Intent - What we want our pupils to learn

Our history curriculum is carefully structured to meet the aims of the national curriculum by building knowledge and skills across the following five strands:

Substantive knowledge strands

• 1. Topic knowledge – supporting pupils in developing a rich understanding of specific historical periods, events and individuals.
• 2. Chronological awareness– enabling pupils to place historical events in time, identify sequences of change and continuity and recognise the broader historical narrative.
• 3. Substantive (abstract) concepts – introducing pupils to key historical ideas such as empire, democracy, and civilisation, allowing them to make connections across different periods and contexts.

Disciplinary strands

• 4. Historical enquiry – equipping pupils with the skills to ask questions, select evidence and construct informed responses using a range of historical sources.
• 5. Disciplinary concepts – helping pupils explore how history is constructed and interpreted, developing their understanding of evidence, significance, cause and consequence and continuity and change.

Each unit draws on all five strands, with a carefully sequenced progression that enables pupils to deepen their understanding and apply their knowledge in increasingly complex and meaningful contexts. The Kapow Primary History scheme covers all of the national curriculum’s subject content and time periods, allowing pupils to study periods in depth and themes throughout history.