History
Intent
At Woodchurch Road, our History curriculum is designed to ignite curiosity, fuel enthusiasm, and cultivate a deep, lifelong love for learning about the past—both in Britain and across the wider world. Rooted in a Project-Based Learning approach, we empower pupils to explore historical content through rich, meaningful, and authentic learning experiences that go beyond traditional subject boundaries.
We believe in learning without limits, where all pupils are encouraged to ask questions, think critically, and challenge perspectives. Historical knowledge is not viewed in isolation but as part of a dynamic web of understanding that connects to present-day issues and future aspirations.
Throughout our Expeditionary Learning model, children continually revisit and apply key historical concepts and skills across diverse projects. These include:
Historical interpretations
Chronological understanding
Investigating and interpreting the past
Building an overview of world and local history
Understanding events, people, and changes
Presenting and communicating historical knowledge with clarity and purpose
Our curriculum promotes inclusion, celebrates diversity, and fosters respect for differing values, beliefs, and cultures. By anchoring history learning in real-world contexts, we aim to develop active citizens who understand their place in the world and the impact they can make.
Implementation
History at Woodchurch Road is taught through multi-disciplinary Expeditionary Projects that are purposeful, immersive, and connected to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. These projects integrate history with other subject areas such as geography, science, art, and literacy—leading to real-world outcomes that matter to our pupils and the wider community.
Each project is carefully planned to ensure a clear progression of historical knowledge and disciplinary skills, while providing opportunities for pupils to revisit, refine, and extend their learning through enquiry, reflection, and collaboration.
In Key Stage 1, children begin to develop a sense of chronology, exploring significant people, places, and events from both local and global contexts. They investigate change over time and begin to understand how the past shapes the present.
In Lower Key Stage 2, pupils deepen their understanding through studies of early civilizations, including the Stone Age, Ancient Egypt, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, and Vikings. These foundational narratives prepare them for more complex historical themes.
In Upper Key Stage 2, pupils critically explore concepts such as legacy, belonging, empire, power, propaganda, and social justice—through the lens of Ancient Greece, Islamic civilization, the transatlantic slave trade, and World War II.
Impact
The impact of our approach is evident in pupils who think like historians—asking questions, weighing evidence, drawing connections, and forming their own interpretations. Through the interconnected nature of Expeditionary Learning, children make links between history, literature, science, and geography, building a deep cultural understanding and a sense of global citizenship.
Our pupils understand that the lives, struggles, and achievements of people in the past have shaped the world they live in—and that they too have the power to shape the future.
At Woodchurch Road, we are proud of the high standards and depth of understanding demonstrated in our children’s work. Books reflect not only rigorous thinking but creativity, voice, and purpose. Across classrooms, historical vocabulary and concepts are embedded, discussed, and celebrated—evidence of a thriving, inclusive learning culture where children are not limited by expectation, but inspired to go further.
