense of the past. The golden threads are revisited throughout each year group, supporting pupils in drawing meaningful links between societies, themes and historical concepts.
In the Early Years, children begin their journey as historians by exploring past and present through high-quality texts, rich language and purposeful play. Across Key Stages 1 and 2, our historians engage with a range of primary and secondary sources, ask and answer historically valid questions and develop and use subject-specific vocabulary with increasing precision
Learning is strengthened through regular retrieval practice, formative and summative assessment, and responsive teaching to ensure knowledge is securely remembered over time. Lessons are adapted to support and challenge all pupils, so every child can succeed as a historian. Enrichment opportunities, including visits, artefacts and visitors, bring history to life and deepen pupils’ understanding.
OUR IMPACT - What Our Children Learn in History
At Hartford Primary, the impact of our curriculum is seen in the way our historians think, question and engage with the past. Pupils leave with a secure, well-structured understanding of history and are able to recall and apply substantive knowledge with confidence, use historical vocabulary accurately, analyse sources and form thoughtful interpretations and make connections across periods, themes and societies
Our historians demonstrate curiosity, empathy and respect for diverse experiences and perspectives. They retain and apply their learning over time and reflect on how the past shapes the present. All pupils, regardless of their starting points, make strong progress and are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Our historians leave Hartford Primary equipped to use their historical understanding to make sense of the world and their place within it.
The Curriculum Lead for History is: Leah Glendenning