Key Stage 2 is where history really starts to unfold in exciting depth. Children move beyond personal and local history to explore the bigger picture – ancient civilisations, sweeping changes across time, and the lives of people who shaped Britain and the world.
The KS2 History National Curriculum gives you a broad framework with flexibility in how you teach it. Here’s a straightforward breakdown of what’s required, some practical tips to help you plan your curriculum with confidence, and links to some of the projects in the Cornerstones Curriculum that could help you cover the required programmes of study.
The Main Aims of KS2 History
The curriculum encourages pupils to:
- Continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge of British, local, and world history.
- Establish clear narratives within and across periods studied.
- Understand historical concepts like continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity and difference, and significance.
- Use historical enquiry to ask and answer questions.
- Understand how we know about the past through different types of evidence.
Your role is to help pupils think critically about history, not just learn what happened, but how and why it happened, and how we know.
The Key Areas to Cover in KS2
1. Changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age
This unit explores early human history and the development of technology, farming, settlements, and culture.
Key topics may include:
- Late Neolithic hunter-gatherers and early farmers, for example, Skara Brae
- Bronze Age religion, technology and travel, for example, Stonehenge
- Iron Age hillforts: tribal kingdoms, farming, art and culture
Tip: Create a classroom timeline to help students see how these early periods fit into the bigger picture of British history.
Cornerstones Curriculum projects containing lessons that cover this programme of study:
2. The Roman Empire and Its Impact on Britain
This unit focuses on Roman Britain, Roman innovations, and the legacy they left behind.
Ideas to explore:
- Julius Caesar’s attempted invasion in 55-54 BC
- The Roman Empire by AD 42 and the power of its army
- Successful invasion by Claudius and conquest, including Hadrian’s Wall
- British resistance, for example, Boudicca
- ‘Romanisation’ of Britain: sites such as Caerwent and the impact of technology. Culture and beliefs, including early Christianity
Tip: Visit a local Roman site or museum if you can – hands-on experiences make this unit especially memorable.
Cornerstones Curriculum projects containing lessons that cover this programme of study:
3. Britain’s Settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots
This looks at what happened after the Romans left, and how new cultures shaped early medieval Britain.
Example topics:
- Roman withdrawal from Britain in c. AD 410 and the fall of the western Roman Empire
- Scots invasions from Ireland to north Britain (now Scotland)
- Anglo-Saxon invasions, settlements and kingdoms: place names and village life
- Anglo-Saxon art and culture
- Christian conversion – Canterbury, Iona and Lindisfarne
Cornerstones Curriculum projects containing lessons that cover this programme of study:
4. The Viking and Anglo-Saxon Struggle for the Kingdom of England to the Time of Edward the Confessor
This unit builds on earlier learning to show how conflict and change led to the formation of the English nation.
Topics might include:
- Viking raids and invasions
- Resistance by Alfred the Great and Athelstan, first king of England
- Further Viking invasions and Danegeld
- Anglo-Saxon laws and justice
- Edward the Confessor and his death in 1066
Tip: Use storytelling and drama to bring legendary Viking and Anglo-Saxon figures to life.
Cornerstones Curriculum projects containing lessons that cover this programme of study:
5. A Local History Study
This is a flexible unit where you explore a significant event, person, or place from your school’s locality.
Examples:
- A depth study linked to one of the British areas of study listed above
- A study over time tracing how several aspects of national history are reflected in the locality (this can go beyond 1066)
- a study of an aspect of history or a site dating from a period beyond 1066 that is significant in the locality
Cornerstones Curriculum projects containing lessons that cover this programme of study:
6. A Study of an Aspect or Theme in British History That Extends Pupils’ Chronological Knowledge Beyond 1066
This unit encourages children to explore themes that span across time, such as:
Examples:
- the changing power of monarchs using case studies such as John, Anne and Victoria
- changes in an aspect of social history, such as crime and punishment from the Anglo-Saxons to the present or leisure and entertainment in the 20th Century
- the legacy of Greek or Roman culture (art, architecture or literature) on later periods in British history, including the present day
- a significant turning point in British history, for example, the first railways or the Battle of Britain
Tip: This is a great opportunity to link history with other subjects like English or PSHE.
Cornerstones Curriculum projects containing lessons that cover this programme of study:
- 1066 (Y4)
- Invasion (Y4)
- Firedamp and Davy Lamps (Y5)
- Off with Her Head! (Y5)
- Peasants, Princes and Pestilence (Y5)
- A Child’s War (Y6)
- Britain at War (Y6)
- Maafa (Y6)
- Revolution (Y6)
7. The Achievements of the Earliest Civilisations
A look at some of the world’s oldest and most influential civilisations.
Pick one to study in depth:
- Ancient Sumer
- The Indus Valley
- Ancient Egypt
- The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China
Tip: Ancient Egypt is a favourite, but don’t overlook the rich learning opportunities in lesser-taught options like Ancient China.
Cornerstones Curriculum projects containing lessons that cover this programme of study:
8. Ancient Greece – A Study of Greek Life and Achievements and Their Influence on the Western World
This includes Greek myths, philosophy, city-states, democracy, and the Olympics.
Tip: Encourage students to compare Ancient Greek ideas with our modern society – great for critical thinking!
Cornerstones Curriculum projects containing lessons that cover this programme of study:
9. A Non-European Society That Provides Contrast with British History
This offers a global perspective and broadens pupils’ understanding of world history.
Pick one to study in depth:
- Early Islamic civilisation, including a study of Baghdad c. AD 900
- The Mayan civilisation c. AD 900
- Benin (West Africa) c. AD 900-1300
Tip: Make links between civilisations – compare timelines, innovations, and belief systems with what children already know.
Cornerstones Curriculum projects containing lessons that cover this programme of study:
How to Deliver KS2 History Effectively
- Use timelines often to reinforce chronology.
- Make cross-curricular links with geography, literacy, art, and RE.
- Teach historical enquiry by encouraging children to ask questions and use sources.
- Vary your sources – include artefacts, primary texts, artwork, maps, and oral histories.
- Make space for debate – let pupils form and justify their own opinions.
Final Thoughts
The KS2 History curriculum offers incredible opportunities to inspire curiosity, critical thinking, and a global perspective. It’s not about memorising a list of kings and dates – it’s about helping children develop a sense of time, change, and their place in the world.
When taught creatively and thoughtfully, history can be one of the most rewarding parts of the primary curriculum, both for you and your pupils.
The Cornerstones History Curriculum
Looking for inspiring lessons and resources to bring your Key Stage 2 history curriculum to life? The Cornerstones Curriculum offers everything you need with a carefully sequenced collection of projects designed by subject experts to support teachers at every level of subject knowledge.