A roadmap for primary history skills and knowledge

This printable PDF document outlines the progression of history skills and knowledge in EYFS, KS1 and KS2 and how it aligns with the National curriculum. For primary teachers looking for an engaging History scheme of work, our progression of skills and knowledge helps deliver a comprehensive history curriculum. 

How can I use this document to plan my history curriculum effectively?

The Kapow Primary history scheme of work follows a structured, spiral curriculum. This document is a valuable tool for primary history planning, enabling you to see how skills and knowledge build upon each other from year to year. 

The document supports subject leaders and teachers when planning the history curriculum by outlining the progression of skills throughout KS1 and KS2 and showing which lessons support that progression. Use it during your planning process to ensure each year group builds on the previous one, with clear guidance on which lessons to focus on at each stage.

How do history skills and knowledge develop at Kapow Primary?

This document outlines the development of history knowledge across all year groups, ensuring a clear pathway for pupil learning. Progression is broken down into the following key areas:

• Topic knowledge – investigating key figures or events from historical periods; examining how aspects of life have developed over time.
• Chronological awareness – understanding how historical periods interconnect, overlap and impact each other.
• Substantive (abstract) concepts – recurring themes, key concepts and fundamental elements of historical knowledge, such as ’empire’, ‘monarchy’ or ‘invasion and settlement’.
• Disciplinary concepts – learning how historians investigate the past and how they construct historical claims.
• Historical enquiry – experiencing the process that historians use; navigating historical concepts by questioning, investigating, interpreting, evaluating, concluding and communicating.

What other Kapow Primary resources support primary history teaching? 

• For our standard history scheme, see History: Long-term plan.
• If you follow our Long-term plan – mixed-age, see the corresponding Progression of skills and knowledge – mixed-age version.
• See how children begin their Kapow history journey with our EYFS (Reception) History units. 
• To learn how children develop skills, see our History KS1 units.
• Explore more of Kapow’s History scheme by browsing our Lower KS2, Upper KS2  and Mixed-age units.