At Aston Rowant, History is a vibrant, enquiry-led subject that ignites curiosity, builds knowledge and helps children understand the story of humanity - locally, nationally and globally. Through our Christian values of Gratitude, Resilience, Outreach, Wonder, Trust and Harmony, children develop a deep sense of identity, empathy and responsibility, learning how the past shapes the world they live in today.

We follow the Kapow Primary mixed-age rolling programme (Cycles A & B), ensuring a well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum for every pupil, including those with SEND. Across the school, children revisit key concepts and disciplinary knowledge - chronology, change and continuity, cause and consequence, evidence, and interpretation — helping them develop as confident, thoughtful historians.

Our curriculum is enriched with hands-on experiences including:

• Immersive theme days (Victorian Day, Ancient Egyptian Day, Ancient Greece Day)
• Visitors such as Mr Egypt, who brings the ancient world to life
• VR historical experiences — allowing children to step into the past
• Black History Month celebrations every year
• Local history studies connecting children to their community and heritage

History at Aston Rowant develops children who are curious, reflective and proud of their place within God’s story.

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At Aston Rowant School our curriculum emphasises the importance of historical knowledge being shaped by disciplinary approaches, as shown in the diagram above. These strands are interwoven through all our history units in order to create engaging and enriching learning experiences which allow the children to investigate history as historians do. In EYFS, children explore the concept of history by reflecting on key experiences from their own past, helping them understand that they each have their own histories. Then, they engage in activities to compare and contrast characters from stories, including historical figures, deepening their understanding of how individual lives fit into broader historical narratives. Children will further develop their awareness of the past in Key stage 1 and will know where people and events fit chronologically. This will support children in building a ‘mental timeline’ they can refer to throughout their learning in Key stage 2 and identifying connections, contrasts and trends over time. Over the course of the curriculum, children develop their understanding of the following key disciplinary concepts:

• Change and continuity
• Cause and consequence
• Similarities and differences
•  Historical significance
• Historical interpretations
• Sources of evidence

These concepts will be encountered in different contexts during the study of local, British and world history. Accordingly, children will have varied opportunities to learn how historians use these skills to analyse the past and make judgements. Our spiral curriculum model ensures previous skills and knowledge are returned to and built upon. For example, children progress by developing their knowledge and understanding of substantive and disciplinary concepts by experiencing them in a range of historical contexts and periods. They will confidently develop and use their own historical skill set.