History and Geography

At St. Matthew’s, we aim to provide a high-quality education in Geography and History which will inspire curiosity and fascination about the world and an understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world.

Over a child’s time at St. Matthews, they will experience learning both inside and outside the classroom in an attempt to contextualise our geographical and historical knowledge and understanding.

In History, the Key Stage 1 children will be taught about:

• Changes within living memory (those affecting national life).

• Significant events beyond living memory.

• Significant individuals who have contributed nationally and internationally.

• Significant local historical events.

In History in Key Stage 2 children will be taught about:

• Changes in Britain from the Stone age to Iron age

• The Roman Empire and its impact on Britain.

• Britain settlement by Anglo Saxon and Scots

• The Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England

• A local history study

• A study of British history that extends beyond 1066

• The achievements of the earliest civilisations

• Ancient Greece

In Geography, the Key Stage 1 children will develop:

• Locational knowledge including the continents, oceans, countries and cities in the UK.

• Place knowledge involving the comparison of human versus physical geography in a small scale, local study.

• Human and physical geography knowledge including seasonal and daily weather patterns of countries in relation to the equator.

In Geography, the Key Stage 2 children will develop:

• Locational knowledge including locating the world’s countries, concentrating on their environmental regions, their physical and human characteristics alongside their major cities.

• Place knowledge involving understanding the similarities and differences of two locations based on their human and physical geography characteristics.

• Geographical skills and fieldwork including using resources to show location (e.g. Globes, maps, atlases) and using equipment, symbols and geographical data to locate a person or a place out in the field.

Topics studied through school