History

Hetton Primary School – History Progression Document

Intent

At Hetton Primary School, history is taught to inspire curiosity about the past, develop a sense of identity, and equip pupils with the disciplinary skills of a historian. The curriculum is designed to build progressively, revisiting key themes (e.g. change over time, significance, society, and legacy) while extending vocabulary and historical skills year-on-year.

EYFS (Nursery & Reception)

Substantive knowledge:

Understanding own personal history (family, community, birthdays, celebrations).
Stories of significant people/events (e.g. Remembrance Day, Bonfire Night).

Disciplinary knowledge:

Sequence events in their own lives.
Recognise that things happened before they were born.
Begin to use simple sources (photos, stories).

Key Vocabulary:
past, present, old, new, family, change, celebration, memory, community, long ago.

Year 1

Topics: Toys in the past, Grace Darling, Castles, Local history (photographs).

Substantive knowledge:

Changes within living memory (toys, photographs).
Significant individuals (Grace Darling).
Key features of castles and their importance.

Disciplinary knowledge:

Sequence events within 100 years.
Use artefacts and photographs as evidence.
Compare past and present.

Key Vocabulary:
castle, monarch, knight, rescue, evidence, artefact, century, timeline, similar, different.

Year 2

Topics: The Great Fire of London/Gateshead, Neil Armstrong & Captain Cook, Remembrance, local changes.

Substantive knowledge:

Events beyond living memory (Great Fire).
Significant individuals who contributed to national/international achievements.
Local historical events.

Disciplinary knowledge:

Place events on a simple timeline.
Ask and answer historical questions.
Recognise cause and consequence (how fire spread, why explorers were remembered).

Key Vocabulary:
explorer, voyage, invention, London, firebreak, source, past, significant, cause, consequence.

Year 3

Topics: Stone Age to Iron Age, Ancient Egypt, Greek influence.

Substantive knowledge:

Changes in Britain from Stone Age to Iron Age.
Achievements of earliest civilisations (Egypt).
Greek legacies in modern life.

Disciplinary knowledge:

Use timelines to order periods chronologically.
Identify continuity and change.
Use artefacts, images, and texts to make inferences.

Key Vocabulary:
archaeology, civilisation, agriculture, pharaoh, democracy, myth, continuity, legacy.

Year 4

Topics: Romans, Anglo-Saxons & Scots, Vikings.

Substantive knowledge:

Roman Empire and its impact on Britain.
Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots.
Viking invasions and their influence.

Disciplinary knowledge:

Use more complex timelines (centuries BC/AD).
Explore different perspectives (Roman vs Briton).
Begin to evaluate reliability of sources.

Key Vocabulary:
empire, invasion, settlement, conquer, legacy, artefact, pagan, Christian, resistance.

Year 5

Topics: Industrial Revolution (coal mining, Stephenson, locomotives), Victorians, Maya.

Substantive knowledge:

Local history: coal mining & railways.
Victorian Britain – industrial, social, urban change.
Maya civilisation and comparison with Britain.

Disciplinary knowledge:

Analyse cause and consequence of industrial change.
Compare societies across time and place.
Use primary/secondary sources critically.

Key Vocabulary:
industry, revolution, urban, rural, empire, civilisation, comparison, innovation, evidence, reliability.

Year 6

Topics: Tudors, World War II.

Substantive knowledge:

Tudor monarchs and their impact.
Britain during WWII – Home Front, evacuation, rationing.
How conflict changes societies.

Disciplinary knowledge:

Develop substantiated arguments about historical significance.
Evaluate sources for bias, reliability, and perspective.
Make links across different periods studied (continuity and change).

Key Vocabulary:
propaganda, monarchy, reformation, evacuation, rationing, continuity, change, significance, interpretation, perspective.

Progression in Substantive Knowledge

EYFS/KS1: family, local, national history, significant individuals/events.
LKS2: ancient civilisations, early Britain, invasions, legacies.
UKS2: industrial revolution, global comparisons, significant turning points (Tudors, WWII).

Progression in Disciplinary Knowledge

EYFS/KS1: sequencing, noticing differences, asking questions, simple sources.
LKS2: using timelines, cause/consequence, interpretation of evidence.
UKS2: critical analysis, evaluation of sources, synthesis across periods.

Implementation

At Hetton Primary School, we have created a knowledge based history curriculum and use teaching strategies that allow learning to be memorable and coherent to enable all children to achieve a secure understanding of the historical context and concept being taught.

Our curriculum is sequenced to develop chronological understanding and children will be supported in making clear links to their previous learning and prior knowledge.

Substantive Concepts:

Invention Disaster Invasion Monarchy Civilisation and Society