Keystage history

7 don’ts when it comes to OFSTED deep dives in primary history

1. DON’T assume that OFSTED has an expectation of what constitutes schemes of work: they don’t I mention this because…

Closing the circle: making sure you have an exciting, ‘fit for purpose’ learning product in your KS1 and 2 history topics

I have often thought that we don’t always invest as much time in considering the final product of a unit’s…

Britain during the Second World War knowledge organiser – KS2

In this topic you will learn why Britain went to war and was threatened with invasion by Hitler’s Germany during…

2024 – Important anniversaries

Making sure you don’t miss out on this year’s important anniversaries in your history teaching Grace Darling – KS1 4…

Shang dynasty knowledge organiser – KS2

You are studying the Shang dynasty because it was the first Chinese civilization in ancient times and one for which…

History as problem solving

Pupils solve problems when they study mathematics. They solve problems in science lessons. So why not in history? Perhaps it’s…

When three queens ruled knowledge organiser – KS1

In this topic you are going to find out about three of the most famous queens that each ruled this…

When three queens ruled – KQ1 – Which three queens of England are most remembered in history and why?

This active and entertaining first session aims to provide pupils with a clear chronological overview of the last 500 years…

cartoon of queen victoria looking out window

When three queens ruled – KQ2 – How different was life in England when the 3 queens were ruling?

Out of the window Children are shown three images of scenes from the different periods as seen through a window….

When three queens ruled – KQ3 – How do we know about the queens who lived so long ago?

Handling sources of evidence Having explored the range of visual sources available to historians studying the three queens, pupils actively…

When three queens ruled – KQ4 – What important changes happened when each of the queens ruled?

Change / Significance Starting with 3 short video presentations, pupils go on to research the key changes from each of…

When three queens ruled – KQ5 – How should we remember these famous queens?

Pupils explore a range of ways in which monarchs are commemorated, focusing on Queen Elizabeth II, before going onto design…

Shang dynasty – KQ1 – Why do YOU think the Shang dynasty MIGHT be important?

Lively introductory session which creatively gets pupils to find things out for themselves and check their understanding using bells and…

Poppy Day: what are memories?

This is the first session on Remembrance Day. It uses the excellent story of Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge as a…

What do we remember on Poppy Day / Remembrance Day?

This session revolves around a PowerPoint presentation which poses 6 significant questions, each designed to encourage pupils to think and…

Shang dynasty – KQ2 – How different was the Shang society to other civilizations at the time?

Using the expert/envoy technique to research and disseminate information from dossiers on a range of different aspects of Shang society,…

Shang dynasty – KQ3 – What can we tell about the Shang dynasty from the objects that have survived?

Here the focus is on developing enquiry-led learning which is as much about asking valid historical questions as it is…

Shang dynasty – KQ4 – Why has our understanding of the Shang dynasty changed so much in the last 100 years?

Opening up the tricky concept of interpretations of the past, this session enables pupils to grasp that history is always…

Shang dynasty – KQ5 – What was distinctive about the Shang people’s beliefs?

Having used a fast-paced Information Run activity to acquire the key points about Shang religion pupils are set the task…

Shang dynasty – KQ6 – If the Shang dynasty was so well organised why did come to an end after just 600 years and what makes it so special for people today?

Pupils compare 5 different simple textbook explanations, which they colour code, before building their own explanation, based on what seems…

Seaside knowledge organiser – KS1

You are learning about this topic to help you to understand how different life was over the last 100 years….

Bulletin – September 2023

Welcome to the September 2023 edition of the Keystage history newsletter, just in time for the start of the new…

Columbus knowledge organiser – KS1

Columbus is a world-famous navigator and explorer whose daring voyages in search of the Indies led to the opening of…

Ancient Egypt and other ancient civilisations knowledge organiser – KS2

You are learning about ancient Egypt, because it is the best known and most popular of the early civilisations that…

OFSTED’s latest findings on primary history 2023

Periodically, OFSTED offers a report that codifies the main findings of their most recent subject specific visits. The last major…

Scott of the Antarctic knowledge organiser – KS1

You are learning about Scott as he was one of Britain’s most famous explorers. Perhaps you are studying other explorers…

Crime and punishment knowledge organiser – KS2

You are studying this topic in history because it helps you to understand how things have changed,(and have stayed roughly…

Black and British knowledge organiser – KS2

You are studying this topic in the hope that you will discover how Black British is an important part of…

Victorian Britain knowledge organiser – KS2

You are learning about Victorian Britain because this was a really significant period of huge change in industry and technology,…

Mayan civilisation knowledge organiser – KS2

The height of Maya civilization came at the time when the Saxons were fighting the Vikings in Britain, but it…

Grace Darling knowledge organiser – KS1

You are learning about Grace Darling because at a young age she carried out a brave rescue and saved 9…

Benin knowledge organiser – KS2

Benin was a very important civilization, not just within Africa but in world history too. An important part of what…

Mary Seacole knowledge organiser – KS1

Mary was a remarkable lady best remembered for her work during the Crimean war (1853-1856) where she helped injured soldiers,…

Wright brothers knowledge organiser – KS1

For centuries, man had dreamed of flying like birds. By the end of the 19th century, men could rise into…

Moon landing knowledge organiser – KS1

This event captured the attention of the whole world with hundreds of millions, perhaps 1 in every 5 people, watching…

Sinking of the Titainic knowledge organiser – KS1

In this topic you are going to find out about the most famous ship, at the time the biggest ever…

Teaching interpretations – top 10 key messages

In a recent article in the Historical Association’s Primary History publication the ever-reliable Tim Lomas attempted to identify the top…

Vikings knowledge organiser – KS2

Probably one of the most captivating of KS2 history topics, the Vikings present wonderful opportunities to capitalise on pupils’ fascination…

Florence Nightingale Knowledge Organiser – KS1

Florence Nightingale Knowledge Organiser – In their study of Florence Nightingale, often compared to the lesser-known Mary Seacole, pupils learn…

Anglo-Saxons knowledge organiser – KS2

During this period England emerged as a recognisable nation and Christianity became established. The recent coronation of Charles III is…

Great Fire of London knowledge organiser – KS1

The Great Fire of 1666 is an event that most people know about today not least because it changed the…

Keeping up to-date with teaching of the Maya – Archaeologists uncover scoreboard for ancient Maya ball game

In the Archaeological Zone of Chichén Itzá, archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have discovered a…

EYFS and History in OFSTED deep dives

According to OFSTED (January 2023), inspectors will want to know how key stage 1 builds on the knowledge that children…

Moving on to the next stage in learning

There is a paragraph that seems to be copied and pasted into a number of deep dive OFSTED reports I…

Golden threads or Gordian knot? How to weave first order historical concepts into the fabric of your history curriculum

Talking about ‘first-order’ historical concepts, by which I mean ideas such as empire and invasion, civilization, power and authority has…

Rosa Parks – KQ1 – Can we work as history detectives to work out why Rosa Parks did that made her famous?

Pupils are pitched straight into the role as history detectives using mainly visual clues to piece together the possible reasons…

Thinking about Women’s History Month at KS1? – March 2024

What can you do? Well at KS1, how about broadening the range of significant people you offer to the pupils…

Statutory Guidance: National curriculum in England: history programmes of study

First published 11 September 2013 by Department of Education. View document on Department of Education website Applies to England Purpose…

National curriculum in England – History programmes of study: key stages 1 and 2

View document on Department of Education website Purpose of study A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent…

National curriculum in England – History programmes of study: key stage 3

View document on Department of Education website Purpose of study A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent…

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