Vision Statement

Together we inspire one another to love learn respect and forgive, rooted and built up in Christ, so that every member of our school community can develop and flourish; united in mutual respect with a sense of belonging.

St Joseph’s History Curriculum Intent

At St Joseph’s, we believe that history should inspire curiosity, ignite a love of learning and help our children understand the world they live in today. Our intent is to provide every child with a rich and ambitious history education that:

  • Develops a strong sense of chronology, enabling children to understand the story of Britain from the earliest times to the present day, and to recognise how people’s lives have shaped our nation and how Britain has both influenced, and been influenced by, the wider world.

  • Introduces children to significant aspects of world history, including ancient civilisations, the growth and decline of empires, and the achievements and challenges of societies across time and place.

  • Equips pupils with historical concepts and vocabulary, such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity and difference, and significance, so they can make connections, draw contrasts and build coherent accounts of the past.

  • Promotes historical enquiry skills, encouraging children to ask perceptive questions, analyse a wide range of sources, evaluate evidence, consider different interpretations and form their own reasoned judgements. These skills are essential not only for understanding the past but also for becoming active citizens who can think critically about information today — including recognising bias, questioning reliability and making informed decisions about news and media online.

  • Celebrates local history, particularly the rich and diverse heritage of Leicester. We want children to understand their place in our multicultural city: although many of us are living, learning and working here from different parts of the country and the world, what unites us is that Leicester is our shared home, and our shared history binds us together to create a cohesive community.

  • Builds perspective and appreciation, helping children to see the interconnections between cultural, social, political, religious and economic history, and to recognise the importance of both long- and short-term timescales.

Ultimately, our history curriculum at St Joseph’s enables children to become thoughtful, informed and reflective individuals who understand that the past shapes the present and future. Through the study of history, they come to see their part in the unfolding story of the world God created, to value both the local and global histories that unite us as a diverse community, and to recognise their responsibility to shape the future with wisdom, justice and compassion.

Implementation of the teaching and learning of History

History is taught 2-3 times a year in 7 week blocks and matches curriculum topics.

Our planning and teaching of history is supported by resources adapted from the Grammarsaurus

All children explore the history of Leicester through museum visits, local area studies and visits to our parish church of St Joseph’s throughout the year.

Children in Years 3 and 5 visit Bosworth Battlefield to study the Romans and Richard III.

Children in Years 2 and 3 visit Newark Houses and Abbey Park to study the history of Leicester.

Year 4 visit Leicester Museum to study the Ancient Egyptians.

Year 6 visit the Leicester Guild Hall and Leicester Cathedral.

More visits and visitors into school are being planned for future learning.

Impact of the teaching and learning of History

Children will gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local to Leicester, regional, national, Catholic and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

Children will learn how to make judgements about the validity, importance and provenance of sources of evidence. This will equip children to make judgments about what they consume online and the importance of fact-checking and making informed decisions about the origins of information.

Mrs Darby

History Medium Term Plans