Chronological Understanding

The national curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils:

know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world.

KS1

They should know where the people and events they study fit within a chronological framework and identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods.

KS2

Pupils should continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.

Year 1

Chronological Understanding

Children Then & Now

Sequence events in their life

Sequence 3 or 4 artefacts from distinctly different periods of time

Match objects to people of different ages

Year 2

Chronological Understanding

Communication Now & Then

Sequence artefacts closer together in time - check with reference book

Sequence photographs etc. from different periods of their life

Describe memories of key events in lives

Year 3

Chronological Understanding

Prehistoric Britain

Describe events and periods using the words: BC, AD and decade.

Describe events from the past using dates when things happened.

Describe events and periods using the words: ancient and century.

Use a timeline within a specific time in history to set out the order things may have happened and use their mathematical knowledge to work out how long ago events would have happened.

Year 4

Chronological Understanding

British History Heroes

Plot recent history on a timeline using centuries, place periods of history on a timeline showing periods of time and use their mathematical skills to round up time differences into centuries and decades.