Our Intent – What we want for our children
At Barley Fields, we are proud to offer a rich and inspiring History curriculum that encourages children to think, question, and act like true historians. We want every child to develop a love of learning about the past — understanding how and why things happened and how history shapes the world we live in today.
Through studying different periods, people and cultures, children learn to appreciate diversity, recognise change over time and understand their place in the world. We also encourage a strong sense of local identity by exploring the history of our area and how it connects to the wider story of Britain and beyond.
By the end of their time at Barley Fields, our children will have built up a wealth of knowledge and vocabulary, enabling them to think critically, make connections across time periods, and explain the past with confidence.
Our Implementation – How We Teach History
Our carefully structured History curriculum helps children know more, remember more and do more as they progress through school. It is built around four key threads that link learning across year groups:
Civilisation, Invasion and Settlement, Power, and Legacy.
From the Early Years, where children explore the past and present in simple, familiar contexts, to Key Stage 2, where they study significant people, places and events, children develop historical skills through:
- Historical Knowledge
- Chronological Understanding
- Historical Enquiry
- Historical Interpretation
Lessons are practical, engaging and enquiry-based. Children investigate artefacts, analyse evidence, and use questioning to draw conclusions about the past. Our use of high-quality resources, IT, field trips and themed days brings history to life in meaningful ways.
We follow a bespoke, research-informed curriculum that is regularly reviewed to ensure relevance and effectiveness. Adaptive teaching is at the heart of our approach, ensuring every learner can access and enjoy History.
Our curriculum character, Harriet the Historian, helps children reflect on the key skills and attitudes needed to think and work like historians.
Our Impact – What It Means for Our Children
Our History curriculum helps children understand their place in the world and the long story of human development. Children leave Barley Fields as curious, thoughtful learners who can think critically about the past and express their ideas with confidence.
Children at Barley Fields:
- Have secure knowledge of people, events and historical contexts
- Can think critically, question sources and communicate ideas clearly
- Show curiosity, enthusiasm and respect for the past
- Use evidence to support their ideas and form their own judgements
- Enjoy researching, discussing and debating historical events
We are proud of our children’s progress and passion for History. Through classroom learning, enrichment opportunities and pupil voice, we see confident historians who understand how the past continues to shape their future.