At St. Marys, our History curriculum is designed to inspire pupils’ curiosity about the past, foster critical thinking, and help them understand how historical events and societies have shaped the modern world. To deliver a rich, coherent, and ambitious education, we follow a knowledge-rich curriculum. Built on a carefully structured, chronological framework from Early Years through to Year 6, this curriculum enables children to develop a deep sense of time, build secure mental timelines, and acquire a rich store of historical knowledge that accumulates year upon year.

Our curriculum encourages pupils to learn, to think and enquire like true historians. They explore substantive concepts—such as monarchy, democracy, empire, invasion, and civil war—in increasingly complex contexts as they progress through the school. Lessons actively engage pupils with a variety of historical sources and artifacts, encouraging them to weigh evidence, discern cause and effect, identify historical changes and continuities, and form well-reasoned arguments. By connecting local, national, and global histories, our pupils gain a broad perspective on human experience and develop the empathy and critical understanding needed to make sense of today’s world.