History
At Joseph Hood, we believe that history should spark children’s curiosity and inspire them to explore the past in Britain, our local area and the wider world. Through engaging lessons and rich enquiries, pupils discover how the past has shaped the present and develop a clear sense of how events and people fit together over time.
Our curriculum helps children build a strong sense of identity by connecting personal, local, national and global stories. Alongside this, they develop the key skills of a historian: asking thoughtful questions, analysing sources, weighing up evidence and considering different viewpoints.
As well as deepening their historical knowledge, children also build wider skills that support their learning across the curriculum, from confident communication and critical thinking to creativity and collaboration. History encourages children to reflect on the choices and challenges people have faced in the past, helping them to build values that guide their own lives today.
How we INSPIRE
Inclusive
History at Joseph Hood is for everyone. Our curriculum highlights diverse voices and ensures all children see themselves represented. Lessons are adapted so that every pupil, regardless of background or ability, can connect with the past and understand their place within it.
Nurturing
We nurture children’s natural curiosity by encouraging questions and enquiry into the past. From family stories in the Early Years to complex themes like migration and democracy in Key Stage 2, pupils are supported to grow as confident, reflective learners.
Success
Success in history is built step by step through secure chronological knowledge and the development of key historical skills. Children leave Joseph Hood able to question, reason and use evidence like true historians, preparing them for secondary school and beyond.
Perseverance
Studying history requires perseverance as pupils tackle challenging concepts such as cause and consequence, continuity and change, and interpretation. They learn that history is often complex, that sources can disagree, and that persistence is key to deeper understanding.
Imagination
History expands children’s imagination as they picture lives from the past, reimagine significant events, and explore how different choices might have shaped the world we live in today. Creative activities, drama and debate bring history to life.
Respect
Through history, pupils develop respect for people from different times, cultures and communities. By exploring fairness, justice and diversity across the ages, children learn empathy and the importance of equality.
Encourage
We encourage children to see history not as something distant, but as a narrative that connects to their own lives. By recognising the impact of past events on the present, pupils are inspired to value heritage, celebrate progress and take an active role in shaping a fairer future.
Intent
Our history curriculum at Joseph Hood is both knowledge-rich and enquiry-led, giving children the tools they need to investigate the past with curiosity and independence. We want every pupil to leave primary school with a secure understanding of how different periods connect and how history has shaped the world we live in today.
Through carefully chosen topics, children explore key historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, significance, similarity and difference, fairness, migration and leadership. They are supported to use historical language with confidence, while developing the ability to analyse evidence and form their own interpretations.
History at Joseph Hood also helps pupils to see themselves in the story of the past - whether through local history, family stories, or the wider narratives of Britain and the world. Along the way, they gain cultural capital that enables them to appreciate the heritage of their community and to understand the role they play in shaping the future.
Impact
The impact of our history curriculum can be seen in the way our pupils talk about and use their learning. Children know and remember more as they build a clear sense of how history fits together across different times and places. They develop the confidence to use historical vocabulary accurately, and they grow the skills of true historians - able to question, evaluate and interpret the past with insight.
Across the school, 83% of pupils are achieving or exceeding expectations in History – showcasing the strength of our early teaching and the solid foundations it provides.
Our pupils make meaningful connections between local, national and global history, recognising how events and people are linked across time and place. Through their studies, they come to appreciate fairness, equality, diversity and democracy - values which shape their understanding of the world today. By the time they leave us, children are well prepared for Key Stage 3: curious, confident and enthusiastic learners, ready to continue their journey as reflective and active citizens.
Example of Progression in History
Example of Golden Thread
In history, our “golden threads” are the big ideas that run through all year groups, linking topics together and giving children a sense of continuity in their learning. They help pupils make connections across time and place - for example, by revisiting themes like power, identity, migration, innovation and daily life in different historical contexts.
