History

Statement of Intent                                                                                                                                      
History

Intent

At Cockfield CEVC Primary School, we inspire children to become historians from the moment they enter our historic building. Guided by our core values of compassion, perseverance, and courage, we aim to cultivate a deep understanding of life across different historical periods - from ancient civilizations to the modern day. Our history curriculum is designed to help children grasp how the past has shaped the present, bringing historical learning to life through engaging stories and visits from expert historians. These enriching experiences not only deepen knowledge but also spark curiosity and imagination, potentially influencing children's future aspirations.

Implementation

We teach using the Primary Knowledge Curriculum, which follows the National Curriculum. It is carefully structured and sequenced to ensure that skills and knowledge are built on year after year during children’s time at Cockfield. Children develop progressive skills as historians, learning to think critically, ask questions, weigh facts and debate the past. They are taught to find evidence, select it and use it to reach conclusions. To do this successfully, they need the skills to read, interpret and evaluate a range of historical sources. By exploring different viewpoints and building these skills over time, children develop a clear and coherent picture of the past.

At Cockfield, our history curriculum is organised on a two‑year cycle to meet the needs of our mixed‑age classes. This structure ensures that all children access the full range of units and build their historical knowledge progressively, regardless of their class grouping. By carefully sequencing learning across the cycle, we make sure that pupils revisit and deepen key concepts while encountering new content in a logical and coherent order. This approach supports continuity, avoids repetition, and allows every child to develop secure historical understanding over time.

Impact

By the time children leave our school, they will have developed:

Secure Knowledge and Understanding
A strong grasp of people, events, and contexts from the historical periods studied.

Critical Thinking and Communication
The ability to think critically about history and communicate confidently in styles appropriate for a range of audiences.

Evidence-Based Evaluation
The capacity to support, evaluate, and challenge their own and others’ views using detailed, accurate historical evidence derived from a variety of sources.

Reflective and Analytical Skills
The ability to think, reflect, debate, and discuss the past, forming and refining questions and opinions based on evidence.

Curiosity and Engagement
A passion for history and an enthusiastic approach to learning, fostering curiosity about the past and understanding its impact on the present.

Respect for Historical Evidence
The ability to make robust and critical use of historical evidence to support explanations and judgements.

Commitment to Research and Challenge
A desire to embrace challenging activities, including opportunities to undertake high-quality research across a range of topics.

Measuring Impact

Impact will be assessed through:

• Monitoring pupil outcomes via pupil voice interviews, book looks, drop-ins, and staff discussions.
• Assessing children’s knowledge of key components as outlined in the scheme of work.
• Evaluating children’s understanding of topic-specific vocabulary.
• Conducting pupil interviews to discuss their learning experiences.
• Moderation and scrutiny of pupils’ books, alongside professional dialogue to assess the quality of learning.
• Sharing good practice during staff meetings.
• Implementing a continuous cycle of monitoring, evaluation, and review, with clear next steps to ensure ongoing improvement.