History
The units taught at Ark Priory are as follows:
- Year 1: Toys in Time, Transport and Travel, Seaside: Now and Then
- Year 2: Kings and Queens, Great Fire of London, They Made a Difference
- Year 3: Stone, Bronze and Iron Age Britain, Ancient Greece
- Year 4: Roman Invasions, Roman Britain, Maya Civilization
- Year 5: Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, Baghdad and the Middle East, Industrial Revolution
- Year 6: Ancient Egypt, Conflict and Resolution, Making our Mark
In Key Stage 1, pupils begin to develop their understanding of the past through a study of familiar objects and places before their learning travels further back in time to studies of significant people and significant events beyond living memory. History is brought to life through educational visits to museums, inviting guest speakers to the classroom and half-termly Wonder Days.
In Key Stage 2, pupils explore concepts of migration, empire, civilization, continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity and difference and significance. The story of Britain’s past is taught chronologically and interwoven with studies of ancient civilizations. The units based on civilizations have been linked to the geographical focus for each year group and provide contrasts to both British History and each other. History in Key Stage 2 is supported by visits to museums, workshops and half-termly Wonder Days.
Geography
- Year 1: Our Local Area, The United Kingdom
- Year 2: Planet Earth, Life in Kenya
- Year 3: Settlements and Land Use, Europe, Climate Zones and Biomes
- Year 4: The Amazon: Rivers and Rainforests, The USA
- Year 5: Asia, Mountains, Volcanoes and Earthquakes
- Year 6: Global Challenges, Mapping the World
In Key Stage 1, Pupils begin their journey in geography with a study of the familiar: the local area. They then move outwards to study the United Kingdom and outwards again in to gain an overview of the world and the continents and oceans within it before focussing on what life is like in Kenya. Fieldwork provides physical opportunities for pupils to explore environments in concrete ways and allows pupils to discover the answers to questions such as – ‘What is it like in our local area?’
In Key Stage 2, pupils explore the human and physical geography of a range of different locations and places: The United Kingdom, Europe, Italy, the Amazon, the USA and Asia. They also develop their understanding of physical geography including that of climate zones, biomes, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes. Studies of the rainforests, natural disasters and challenges faced across the globe ensure pupils are also developing their understanding of the interaction between humans and the natural world. In each year group, pupils are able to explore using digital resources, globes and atlases. Fieldwork provides pupils with further opportunities to explore local environments and to discover answers to questions such as – ‘What kind of settlement do I live in?’ and ‘How is the river used in my locality?'