History at Lark Hill Primary School
At Lark Hill, we believe that a high-quality history curriculum does far more than teach children about the past—it helps them make sense of the world they live in today. Using the Kapow Primary scheme of work, our history lessons are designed to spark curiosity, ignite imagination, and inspire our children to "think like historians."
Our goal is to nurture reflective, active citizens who have the confidence to question evidence, explore different perspectives, and build a deep, meaningful understanding of local, national, and global history.
Our history learning is deeply rooted in our four core school values:
- Respect: We look closely at diverse ancient civilisations, local Stockport heritage, and differing perspectives, teaching children to respect the lived experiences, struggles, and achievements of people from all backgrounds.
- Responsibility: By learning about historical conflicts, social movements, and the consequences of human actions, children connect history directly to our golden rule: Look after each other, look after our school, look after yourself. They see how the choices of the past influence the world they are responsible for today.
- Creativity: Children engage creatively with history through handling artefacts, role-play, analysing primary sources, and presenting their historical findings using multimedia.
- Challenge: Children are challenged by evaluating the reliability of historical evidence, debating causes of major events, and understanding that history is often open to interpretation.
How We Teach History: Our Approach
History at Lark Hill alternates with Geography every half-term, giving children dedicated time to fully immerse themselves in their historical topics. Our Kapow curriculum splits historical knowledge into two critical areas:
- Substantive Knowledge ("Knowing the Facts"): Children learn about the established facts of the past—significant people, grand civilisations, key events, and the eras that shaped our world.
- Disciplinary Knowledge ("The Skills of a Historian"): We don't just ask children to memorize dates. We teach them how we know what we know. Children learn to explore historical evidence, weigh arguments, spot bias, and understand how different interpretations of the same event can exist.
A "Spiral" Journey Through Time
Our curriculum follows a spiral model, meaning key concepts are revisited year after year. Every time a child encounters a concept, they build upon what they learned previously, growing a rich "mental timeline" of history from early years up to Year 6.
What History Looks Like in the Classroom
We want our lessons to feel alive, meaningful, and inclusive for every child at Lark Hill.
In EYFS, the History curriculum is delivered through well-chosen activities and lessons, which are planned in to reflect key events, celebrations and children’s interests both in their own lives and in the wider world, for example: their daily routines, key moments within their living memory and historical events. Many of the resources used would be: photographs, videos, books and physical artefacts in provision to extend their learning and encourage their curiosity.
In Key Stage 1 children will develop an awareness of the past. They will learn about significant individuals who have contributed to national and international achievements. Children will also learn about significant historical events. They will also study changes within living memory (approximately 100 years) both by looking at local changes - focus on our school as well as looking at the area of Edgeley and Stockport. Their learning will be placed within a chronological framework and the children will be introduced to the historical concepts such as cause and consequence, change and significance and these will be built upon as the children continue their journey as historians through school.
In Key Stage 2 children will continue to appreciate history in a chronological context and to build upon the concepts introduced in KS1. They will develop a secure understanding of British, local and world history.
Inclusive & Multi-Sensory: Our history lessons are visual and interactive, ensuring that all learners—including those with SEND or EAL—can access the full curriculum. We focus heavily on collaborative talk, structured tasks, and vocabulary scaffolding to build confident communicators.
Connecting to Our Roots: We tie our historical learning back to Stockport and our wider local community, helping children feel a tangible connection to the spaces they walk through every day.
Our Golden Rule Connection: By learning about the struggles, achievements, and mistakes of people throughout time, our children develop deep empathy for others.
British Values Statement
British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs, are promoted throughout the history curriculum and wider school life.
These concepts are taught progressively, particularly within historical units exploring ancient civilisations, the roles of monarchs, local social history, and global studies, where pupils develop an understanding of governance, rules, rights, and the diverse perspectives that shape life in modern society.
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Goldcrests |
2 year olds Two-Year-Olds: "The Immediate Now" At this stage, "history" is entirely sensory and rooted in the present moment. The goal is to build the language of time and notice basic human differences. Autumn Term Knowledge: Knowing the sequence of their own immediate day (e.g., Mummy drops me off \ snack time \ Mummy picks me up). Recognising their own coat, bag, and family members in photos. Skills: Beginning to respond to basic routine cues. Noticing "now" versus "next."
