“The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
History at St John Fisher
At St John Fisher Primary School, our History curriculum aims to ignite children’s curiosity about the past and help them understand how history has shaped the world we live in today. We want our pupils to think, question, and reason like good historians — understanding chronology, recognising cause and effect, examining and interpreting evidence, carrying out research, justifying opinions, and forming thoughtful hypotheses.
Our lessons are designed around these key historical skills, ensuring that children are not only learning about the past but also learning from it. History at St John Fisher forms part of our carefully designed blocked curriculum, with each year group exploring two main topics a year. This structure allows pupils to study periods of history in depth, make meaningful connections, and develop a clear understanding of change and continuity over time.
Our curriculum has been thoughtfully sequenced to ensure that both knowledge and skills are built upon progressively from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) through to Year 6. In EYFS, children begin by exploring their own recent past through family stories and familiar experiences. They enjoy stories from the past and compare how places — such as beaches — have changed over time. As pupils move through the school, their understanding deepens and broadens, culminating in a rich knowledge of significant periods, people, and events such as the Romans, Richard III, and the Ancient Greeks.
By the end of their journey at St John Fisher, our pupils will have developed a secure chronological understanding of British and world history, the ability to think critically about evidence, and an appreciation of how the past continues to influence the present and future.
History: Useful Links
To see the Long Term Plan and Progression Information: CLICK HERE
History Learning Journey: CLICK HERE
History Knowledge and Skills Progression: CLICK HERE
What do good Historians do: CLICK HERE
