How to develop pupils’ understanding of chronology at key stages 1 and 2
Section 5: Models of planning for chronology across key stages 1 and 2
Here are two approaches to planning for chronological knowledge and understanding.
- Adapting and developing an existing scheme of work
- Devising a new scheme of work to encourage chronological knowledge and understanding
(i) Adapting and developing an existing scheme of work
The key stage 1 schemes of work for George Town Primary school were audited using the guidance in section 4. This audit determined that no consistency or progression was built into the schemes of work in relation to chronological understanding. There was little, if any, use of technical chronological vocabulary, and in the one unit in which it was employed the difficult concept of decade was not taught but was only referred to as a label for two pictures. The main issues with these schemes of work are that each topic was taught in isolation and not referenced to the broader framework of history, and no assessment of pupils’ chronological understanding was being undertaken.
Key stage 1: Original schemes of work
The key stage 1 schemes of work were revised to enable the development of chronological understanding to be facilitated. The activities employed may be found in section 6 of this guidance. The exact choice of activities will depend on the development of pupils’ understanding.
Key stage 1: Revised schemes of work
The key stage 2 schemes of work for George Town Primary school were audited using the guidance in section 4. This audit determined that no consistency or progression was built into the schemes of work in relation to chronological understanding. Problematically, although technical language was introduced into the key stage 2 plans, there was no coherence in its usage. For example, in term 1 of year 5, AD and BC are introduced and reinforced through the employment of a timeline. However, in term 2 of year 5, the teaching reverts to using ‘a long time ago’. In year 6, the teaching of AD and BC is not reinforced. The main issue with these schemes of work is that each topic was, in the main, taught in isolation and not referenced to the broader framework of history, and no assessment of children’s chronological understanding was being undertaken. Furthermore, no reference was made to the pupils’ history teaching that occurred in key stage 1. The key stage 2 schemes of work were revised to enable the development of chronological understanding to be facilitated. The activities employed may be found in section 6 of this guidance. The exact choice of activities will depend on the development of pupils’ understanding.
Key stage 2: Original schemes of work
Key stage 2: Revised schemes of work
(ii) Devising a new scheme of work to encourage chronological knowledge and understanding
This outline scheme is designed to develop pupils’ chronological understanding by centring teaching and learning activities within the present day before working regressively into the past. The scheme encourages teachers and pupils to move successively backwards into the past while making links to the historical knowledge and understanding they have previously encountered. The scheme offers the opportunity to:
- reinforce understanding and use of the vocabulary of chronology
- provide a coherent and consistent teaching of the vocabulary of chronology
- relate study units to the broader framework of historical time, and
- provide a meaningful context for the formative and summative assessment of pupils’ chronological understanding.
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