To ensure that our Key Stage 1 & 2 history curriculum is successful in developing children's historical understanding, we need to take a progressive approach. This means that we cannot simply repeat the same types of work year after year. Instead, we have planned a curriculum that becomes increasingly challenging as students move through the school. We have also prioritised teaching the units in chronological order.

In this document, we have broken down the key concepts that your children will encounter over time. We have outlined the substantive knowledge that they need to remember, as well as the disciplinary skills and knowledge they need to become young "historians."

These key concepts include progression in chronology, as well as in the students' knowledge and understanding of events and people from the past. We also aim to develop their ability to recognise similarities and differences, understand cause and consequence, identify continuity and change, and interpret historical events. Furthermore, we want to foster students' ability to carry out historical investigations, identify historically significant events and people, develop their enquiry skills, and enhance their abilities to organise and communicate historical information effectively.

In addition to these key concepts, we want to encourage our students to use active compassion to react to a number of scenarios that may have a moral basis. We believe that by incorporating this element into our curriculum, we can help our students develop empathy, moral reasoning, and critical thinking skills that will serve them well in all areas of their lives.

Finally, we want our students to understand that humans need to learn from the mistakes of the past. By studying history, they can gain a deeper appreciation for the progress that has been made over time, as well as the challenges that have been faced and overcome. We hope that this understanding will motivate our students to be curious, compassionate, and committed to making positive changes in the world around them.