History at St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School

At St Augustine’s, we want all children to enjoy learning about the past and to develop the knowledge and skills they need to understand history in Britain and around the world. Our lessons are carefully planned to help children build on what they know and make connections over time.

Through asking questions, discussing ideas and revisiting what they’ve learned, children explore important themes such as settlement, migration, religion and society. They learn how events and people in the past have shaped the world we live in today, and how history can help us understand current events too.

Children are taught how to use different types of evidence, including primary sources (like artefacts, documents and photographs) and secondary sources (like books and videos), and to think carefully about where information comes from.

We support every child to succeed, providing both challenge and help where needed. Alongside learning important facts, children develop key skills such as thinking critically, understanding timelines, asking questions and explaining their ideas clearly.

Throughout the year, children enjoy creative projects, local history studies, visits and enrichment activities that bring history to life.

History helps children learn from the past so they can make good choices in the future.

"The longer you can look back, the farther you can see forward."
— Winston Churchill

Our History Curriculum

We follow the Rising Stars History scheme of work, supported by White Rose resources, which provide clear, well-structured lessons, helpful resources and activities for all learners.

Intent

At St Augustine’s, we want all children to enjoy learning about history and build the knowledge and skills they need to understand both British and world history. Our curriculum is carefully planned and sequenced so that learning builds step by step, helping children make connections between topics over time and preparing them for the future.

Children learn not only historical facts but also develop important skills such as asking questions, thinking critically, evaluating evidence, and understanding different viewpoints. All pupils are given the same opportunities to succeed, working from shared key questions that help guide their learning.

Throughout the curriculum, children explore important historical themes such as settlement, migration, religion and society. These themes help them understand how people lived, what they believed, and how events from the past still shape the world we live in today. As they study these topics, pupils are encouraged to make links to modern issues and use their historical knowledge to inform their opinions.

Children learn how we know about the past by using a range of evidence, including primary sources (such as artefacts, documents and photographs) and secondary sources (such as books, articles and videos). They are taught to question where information comes from and how reliable it is.

Our curriculum also aims to broaden children’s experiences, help them understand different cultures and heritages, and encourage them to take an active interest in history both in school and beyond. 

Implementation 

At St Augustine’s, we deliver history through the Rising Stars History scheme, which is carefully designed to support both specialist and non-specialist teachers. The scheme clearly identifies key knowledge and explains new learning step by step, ensuring all pupils build knowledge and skills securely over time.

A variety of teaching approaches are used to help children not only learn historical facts but also apply what they know through discussion, questioning and meaningful tasks. Teachers regularly check children’s understanding, address misconceptions, and give immediate feedback to support and strengthen learning.

Children revisit key ideas and concepts across year groups, allowing them to deepen their understanding and make connections over time. Quizzes, varied assessments and retrieval activities are used to strengthen long-term memory and help children secure key knowledge.

The scheme includes high-quality resources and online materials that support well-structured and sequenced lessons. This ensures that children build their knowledge, understanding and historical skills year on year, preparing them for the next stage of learning.

Implementation in Practice – Examples:

• In Year 1 (My Family History), children explore what life was like when their grandparents were children. They compare toys, schools and homes from the past to their own experiences today. At the end of the unit, they reenact a day at grandad’s school.
• In Year 2 (Bonfire Night and the Great Fire of London), children learn about events beyond living memory, asking questions about whether we should still celebrate Bonfire Night. They study sources such as Samuel Pepys’ diary to help them understand the impact of the Great Fire of London.
• In Year 3 (The Stone Age), children investigate how life changed during the Stone Age, including developments in tools, homes and farming. They perform a play to show how life evolved over this period.
• In Year 4 (The Ancient Egyptians), pupils learn about Egyptian achievements, including the pyramids, beliefs about the afterlife, and hieroglyphics. They create an Egyptian time capsule to demonstrate what they have learned.
• In Year 5 (The Vikings), pupils explore the reasons why the Vikings invaded and settled in Britain. They write their own Viking saga as part of their final work and debate issues linked to Viking settlements.
• In Year 6 (The Impact of War), children research how World War I and World War II affected their local area. They use a variety of sources, including photographs, artefacts and local stories, and present their findings in an exhibition for parents and the school community.

Throughout all year groups, children regularly take part in quizzes, timeline work and discussions to help them review what they’ve learned, remember important facts, and build their understanding as they move through school.

