Intent

• At Abel Smith Primary school we provide an ambitious and carefully sequenced knowledge and skills based curriculum, aiming for children to develop a love of history and a curiosity about the past.  By fulfilling the requirements of the National Curriculum they will gain a “coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world”. They will also form an understanding of Hertford’s rich heritage, it’s role in historical events and how it has changed over time.
• Children will develop an understanding of how we know about the past through engagement with evidence and a range of sources, enabling them to draw conclusions and form opinions to answer enquiries, culminating in a Big Finish at the end of each unit of learning. 
• They will describe change using historical terms. They will learn about diversity and discrimination in societies; the challenges people faced; significant individuals who contributed to change and the legacy of civilisations that have shaped how we live today. 

Implementation

• The history curriculum at Abel Smith is designed to enable children to acquire a rich web of knowledge and skills through an enquiry based curriculum. History is taught in a half-termly block, every other half term, in order to fully immerse children in each topic, allowing key knowledge and skills to remain in long term memory. The curriculum projects are carefully sequenced and interconnected, to support children's learning over time. 
• Each unit is centred around a big question which is answered through a series of mini questions and a 'Big Finish' activity at the end of the unit. 
• In Key Stage 1, the children begin by looking at their own personal history and are introduced to the idea of chronology and timelines before learning about significant events and people who have shaped society, locally, nationally and gloablly. 
• In Key Stage 2, British history units follow a chronological approach to support children in developing a clear long-term narrative across history. 

Impact

• Children will be able to discuss their learning which will have a depth of understanding.  They will make connections between lessons and previous topics in order to build their knowledge and form opinions. 
• They will be able to use key skills to gain knowledge and apply their understanding to a range of tasks.  Children will be able to apply their understanding at the end of the topic using historical terms, knowledge about key events and people and opinions based on evidence.