History
The National Curriculum for History in Years 3 to 6.
Examples in italics are not statutory.
Pre-Roman Britain
Our children will be taught about changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age
This could include:
- late Neolithic hunter-gatherers and early farmers, for example, Skara Brae
- Bronze Age religion, technology and travel, for example, Stonehenge
- Iron Age hill forts: tribal kingdoms, farming, art and culture
Roman Britain
Our children will be taught about the Roman empire and its impact on Britain
This could include:
- Julius Caesar’s attempted invasion in 55-54 BC
- the Roman Empire by AD 42 and the power of its army
- successful invasion by Claudius and conquest, including Hadrian’s Wall
- British resistance, for example, Boudica
- “Romanisation” of Britain: sites such as Caerwent and the impact of technology, culture and beliefs, including early Christianity
Anglo-Saxons & Scots
Our children will be taught about Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots
This could include:
- Roman withdrawal from Britain in c. AD 410 and the fall of the western Roman Empire
- Scots invasions from Ireland to north Britain (now Scotland)
- Anglo-Saxon invasions, settlements and kingdoms: place names and village life
- Anglo-Saxon art and culture
- Christian conversion – Canterbury, Iona and Lindisfarne
Anglo-Saxons & Vikings
Our children will be taught about the Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the time of Edward the Confessor
This could include:
- Viking raids and invasion
- resistance by Alfred the Great and Athelstan, first king of England
- further Viking invasions and Danegeld
- Anglo-Saxon laws and justice
- Edward the Confessor and his death in 1066
Local History
Our children will be taught about an aspect of local history
For example:
- a depth study linked to one of the British areas of study listed above
- a study over time tracing how several aspects of national history are reflected in the locality (this can go beyond 1066)
- a study of an aspect of history or a site dating from a period beyond 1066 that is significant in the locality.
Extended chronological study
Our children will be taught a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066
For example:
- the changing power of monarchs using case studies such as John, Anne and Victoria
- changes in an aspect of social history, such as crime and punishment from the Anglo-Saxons to the present or leisure and entertainment in the 20th Century
- the legacy of Greek or Roman culture (art, architecture or literature) on later periods in British history, including the present day
- a significant turning point in British history, for example, the first railways or the Battle of Britain
Ancient Civilizations
Our children will be taught about the achievements of the earliest civilizations – an overview of where and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth study of one of the following:
- Ancient Sumer;
- The Indus Valley;
- Ancient Egypt; or
- The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China
Ancient Greece
Our children will be taught a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world
Non-European Study
Our children will be taught about a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history – one study chosen from:
- early Islamic civilization, including a study of Baghdad c. AD 900;
- Mayan civilization c. AD 900; or
- Benin (West Africa) c. AD 900-1300
