History

We build on the National Curriculum for history with series of units that break down what each child should know and understand at every stage in their journey with us. Each unit sets out:

• A clear expectation of what children should learn
• A Talk Homework activity to engage families in their child’s learning
• Suggested reading to increase children’s understanding
• Extra activities that draw on local resources
• Guidance from teachers on sensitive issues to look out for, teaching a balanced viewpoint, and adapting the unit to meet the needs of individual classes
• Links to our Rights Respecting Schools Award curriculum.

Our unique ChangeMakers programme introduces children to people who have made a difference to the world. These range from famous people, such as Amelia Earhart or Marie Curie, to the less well known such as Barates the Syrian at Hadrian’s Wall or Fatima al-Fihri, founder of the first university.

We develop children’s historical understanding of their world, including visitors, trips, artefacts, and historical fiction and stories. We are particularly proud of our Manchester History units.

These cover the history of Manchester and the North West, including Manchester, the Industrial Revolution and Slavery, 20th Century Manchester, and a final unit on Immigration to Manchester Through the Ages, which includes an overview of the Black and Asian presence in Manchester, from the Syrian Romans to the Windrush generation, and gives children chance to reflect on how their own family history is part of the history of the city.