This intrinsically interesting topic has been chosen as a long-term development study as it not only builds on the fact that all pupils will have some experience of this issue, but also it is a great vehicle for pupils to understand change and continuity in history. Pupils learn a lot about the speed of change, and the barriers to improvement, as well as pinpointing turning points over time. By spanning a long arc of nearly 700 years the topic makes a major contribution to pupils’ chronological understanding and allows them to learn, in particular, about the medieval, Tudor, and Victorian periods which may not be covered elsewhere. As the existing KS2 history curriculum is heavily weighted to pre-1066, the balance of this unit is deliberately tilted to the modern era, especially the 19th and 20th century when so much progress took place.
Because the topic inevitably touches on aspects of health and the science that lie behind them, it makes a major contribution to pupils’ scientific understanding, as well as dealing with religious and moral aspects.
Rather than try to cover the whole period in equal detail, the approach here is to focus on key moments which illuminate the issues most memorably for pupils. To that end, we have showcased the role of effective story telling so you will see a number of specially written stories to engage pupils’ interest and arouse their curiosity
NB You will be aware of the sensitivity of the issues touched on here, so its important to avoid as much sensational ‘blood and guts’ as possible, no matter how much some pupils will enjoy it!
