History

At Gad’s Hill, History is more than learning about the past — it’s about inspiring curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the world. Through engaging topics, from ancient civilisations to modern events, children explore how people lived, what they believed, and how their actions shaped the present. As part of achieving a Good Level of Development (GLD) within the EYFS framework, children begin to develop an understanding of history by exploring past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members. 

Our curriculum is designed to challenge and excite. We use storytelling, enquiry-based learning, and hands-on experiences to bring history to life. Lessons are carefully structured to build knowledge and skills over time, helping pupils make meaningful connections across periods and themes. 

We believe every child should feel successful. That’s why we differentiate learning to support all abilities, offering stretch and challenge, as well as support where needed. Enrichment opportunities, such as themed days, museum visits, and historical role-play, deepen understanding and spark imagination. 

History at Gad’s Hill nurtures key skills: questioning, reasoning, empathy, and communication. It encourages pupils to think critically, consider different perspectives, and develop a strong sense of identity and values. These are essential foundations for future learning and active citizenship. 

History at Gad’s Hill encourages pupils’ curiosity about the past and its impact and relevance to their lives and issues today. The study of the human experience should produce reflective and empathetic adults. In History we explore a variety of time periods, people and events. We look at what changed, what didn’t change; what caused the change and what the consequence of it was; how significant that change, event or person was; and identify similarities and differences within what we’ve studied.  

This is done by new information being revealed each lesson and an opportunity for you to assess it, evaluate it and make your own judgement. We use sources (from the time) and interpretations (from after) to reach these judgements.  

Studying the past allows us to use anything and everything to learn more about it! This means that what we explore can be different every lesson. We develop your skills in inferring from a source, this is where you suggest what the source is saying which might be different from everyone else’s ideas. History encourages you to be unique, to say what you think and justify it.  

The journey begins in KS1 where events like the Gunpowder Plot and the Great Fire of London and ancient civilizations like Egypt and Rome are studied. KS2 moves on to the Indus Valley, Tudor exploration, medieval Bagdad, the Crusades, and African kingdoms like Benin, Timbuktu and Great Zimbabwe. Moving into KS3, and Upper Shell investigates why Kings of England struggled to rule. This includes Alfred and the Viking invasion, Henry II and his family’s revolt, John and the Magna Carta, Edward III and the Black Death, and Henry and the break from Rome. Lower Fourth question how European imperialism impacted the world. We explore the impact of 16-17th century exploration, the slave trade, the development of the British Empire, 19th century colonialism and consequently the causes of the First World War. We finish KS3 studying the Third Reich and the Holocaust.  

The journey comes to an end with KS4 History, where we study the AQA GCSE options of the American West, Health and the People, Norman England or Elizabethan England, and the First World War. The four exam papers require you to answer a range of questions that cover all the skills taught. Some are short and expect you to suggest from a source, others are longer and need you to evaluate (weigh up) the impact of a factor. This is personal, what you think; and so studying History is not prescriptive but about what you get out of it. 

History is the subject for wanting to know ‘why’ and ‘how’. Essentially, we study human beings; and so, any future career that involves empathy, understanding and communication will benefit from what you learn in History at Gad’s Hill. You are encouraged to question what you know, how things were, what is the truth. You will become a master at articulately explaining something and justifying it using evidence. Is there a more relevant subject?! 

At Gad’s Hill, History is more than learning about the past — it’s about inspiring curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the world. Through engaging topics, from ancient civilisations to modern events, children explore how people lived, what they believed, and how their actions shaped the present. As part of achieving a Good Level of Development (GLD) within the EYFS framework, children begin to develop an understanding of history by exploring past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members. 

Our curriculum is designed to challenge and excite. We use storytelling, enquiry-based learning, and hands-on experiences to bring history to life. Lessons are carefully structured to build knowledge and skills over time, helping pupils make meaningful connections across periods and themes. 

We believe every child should feel successful. That’s why we differentiate learning to support all abilities, offering stretch and challenge, as well as support where needed. Enrichment opportunities, such as themed days, museum visits, and historical role-play, deepen understanding and spark imagination. 

History at Gad’s Hill nurtures key skills: questioning, reasoning, empathy, and communication. It encourages pupils to think critically, consider different perspectives, and develop a strong sense of identity and values. These are essential foundations for future learning and active citizenship. 

History at Gad’s Hill encourages pupils’ curiosity about the past and its impact and relevance to their lives and issues today. The study of the human experience should produce reflective and empathetic adults. In History we explore a variety of time periods, people and events. We look at what changed, what didn’t change; what caused the change and what the consequence of it was; how significant that change, event or person was; and identify similarities and differences within what we’ve studied.  

This is done by new information being revealed each lesson and an opportunity for you to assess it, evaluate it and make your own judgement. We use sources (from the time) and interpretations (from after) to reach these judgements.  

Studying the past allows us to use anything and everything to learn more about it! This means that what we explore can be different every lesson. We develop your skills in inferring from a source, this is where you suggest what the source is saying which might be different from everyone else’s ideas. History encourages you to be unique, to say what you think and justify it.  

The journey begins in KS1 where events like the Gunpowder Plot and the Great Fire of London and ancient civilizations like Egypt and Rome are studied. KS2 moves on to the Indus Valley, Tudor exploration, medieval Bagdad, the Crusades, and African kingdoms like Benin, Timbuktu and Great Zimbabwe. Moving into KS3, and Upper Shell investigates why Kings of England struggled to rule. This includes Alfred and the Viking invasion, Henry II and his family’s revolt, John and the Magna Carta, Edward III and the Black Death, and Henry and the break from Rome. Lower Fourth question how European imperialism impacted the world. We explore the impact of 16-17th century exploration, the slave trade, the development of the British Empire, 19th century colonialism and consequently the causes of the First World War. We finish KS3 studying the Third Reich and the Holocaust.  

The journey comes to an end with KS4 History, where we study the AQA GCSE options of the American West, Health and the People, Norman England or Elizabethan England, and the First World War. The four exam papers require you to answer a range of questions that cover all the skills taught. Some are short and expect you to suggest from a source, others are longer and need you to evaluate (weigh up) the impact of a factor. This is personal, what you think; and so studying History is not prescriptive but about what you get out of it. 

History is the subject for wanting to know ‘why’ and ‘how’. Essentially, we study human beings; and so, any future career that involves empathy, understanding and communication will benefit from what you learn in History at Gad’s Hill. You are encouraged to question what you know, how things were, what is the truth. You will become a master at articulately explaining something and justifying it using evidence. Is there a more relevant subject?!