History

Fantastic News! We are the first Sheffield School to be awarded Heritage Schools Status from Historic England (September 2025)

Know Your Place: Exhibition at Sheffield City Library 2025

We are delighted to share that our school was part of the “Know Your Place” exhibition at Sheffield City Library, in partnership with Create Sheffield and Historic England. Our talented History Ambassadors worked with our Artist in Residence Jayne Cooper to create artwork inspired by listed buildings in our local area. Their creativity and enthusiasm brought Sheffield’s rich heritage to life, and we were so proud to see their work displayed in a public exhibition. As part of the project, children also learned about the fascinating history of Norfolk Park and the story of Queen Victoria’s visit to Sheffield, helping them to understand how our local area connects to wider national history.  It was a wonderful opportunity for pupils to develop their historical knowledge, express themselves through art, and celebrate their community.

Our History Ambassadors in Action!

History Ambassadors

Our History Ambassadors children from Y1-Y6 who are curious and passionate about discovering the past! They help make history fun by sharing amazing stories, organising quizzes and projects, and leading special history events throughout the school year. They inspire everyone to explore history and celebrate our heritage.

Alongside our curriculum our History Ambassadors have many exciting opportunities to undertake indepth historcial studies uncovering exciting and insightful stories about our cities past. This year they studied The Great Sheffield Flood 1864. They took part in a hands on curriculum day with Kathryn from The History Van and then went to visit the site of the flood with Dom and Buddy (our well-being dog) from Beyond the Four Walls before presenting their findings back at school.  

Our History Curriculum 

At our school, history learning is carefully structured across the academic year to inspire curiosity and deepen understanding for our learners. 

• Autumn Term: Each year group explores a key period or theme in history, building strong foundational knowledge through engaging lessons and rich historical content.
  
  
• Spring Term: Pupils focus on developing essential historical skills such as critical thinking, source analysis, and understanding cause and effect, applying what they’ve learned in practical and meaningful ways.
  
  
• Summer Term: The focus shifts to local history, where children investigate the past of their own city and community. Through exciting projects and storytelling, they uncover the people, places, and events that have shaped their local area.
  

This approach ensures children develop both a broad understanding of history and a strong connection to their own heritage.

Our history curriculum is designed to build both substantive knowledge and disciplinary understanding across all phases of learning — from the Early Years through to Year 6. In addition to developing a secure knowledge of key historical periods and themes, we embed a number of key concepts that underpin children’s historical thinking and enquiry skills.

We are proud to have team members with degree-level qualifications in History, who bring both subject expertise and a deep passion for the subject. This enthusiasm is shared across the staff team through collaborative planning, internal CPD, and knowledge-sharing, ensuring that all teachers feel confident in delivering a high-quality history curriculum. 

Through our history curriculum, children gain a secure knowledge of local, national, and world history. Children develop a strong sense of chronology, the ability to interpret and evaluate evidence, and the vocabulary to articulate their understanding, explain historical concepts, and construct informed responses about the past and its impact on the present. Lessons are structured to establish strong foundational knowledge at the start of each unit, preparing children to apply this knowledge when handling sources, engaging in enquiry, or visiting places of historical significance. High-quality teaching develops disciplinary skills so children can think like historians: asking perceptive questions, weighing evidence, making connections, and considering different interpretations of the past.

Furthermore, we bring history to life through exciting partnerships with external providers and enriching visits both locally and further afield. Children experience the past in engaging and memorable ways through collaborations with VR Prime, The History Van, West End in Schools, and Beyond the Four Walls. These opportunities help pupils consolidate and contextualise their learning, deepening their understanding of history and its relevance today.

In the Foundation Stage our children develop understanding of the world through a range of experiences including exploration off site of local parks, libraries and museums, using our extensive outdoor area and growing areas and through our Life Skills House. As well as experiences, high quality books and materials are available to develop talk about past and present events in children’s own lives and in the lives of their family members. Our children know that other children don’t always enjoy the same things, and are sensitive to this. They know about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and among families, communities and traditions. Children are encouraged to use past, present and future forms accurately when talking about events that have happened or are to happen in the future. They develop their own narratives and explanations by connecting ideas or events; planned events, visits and experiences boost opportunities for such talk. 

The taught content supports children's progression into Y1 and is a quality springboard for developing as Young Historians!

In Key Stage 1 and 2 history is taught as a clear journey through time, helping children understand how people lived, ruled, worked and believed from the Stone Age through to World War II. Our carefully planned progression ensures pupils develop secure chronological knowledge while exploring substantive concepts and connecting the golden threads which are the big ideas that run through different time periods. By revisiting these concepts in different historical contexts, children make meaningful connections, compare and contrast, and build a deeper understanding of how the past has shaped the world they live in today.

As well as developing knowledge, our curriculum is designed to build children's skills as young historians. Through our disciplinary concepts children learn to ask thoughtful questions, weigh evidence, consider different viewpoints and explain why events happened and why they matter. This balance of knowledge and skills helps children to not only know historical facts, but to think and work like historians. 

Our aim is for children to acquire a strong sense of identity, curiosity and application of the past. They will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to question evidence, understand different perspectives and reflect on how history continues to shape their lives and communities today. 

Arbourthorne Community Primary School is a member of the Historical Association

History Yearly Overview  

Assessment

Alongside learning the ‘sticky’ substantive knowledge for each year group, we assess the children’s ability to apply their knowledge through an assessment piece at the end a unit of learning. This task involves children analysing an unseen source, which is related to the areas of history they have been learning about.  It provides an opportunity for children to use the knowledge and skills they have learned about and apply them in a different context, therefore demonstrating true understanding and application.

The source analysis task, recollection of the ‘sticky’ knowledge, lesson outcomes and understanding in lessons are all used to inform the teacher assessment judgement for each child.  At the end of each term, teachers will decide whether a child is working above, at or below age related expectations in history.  This information will then be used to inform future teaching to ensure pupils keep up.

History Rationale

Knowledge Organisers

Our History organisers show timelines, places to visit, books to read and films to watch that will add to children's learning experiences. Each organiser has a timeline and these are sent home to families who use these for flipped learning and to enhance discussions and reflections at home about the subject of History! 

Learning Journey

These are our 'Learning Journeys' which show the journey children's learning takes, through different subjects across the curriculum with History as a driver towards an authentic outcome - something that means something real to the children. Children and families have copies of these 'Learning Journeys' so they know what to expect, where they can prepare, and to reflect on.