History

Intent: Rich Knowledge, Real Identity, Deep Thinking

Cultural Heritage
Our curriculum celebrates the diverse heritage of our community. Historical figures and events have been thoughtfully selected to reflect the lived experiences of our pupils. The stories of Black British, British Asian, African Caribbean, African and South Asian individuals are taught throughout the year—not limited to a single month. We explore what it means to belong to modern, multicultural Britain and take pride in our identity as Brummies.

Excellence
We follow a knowledge-rich curriculum, with a strong emphasis on teaching fewer topics in greater depth. This ensures children gain a deep and lasting understanding of historical knowledge, moving beyond surface-level tasks. For example, instead of simply recreating Stone Age homes, pupils focus on exploring how and why human societies evolved—a true history lens.

Faith
Where appropriate, our school’s Christian values are woven into the content, encouraging pupils to consider history through a lens of justice, compassion, and moral responsibility.

Implementation: Building Knowledge through Rigour and Relevance

Early Years
In Reception, pupils explore the past through stories, family experiences, and imaginative play. They begin to understand the concept of change over time and build vocabulary related to personal and family history.

KS1 and KS2
From Year 1, pupils begin to engage with history through topic-based lessons, learning how historians investigate the past and pose meaningful questions.

From Year 2 to Year 6, pupils use bespoke workbooks aligned with the Hamilton Trust scheme. Knowledge is explicitly taught, broken into manageable steps, and regularly retrieved to support memory retention and deeper understanding. Each unit is framed around a clear enquiry question and supports progression through carefully sequenced lessons.

Knowledge That Lasts: Memory, Schemata and Assessment

We organise substantive knowledge into seven key historical themes:

• Technological Advancement
• Cultural Change
• Invasion
• Empire and Imperialism
• Rebellion
• Migration
• Social Justice

And disciplinary knowledge—how pupils ‘think like historians’—into six approaches:

• Chronology
• Perspective
• Empathy
• Continuity and Change
• Cause and Effect
• Evidence

Through these frameworks, content is interleaved and revisited across year groups, building schema and promoting long-term retention. For example, the theme of migration begins with family history in Year 1 and reappears through studies of the Beaker People, Vikings, Windrush, Islamic Spain, and the societies of Mali and Songhai.

This curriculum is enriched through literature, cross-curricular links, and big questions. In Year 6, for instance, pupils study the transatlantic slave trade through debate (the legacy of Edward Colston), art (Marc Quinn’s A Surge of Power), and literature (Freedom by Catherine Johnson).

Assessment in History: Retrieval with Purpose

We use a range of assessment tools embedded within our teaching to strengthen understanding:

• Knowledge organisers at the start of each unit and lesson
• Working walls with key vocabulary and concept maps
• Low-stakes quizzes to support retrieval of previously taught knowledge
• Exit tickets to reinforce lesson objectives and identify gaps
• Hinge questions to inform responsive teaching
• KWL grids to measure progress from starting points
• Graphic organisers used throughout and culminating in an end-of-unit essay
• Formal end-of-unit assessments, followed by a spaced retrieval quiz a month later to interrupt forgetting

Impact: Historians in the Making

By the time they leave St. Michael’s, pupils will:

• Possess a secure and broad understanding of key historical knowledge
• Apply their learning to analyse events and changes with confidence
• Use subject-specific vocabulary to discuss and write about the past with clarity
• Demonstrate a deep appreciation for their own cultural heritage and that of others
• Think critically, challenge narratives, and ask big questions about the world

Our history curriculum helps pupils understand their place in time—and empowers them to shape the future with knowledge, empathy, and insight.

Knowledge Coverage Documents (Example of)

History Curriculum Handbook