We were delighted to have been assessed by the History Association and awarded their Gold quality mark for our outstanding History curriculum.
Here are some comments from the report:
‘The curriculum is well-designed, coherent and progressive across the school. A bespoke detailed long-term plan is designed to ensure depth of learning.’
‘planning is well sequenced to build knowledge and skills’
‘supporting EAL pupils is a clear strength of the school’
‘effective tracking based on valid criteria for progression is a strong feature’
‘History is extremely well managed and organised by subject leaders’
‘The whole school ethos is very much one of constant improvement, tweaking and adapting everything to make it the best it can be for each class of children.’
At Smithdown Primary, we believe that fostering a rich understanding of local and global history is essential in developing self-identity. We look back to explore how ancient civilisations have shaped the world and different cultures and examine significant events and eras in British history. This knowledge allows children to appreciate how a democratic and multi-cultural Britain evolved whilst developing a deep understanding of chronology.
By developing the skills of enquiry, investigation, analysis, evaluation and presentation, we aim to enable children to think as historians. We place emphasis on providing children with first-hand experiences through learning visits to historical sites and providing access to historical artefacts. We focus on helping children understand that historical events can be interpreted in different ways and children are encouraged to ask searching questions. By learning the skills to uncover the past, we believe children will be able to make informed choices for the future.
In Key Stage 1 children will develop an awareness of the past. They will learn about significant individuals who have contributed to national and international achievements. Children will also learn about significant historical events within the local area. They will also study changes within living memory as well as events beyond living memory that are nationally or globally significant such as The Great Fire of London. Their learning will be placed within a chronological framework.
In Key Stage 2 children will continue to appreciate history in a chronological context. They will develop a secure understanding of British, local and world history. In upper key stage 2 they will study Ancient Greece and the Anglo Saxons, whilst in lower key stage 2 they will study the Ancient Egyptians and the Victorians. Children will consider connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms. They will also learn to understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of different sources and spend time looking at, and dealing with, different sources.
Progression in History will be assessed through listening to children’s responses and contributions to discussions and evaluating their written work. Please click on the links below for more details about our History curriculum.
National Curriculum for History
Whole School Curriculum Plan 2023-2024
Progression in historical skills
Some AMAZING entries for the Merseyside Police competition! Children have worked hard creating lovely pieces of work with great messages as well. Well done to everyone who has submitted already. Last day tomorrow (Friday 13th September).
Year 4 generated questions and predicted events around Roman artefacts.
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Today we have recapped living memory and beyond living memory in History from year 1 and 2 topics.
We are starting to learn about all the different styles, colours, shapes and uses of Ancient Greek pottery here in Y6.
After learning about life in Ancient Sparta and Athens, we researched Greek schools and what would be taught in each. Following this, we presented our information in a poster ./ information page format. Hope you like them!
Year 5 had a fantastic time learning about Anglo Saxon and Viking daily life in Martin Mere. We learned how to weave, fight in battle, make a thatched roof and forage for medicine and food in the woods
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Super work creating our Bronze Age Bell Beaker pots. We created a similar shape and added patterns to them.
What a great day we had in Chester at the Deva Experience! We marched the streets of Chester and learned lots of interesting facts about the Roman Empire.
We combined science with history with our TIME topic and looked at how tools to tell the time have changed over the years. We created a timeline of discoveries and measured out our own sundials with our protractors.
We worked hard in art today to make expressive collages of the Titanic.
We created our own versions of the Liverpool skyline one night during The Blitz in World War Two.
We read some accounts of evacuation during WW2, comparing content and explaining what information and evidence each source provided.
We have been investigating our first explorer Ibn Battuta in Year 2. We researched the countries he visited and how he travelled today.
We have been looking at evacuation and it’s impact on children during the war – we examined some sources and discussed what they were and their intentions! 
2GH made some beautiful poppies to help us remember today.
For Remembrance Day, we read the poem ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’ and after discussing the content, we embellished the poem with images of poppies.
We have created some beautiful poems after reading Flanders Fields and used watercolours/charcoal/pencils to create some poppy artwork to mark Remembrance Day.
We have started our WW2 topic by exploring who was involved, how it began and why. We made a double page spread to answer our enquiry!
4KM had a great history lesson this afternoon learning all about the Victorian classrooms and comparing them to modern day classrooms. The children finished off the lesson with some role play of learning in a Victorian classrooom!! #smithdownhist
What ancient Egyptians believed about death? We used role play to become priests that would have preserved bodies and prepared them for being buried. We washed, pulled organs out, placed the body in salt, embalmed the body and then placed it into a coffin. #smithdownhist
This afternoon, 3KM have had so much fun learning about mummification in History! #smithdownhis #smithdownyr3
What an exciting afternoon excavating some Ancient Egyptian artefacts! We all became archaeologists and discovered things like Howard Carter. We found some things that may have belonged to Tutankhamen. ⚰️?? #smithdownhist
Year 3 have had fun being Archaeologists this afternoon! We have been using a picking tool to remove the dirt, look at what we discovered! ? #smithdownhis #smithdowny3
What a week it has been already! Year 3 children have settled in so well and demonstrated their maturity and attitude towards their work. They could remember lots of their previous learning in History. They could organise events into living memory and beyond. #smithdownhist
