Year 4
Autumn Term
Local History: Aberlour House and Gordonstoun
The children look at the history of Aberlour House and Gordonstoun and develop their skills in historical interpretation and enquiry by studying old photographs and buildings.
Spring Term
Ancient Egypt
The children study life in ancient Egypt and think about how archaeological remains can help us find out about the past, how people lived and what they believed.
Summer Term
The Ancient Greeks
The children study life in ancient Greece and how ideas from that time have influenced us today.
Year 5: Invaders and Settlers
Autumn Term and into Spring Term
The Celts and the Romans in Britain
The children study how the Celtic people came to Britain and their way of life. They also look at the impact of the Roman invasion and how we can find out about the Romans by looking at archaeological and written evidence.
Spring Term and Summer Term
The Picts and the Vikings
The children study the archaeological evidence left by the Pictish people. This includes a visit to Burghead Pictish fort. They then look at the Viking invasion and again the archaeological evidence left behind that helps us to understand how they lived.
Year 6
Autumn Term
Scotland at the time of Wallace and Bruce
The children look at why this period of history was so unsettled by conflict and in particular the roles played by William Wallace and Robert the Bruce.
Spring Term
The Aztecs
The children study archaeological and written evidence to find out about how the Aztecs lived and what they have left behind.
Summer Term
World War II
The children look at why the Second World War started and what life was like for children living at the time. This includes learning about the Blitz, evacuation and rationing.
Year 7
In Year 7, pupils follow the Common Entrance syllabus for history which is based on Key Stage 3 of the English National Curriculum.
Greater emphasis is put upon developing essay writing skills and reading and interpreting historical sources in preparation for the Common Entrance exam.
Medieval Realms: 1066 - 1500
During the Autumn Term, the children learn about the Norman Conquest. This includes the Battle of Hastings, the Feudal System, the Domesday Book and castle building. In the Spring Term, they move onto looking at religious life during the Middle Ages. This includes studying medieval religious beliefs, the lives of monks and nuns, conflicts between Church and King as well as the Crusades. During the Summer Term, the children cover the Barons’ Revolt and the Magna Carta, life in a medieval town and village, the Black Death, the Peasants’ Revolt and the Wars of the Roses.
Year 8
In Year 8, pupils continue to follow the Common Entrance syllabus based on Key Stage 3 of the English National Curriculum.
Greater emphasis is put upon developing essay writing skills and reading and interpreting historical sources in preparation for the Common Entrance exam.
The Common Entrance exam is taken in June (with the Scholarship exam being taken earlier in the year in February). Pupils answer questions based on historical sources and write an essay.
The Making of the United Kingdom: 1500 - 1750
This year’s work covers the Tudors and Stuarts. In the Autumn Term, the children look at the religious beliefs of Catholics and Protestants and how their churches differ. They then study why Henry VIII made himself Head of the Church in England and closed down the monasteries. They look briefly at the religious views of Edward VI and Mary, before moving onto the reign of Elizabeth I. Topics covered over the remainder of the term and into the Spring Term are Elizabeth’s religious changes, Mary Queen of Scots, the Spanish Armada and the Elizabethan Poor Law. In the Summer Term, the children look at the Stuart monarchs, starting with James I and the Gunpowder Plot, Charles I and the English Civil War and finally the Great Fire of London.