Impact

At St Augustine’s, we regularly check how well children are learning in history to ensure they are building knowledge, understanding and skills over time.

Teachers use a range of methods to assess learning, including class discussions, questioning, retrieval quizzes, written tasks, timelines, and practical activities. 

These help identify gaps in understanding, address misconceptions and ensure children are secure in their knowledge before moving on.

Throughout the curriculum, children revisit key ideas so that important knowledge becomes embedded and long-lasting. 

Pupils are encouraged to use historical vocabulary confidently and apply what they have learned to new contexts as they move through the year groups.

By the time children leave St Augustine’s, they are able to:

• Talk confidently about the topics they have studied.
• Use historical terms accurately.
• Place events and people in chronological order.
• Explain how we know about the past using different types of sources.
• Make links between past and present.
• Ask thoughtful questions, share opinions, and debate issues using historical knowledge.
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Impact in Practice – Examples

• In Year 2 (The Great Fire of London), children confidently explain the causes and consequences of the fire and describe how London changed afterwards. They can discuss evidence such as Samuel Pepys' diary and early drawings of London.
• In Year 3 (The Stone Age), children describe key changes between the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age, using correct vocabulary such as "hunter-gatherer", "settlement" and "farming".
• In Year 5 (Journeys), children learn about why people move to live in new places, both in the past and today. They explore reasons such as escaping danger, finding safety, or looking for a better life. They talk about these ideas in class and explain them confidently in discussions.
• In Year 6 (The Impact of War), pupils use a variety of sources, including local evidence, to present how their community was affected by both World Wars. They can explain the impact on ordinary people and link this to their understanding of national and global history.

At St Augustine’s, we are Historians.

Our children learn to:

• Know and understand people, events and different time periods from British and world history.
• Think carefully about the past and share their ideas clearly in different ways.
• Ask questions and give opinions, using evidence from different sources to explain their thinking.
• Take part in discussions, debates and projects that help them explore the past in more depth.
• Enjoy learning history, develop curiosity about the past, and understand that people may see events differently.
• Use historical evidence carefully to support their ideas and decisions.
• Take on challenges and carry out independent research to learn even more about history.

How We Teach History at St Augustine’s

• In each topic, children explore key ideas in depth. They ask questions, share ideas, and build knowledge step by step. 
• We focus on helping them understand important people, places, and events, and how the past connects to the present.
• Timelines help children see when events happened and how different time periods link together. Timelines are used in lessons and displayed in classrooms.
• Each unit ends with a Big Finish activity where children apply their learning through creative projects, like writing, drama or exhibitions. 
• Local history helps children learn about their community using real evidence such as photos, objects and local stories.
• Classroom displays support learning with key questions, vocabulary, timelines, maps, and artefacts.
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At St Augustine’s, our children learn to think like Historians. One day, they might be inspired by people like…

• Catherine Fletcher
  Catherine studies the Tudors and Renaissance Europe. She helps us understand how politics, religion and power shaped life in the 1500s.
• Peter Frankopan
  Peter writes about world history, especially the Silk Roads. He helps us see how trade, travel and culture connected people across the world long before modern times.
• Neil Oliver
  Neil explores Britain’s ancient past, including the Stone Age, Iron Age and early civilisations, helping us understand how people lived thousands of years ago.
• Dominic Sandbrook
  Dominic focuses on more recent British history, including the 20th century, showing how events like the World Wars and social changes shaped modern Britain.
• Hallie Rubenhold
  Hallie gives a voice to ordinary people in history, including women whose stories are often forgotten. She helps us understand the lives behind the headlines of the past.
• Mary Beard
  Mary is an expert in Ancient Roman history. She helps us learn about life in ancient times through her books and television programmes.
• Simon Schama
  Simon tells big stories about British and world history, showing how events from long ago still affect our world today.
• Winston Churchill
  Winston Churchill loved history and often used his knowledge of the past to help lead Britain during World War II, showing how history can help with important decisions.

History Can Lead to Amazing Jobs Like…

• A Dinosaur Hunter (Palaeontologist) — digging up ancient bones and fossils
• A Treasure Finder (Archaeologist) — discovering hidden objects from long ago
• A TV Presenter — telling history stories on television
• A Museum Expert (Curator) — looking after ancient objects and showing them to visitor
• A Tour Guide — showing people castles, palaces and historical places

Geography & History Curriculum Map: