History
“We are not makers of history. We are made by history.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
At St Pius X, we aim for a high-quality history curriculum that inspires curiosity about Britain’s past and the wider world. Our teaching equips pupils with the knowledge of how the past has influenced the present, fostering an understanding that they themselves are living through history. We provide our children with the chronological framework and analytical tools necessary to explore significant civilisations, empires and events beyond living memory.
Intent: Our Vision for History
Our curriculum is designed to move pupils from a simple awareness of the past to a sophisticated understanding of historical narrative and methodology. Our intent is for all pupils to:
- Build a Coherent Mental Timeline: Develop a secure chronological understanding of British and world history to guard against fragmented knowledge.
- Master Substantive Knowledge: Acquire explicit subject knowledge and vocabulary regarding significant periods, people, and events.
- Develop Disciplinary Skills: Learn to “Work Historically” by constructing arguments and accounts using evidence, significance and perspective.
- Analyse Cause and Consequence: Understand the “why” behind historical change and the impact of these events on the world today.
Implementation: How We Teach
History at St Pius X is an active process of enquiry. We ensure that pupils become “more expert” with each study by strategically revisiting and elaborating on key concepts.
Working and Thinking Historically
Historical analysis is developed through selecting, organising, and integrating knowledge. We teach children to:
- Enquire and Interpret: Use reasoning and inference to answer structured historical questions.
- Understand Concepts: Master abstract substantive concepts – such as Power, invasion and civilisation – through explicit vocabulary instruction and contextual study.
- Connect Eras: Make connections within and throughout different periods of time, identifying patterns of continuity and change.
Research-Led Practice
To ensure the retention of knowledge goes beyond the “moment,” we implement Bjork’s Desirable Difficulties:
- Retrieval and Spaced Practice: Regularly revisiting prior learning to strengthen long-term memory.
- Deliberate Practice: Structured tasks that challenge pupils to apply their historical thinking.
- Vocabulary Modules: Sequential planning of Tier 2 (high frequency) and Tier 3 (subject-specific) words to ensure pupils can articulate complex historical ideas.
Securing Foundational Skills
We believe that a secure foundation in chronology and vocabulary eases the load on the working memory, allowing children to engage in deeper historical thinking.
| Knowledge Type | Strategy & Focus |
| Early Years Foundations | Exploring “past and present” through daily activities, books and visitors to prepare for the KS1 curriculum. |
| Substantive Knowledge | Challenging misconceptions by positioning “non-examples” against accurate historical content. |
| Chronological Framework | Building a cumulative understanding of time, ensuring new learning is always positioned within a known era. |
| Evidence-Based Enquiry | Teaching pupils how to use sources and evidence to construct valid historical claims. |
Impact: Our Outcomes
Through our structured and ambitious curriculum, pupils at St Pius X develop into reflective and informed young historians.
- Inquisitive Minds: Our pupils leave with a passion for history and the skills to ask and answer perceptive questions about the past.
- Expert Narratives: Students can communicate historical information with clarity, using precise vocabulary and a coherent sense of chronology.
- Critical Thinkers: Our children understand that history is constructed from evidence and are able to interpret different versions of past events with nuance.
- Global Perspective: By studying ancient civilisations and global empires, our pupils gain a deep appreciation of the diverse heritage of the human race.
Our commitment to a research-informed, cumulative history curriculum ensures that every child understands the world they grow up in and the history that has made them who they are today.