Spring Term Knowledge: Noticing physical differences in people around them. For example, recognising that a sibling or peer is a "baby" or that an adult is "big". Skills: Beginning to use single words related to time, such as "now," "more," or "gone." Sorting items into simple categories (e.g., my shoes vs. Daddy's shoes). Summer Term Knowledge: Understanding that some events have already happened (e.g., "We went to the park"). Developing awareness that they used to be smaller as they are beginning to transition to the “big room”. Skills: Anticipating the next step in a highly familiar sequence without being prompted. Adults model the language of "yesterday" and “tomorrow” (even if the children then use it incorrectly to mean any time in the past).
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Nursery Nursery (Ages 3–4): "My Life Story" In Nursery, children begin to build their own personal timeline and explore the concept of their family history.
Autumn Term Knowledge: Understanding the structure of a week (nursery days vs. home days). Recognising that they have a personal history (e.g., "When I was a baby..."). Skills: Using words like "before," "after," and "next" to describe a short sequence. Looking at previous photos from starting nursery and identifying what they can do now that they couldn't do then. Spring Term Knowledge: Understanding the concept of growth and life cycles. Learning about family celebrations and traditions (e.g., birthdays, Diwali, Christmas) and recalling what happened.
Skills: Beginning to ask "why" questions about events or routines. Retelling simple past experiences in the correct sequence. Summer Term Knowledge: Understanding that adults were once children too, and that they have grown and changed over time. Skills: Attempting to use past-tense verbs more accurately (e.g., "I went," "we played").
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Reception Reception (Ages 4–5): "The Wider Past" By Reception, children broaden their scope to include historical settings, old versus new objects, and significant figures from books and stories. Autumn Term Knowledge: Learning about the days of the week, months of the year, and major annual events (e.g., Bonfire Night/Guy Fawkes). Understanding that some things happened "a long time ago" before they were born. Recapping their own growth from being a baby to becoming an adult in the future. Skills: Creating a visual daily timeline using picture cards. Using a rich vocabulary of time, including "past," "then," and "now". Spring Term Knowledge: Understanding how the seasons change, specifically Autumn to Winter, Winter to Spring. Recalling events they have experienced in these seasons and comparing weather, clothing etc between seasons. Skills: Examining an old artefact (e.g., a metal iron or a wooden toy) and guessing how it works. Commenting on similarities and differences between images of the past and present. Summer Term Knowledge: Becoming familiar with specific historical figures (Tim Peakes, archaeologists) or characters from stories. Exploring the concept of a historical setting or artefact such as fossils. Skills: Explaining why things might have been different in the past, drawing on class discussions, books, and storytelling. The EYFS End Goal: By the end of the Reception summer term, children are expected to achieve the Early Learning Goal (ELG): Past and Present. This means they can talk about the lives of people around them, know similarities and differences between things in the past and now, and understand the past through settings, characters, and events encountered in books. |
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Cycle A |
Cycle B |
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Robins |
Autumn: How am I making history? Looking at personal chronology and finding out about the past within living memory. Spring: How have toys changed? Sequencing toys into physical timeline, children investigate artefacts from the past and begin to pose questions. Summer: How did we learn to fly? Developing their knowledge of events beyond living memory and reinforcing their chronological understanding by looking at significant events. |
Autumn: What is history? Looking at personal chronology and finding out about the past within living memory. Spring: How was school different in the past? Understanding that although schools have been in the local area for a long time, there are key differences as to what they were like in the past as to now. Summer: What is a monarch? Finding out the role of the monarch, children compare the monarchy today with the monarchy in the past. |
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Starlings |
Autumn: How was school different in the past? Year 2s look at changes within/beyond living memory, while Year 3s use this as a baseline to explore local social history and practice primary source analysis. Spring: Would you prefer to live in the Stone Age, Bronze Age, or Iron Age? Introduces the deep chronological narrative of Britain. Year 2s engage with the survival, tools, and daily life aspects (social history), while Year 3s map the technological progression across the three eras. Summer: What is a monarch? Examines power and governance. Year 2s focus on the concept of kings and queens (e.g., Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria), while Year 3’s compare these rulers to the tribal leadership structures they learned about in the Stone-to-Iron Age unit. |
Autumn: How did we learn to fly? / Significant Explorers - Focuses on historical breakthroughs and individual impact (e.g., the Wright brothers, Amelia Earhart). Year 2s track the timeline of flight, while Year 3s evaluate the long-term historical significance and legacy of these events. Spring: Why did the Romans settle in Britain? Covers invasion and empire. This seamlessly follows the Iron Age learning from Cycle A. Year 2s focus on the lifestyle changes, Roman towns, and roads, while Year 3s study the resistance (Boudicca) and the concept of Romanisation. Summer: What did the Ancient Egyptians believe? World History study. A highly visual unit that engages Year 2s through daily life, mummification, and artefacts, while allowing Year 3s to analyse the broader societal structure and religious power. |
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Kestrels |
Autumn: How hard was it to invade and settle in Britain? (Anglo-Saxons & Scots) A core chronological step following the Romans. The whole class focuses on why people migrated. Year 4s focus on village life and place names, while Year 5s evaluate the impact of conversion to Christianity and early law systems. Spring: Were the Vikings fierce raiders or peaceful settlers? Continues the British timeline directly. The tension between Anglo-Saxons and Vikings provides an excellent framework for historical interpretation. Year 4s look at long ships and raids; Year 5s study the Danelaw, King Alfred, and conflicting historical sources. Summer: How have children's lives changed? A thematic study extending across time. This allows the class to look at the Victorian era, WW2, and the modern day. Year 4s compare daily routines and schooling; Year 5s analyse industrialisation, labour laws, and social reform. |
Autumn: What legacy did the Ancient Greeks leave behind? World History depth study. Year 4s explore the Olympics, myths, and the city-states of Athens and Sparta. Year 5s deepen their learning by analysing the birth of democracy and architectural influence on the modern western world. Spring: Ancient Civilizations: Where and when did they appear? Contrast study. You can use Kapow's LKS2 civilization overview to establish the global timeline, then dive deep into the Maya Civilization (UKS2 unit). Year 4s study Maya writing, trade, and numbers; Year 5s investigate the complex calendar systems and the reasons behind the collapse of their cities. Summer: Local History Study: How did a local conflict/industry change our area? Local history allows completely flexible differentiation. The entire class uses local maps, census data, or regional archives. Year 4s map physical changes over time, while Year 5s investigate the economic or socio-political drivers behind the area's development. |
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Skylarks |
Autumn: What can the census tell us about local areas? Examining how census records can help historians understand the past by making inferences about people’s lives in different time periods. Spring: What was the impact of WW2 on the people of Britain? Learning about the impact of WW2 on Britain by exploring its causes and the experiences of people during conflict. Summer: Unheard histories: Who should go on the £10 banknote? Considering what makes a person historically significant by investigating why historical figures appear on banknotes. |
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Vocabulary Progression:
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Robins – Cycle |
Topic |
Core Vocabulary (All Pupils) |
Kapow Disciplinary / Stretch (Year 2 Focus) |
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Autumn |
How am I making history? |
Past, Present, Timeline, Sequence, Before, After, Then, Now, Memory, Living memory |
Chronology, Generation, Decade, Biography, Source |
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Spring |
How have toys changed? |
Artefact, Modern, Old, Material, Change, Question, Photograph, Similar, Different |
Continuity, Evidence, Enquiry, Compare |
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Summer |
Events beyond living memory |
Beyond living memory, Century, Significant, Fact, Long ago, Historian |
Primary Source, Reliable, Eyewitness, Historical Interpretation |
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Robins – Cycle B |
Topic |
Core Vocabulary (All Pupils) |
Kapow Disciplinary / Stretch (Year 2 Focus) |
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Autumn |
What is history? |
History, Past, Present, Timeline, Sequence, Memory, Living memory, Then, Now |
Chronology, Generation, Source |
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Spring |
How was school different? |
Local area, Different, Similar, Change, Object, Uniform, Modern, Old |
Continuity, Evidence, Enquiry, Compare |
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Summer |
What is a monarch? |
Monarch, Monarchy, Reign, Royal, Coronation, Crown, King, Queen |
Power, Succession, Significant, Beyond living memory |
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Starlings Cycle A |
Topic |
Core Vocabulary (All / Year 2 Focus) |
KS2 Disciplinary & Concept Words (Year 3 Focus) |
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Autumn |
How was school different? |
Past, Present, Living memory, Beyond living memory, Source, Logbook, Change, Continuity |
Primary Source, Secondary Source, Social History, Analysis, Local Heritage |
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Spring |
Stone, Bronze & Iron Age |
Prehistoric, Hunter-gatherer, Settlement, Tool, Flints, Shelter, Survival, Tribe |
