Progression In History at Key Stage 1 (KS1)

class activity Assessment is a topic which often generates more heat than light. In many ways, for all that has been written on the topic, things haven’t improved much over the past two decades.

Assessing pupils’ understanding in history at EYFS and KS1 is hardly likely to be a priority, so we have been mindful of making our approach as practical and clear as possible. To that end we have provided you with a whole range of common assessment task each of which addresses a particular disciplinary concept.

On the move – assessment task

Pupils sequence 3 images of transport over the last 60 years Subscribers only: You must be logged in to view this content in full. Please Login or register

Amelia Earhart – assessment task

Disciplinary concept target: Significance Pupils draw on the 4 clues to underline why Amelia Earhart is seen as an important figure in history. They go beyond her as a daring…

Rosa Parks – assessment task

This assessment task provides 3 images which should prompt pupils to show their knowledge and understanding of Rosa Parks’ significance. It should enable pupils to show not only the nature…

Christopher Columbus – assessment task

This assessment task provides clues to help pupils use their subject knowledge in order to explain why Columbus is still remembered today. The use of two images from the USA…

Progression in primary history: Top 6 ideas

A lot of you have been tasked with trying to specify what progression looks like in history in your school. Better people than you have tried and failed. Any attempt…

Progression in chronology – KS1

Start of KS1 Can describe differences between him or herself as a baby and as he or she is now. Sequences images of themselves as baby, toddler and infant. Can…

Mary Anning – assessment task

Focus: Significance This simple-to-administer, uncomplicated task uses a contemporary image to stimulate pupils to think about Mary Anning’s long-term significance. The accompanying markscheme can be used to align pupils’ responses…

Grace Darling – assessment task

Focus: Interpretations Y1 Pupils compare contrasting images of Graces’ rescue and try to explain how and why they are different. Assessment task Subscribers only: You must be logged in to view…

Seaside – assessment task

Focus: similarity and difference and change Assessing Year 1 children’s understanding of how different going for a swim in the sea was 100 years ago. Assessment task Subscribers only: You must…

Great Fire – assessment task

Focus: Causation Using one large colour image as a stimulus pupils have to draw on their detailed understanding of the causes of the Great Fire to explain why it spread…

Caxton and Bell – assessment task

Focus: characteristic features of period & using sources Y2 Using just one image which contains lots of clues, pupils have to explain how they know this is an image of…

Moon landing – assessment task

Focus : Using sources Pupils have to identify key features from a visual source to answer a question regarding the first moon landing. Assessment task Subscribers only: You must be logged…

Progression in why people did things, why events happened, and what happened as a result (cause and consequence) in KS1 history

Start of Key Stage 1 Can explain why one character in a simple story took the action he or she did. This may be a nursery rhyme, but children should…

Wright brothers – assessment task

In this brief diagnostic assessment task , supported by 4 pictorial clues, pupils are asked to show if they understand the notion of significance by describing not only what the…

Sinking of the Titanic – assessment task – looking at consequences and change

This task asks pupils to consider consequences of the disaster and changes over time arising from it Assessment task and marksheme Subscribers only: You must be logged in to view this…

Florence Nightingale – assessment task

Focus: Change and significance This task offers pupils 3 carefully chose images to support their understanding of the achievements of Florence Nightingale which the pupils have to analyse and go…

Amy Johnson – assessment task – Can you explain why Amy Johnson was so important?

The children are given the task sheet containing three pictures and the question. Each has been included for a particular purpose to prompt but not to give away too much….

Toys; old and new – assessment task

Focus concept: Making deductions/ similarity and difference This task is designed to be non-threatening and to be carried out in small groups when the pupils have just been taught the…

Scott of the Antarctic – assessment task Y2

Focus concept: Causation The first task serves as a more gentle introduction to the idea of cause by looking at Scott’s personal motivation. By using the speech bubble device we…

Mary Seacole – Assessment task – Assessing pupils’ understanding of the work of Mary Seacole

Target concepts: characteristic features of the period and significance This task is designed to elicit pupils’ understanding of the contribution of Mary Seacole to the development of nursing. When it…

Common Assessment Tasks In History at KS1

It is often difficult knowing how to assess pupils’ historical thinking at KS1. Are we simply testing literacy and /or recall? But what about historical understanding? Faced with this problem,…

Judging pupils’ work in history at KS 1

This section of the site offers a few words of advice about assessing individual pieces of work and provides commentaries on actual examples of pupils’ assessed work from 2018 onwards….

Principles of good assessment in history at Key Stage 1

Assessment in Foundation subjects is not well-developed, and is nearly always found wanting in successive OFSTED reports. When assessment in the Core dominates is it really that surprising that teachers…

Progression in history at Key Stage 1 by Skill / Concept

The problem Trying to secure progression within your Key Stage 1 history curriculum is not always as easy as it might seem. Sometimes it feels like trying to pick up…

What would your pupils say about getting better at history, when they leave your school?

Recently two university education departments carried out a broad-sweep survey of primary pupils’ experience of history at KS1 and 2 and asked specifically: “What does it mean to get better…

I’m a new subject leader. How do I know if pupils are making the progress they should in history?

Getting a handle on progression is complicated. There are lots of superficially appealing lists of competencies that link to each age group each produced by commercial companies who have not…

Assessment for learning in Primary history

Assessment for Learning is much vaunted and many faceted. If we break down what it means in its constituent parts, many of you will feel that you do most of…

Target setting in history at Key Stage 1

The setting of targets with this age group for Foundation subjects is problematic., not least because pupils’ experience of history tends to be episodic rather than continuous. Setting a target…

Progression in history at Key Stage 1