PROGRESSION IN SUBSTANTIVE KNOWLEDGE

At Barnfields, we believe that understanding history begins with strong substantive knowledge – the key facts, events, people, and ideas that shape our understanding of the past. This is the “know-what” of history: knowing when and where things happened, who was involved, and why they matter.

Through studying substantive knowledge, our children build a clear sense of chronology, develop historical vocabulary, and gain insight into important concepts such as monachy, invasion and settlement. This foundation allows them to make connections across time periods and prepares them to think critically about how the past has influenced the world we live in today.

See below for further information on how we progressively sequence substantive knowledge across our History Curriculum.