Chronological Narrative, B.C. / B.C.E., Technological Progression, Smelting, Metallurgy |
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Summer |
What is a monarch? |
Monarch, Reign, Coronation, Succession, Empire, Significance, Kingdom |
Governance, Divine Right, Parliament, Democracy, Authority |
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Starlings Cycle B |
Topic |
Core Vocabulary (All / Year 2 Focus) |
KS2 Disciplinary & Concept Words (Year 3 Focus) |
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Autumn |
How did we learn to fly? |
Aviation, Breakthrough, Timeline, Pioneer, Aviator, Invention, Transport |
Historical Significance, Legacy, Turning Point, Evaluate, Chronological Sequence |
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Spring |
Why did the Romans settle? |
Invasion, Conquest, Empire, Infrastructure, Villa, Century, Amphitheatre, Celts |
Romanization, Resistance, Rebellion, Assimilation, Centurion, Taxation |
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Summer |
Ancient Egyptian Beliefs |
Pharaoh, Hieroglyphics, Mummification, Sarcophagus, Afterlife, Artefact, Tomb |
Hierarchy, Societal Structure, Polytheism, Deity, Dynastic Power, Civilization |
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Kestrels cycle |
Topic |
Core Vocabulary (All / Year 4 Focus) |
UKS2 Disciplinary & Concept Words (Year 5 Focus) |
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Autumn |
Anglo-Saxons & Scots |
Migration, Push/Pull Factors, Settle, Settlement, Kingdom, Toponymy, Chieftain, Pagan |
Conversion, Monasteries, Wergild, Governance, Integration |
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Spring |
Vikings vs Anglo-Saxons |
Raid, Raider, Monastic, Longship, Danegeld, Treaty, Paganism |
Historical Interpretation, Bias, Conflict of Sources, Danelaw, Sovereignty |
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Summer |
How children's lives changed |
Thematic Study, Evacuee, Rationing, Workhouse, Apprentice, Timeline, Century |
Industrialization, Social Reform, Labour Laws, Exploitation, Legislation |
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Kestrels Cycle B |
Topic |
Core Vocabulary (All / Year 4 Focus) |
UKS2 Disciplinary & Concept Words (Year 5 Focus) |
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Autumn |
Ancient Greeks |
Legacy, City-state, Myth, Architecture, Olympic, Citizen, Acropolis, Helot |
Democracy, Oligarchy, Philosopher, Direct Democracy, Classical Influence |
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Spring |
Ancient Civilizations / Maya |
Civilization, Trade Route, Codex, Glyphs, Chronology, Merchant, Continent |
Drought, Astronomical Alignment, Collapse, Interdependent, Calendar Systems |
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Summer |
Local History Study |
Archive, Census Data, Source Evidence, Industry, Map, Landscape, Chronological Order |
Socio-political Drivers, Economic Shift, Urbanisation, Demographics, Industrial Development |
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Skylarks |
Topic |
Core Disciplinary Vocabulary |
Advanced Conceptual Vocabulary |
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Autumn |
The Census & Local Area |
Census, Inference, Micro-history, Transcription, Reliability, Source Analysis |
Demographics, Social Stratification, Occupations, Correlation, Data Set |
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Spring |
Impact of World War II |
Home Front, Total War, Propaganda, Censorship, Rationing, Evacuation |
Appeasement, Geopolitics, Mobilization, Conscription, Blitz spirit |
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Summer |
Unheard Histories (£10 Note) |
Historical Significance, Legacy, Criteria, Commemoration, Historical Interpretation |
Marginalised, Representation, Historiography, Cultural Impact, Narrative |
The impact of the History curriculum is measured in a number of ways, firstly the children have a blank knowledge organiser at the front of their topic book where the key knowledge they have gained is added after each session and important vocabulary is noted. This is a working document for the children - in KS1 there is an enlarged blank knowledge organiser on the topic working wall which is completed collaboratively at the end of each session. In week one this will be done in pencil prior to any teaching. Throughout the half term they will do in pink and then in the final lesson there will be a new blank organiser, removing book and any displays. Sticky knowledge that hasn’t been retained needs to be embedded.
All classes have a large timeline which is added to and discussed at the start and end of each lesson. This helps children remember more.
Each new lesson begins with recalling what we know / what we have learnt. At the end of a topic the children complete an assessment task aimed at responding to the key bits of knowledge learned throughout the lessons. - this may take the form of a written piece, but equally this may be an oral or practical task too. The intention of these tasks is that the children can explain their historical understanding, recall factual information and explain how we are able to know and understand the past.
History will be assessed by the class teacher at the end of a topic using their professional judgement and knowledge of the children. Teachers will listen to children’s responses and contributions to class discussions, evaluate their written responses and consider any support they may need. Children will have regular opportunities to take part in 'pupil voice' meetings and share work as historians.