2024/25
Summer
Year 3/4 - The Stuarts
Key end points of this unit are:
• James I was the first Stuart king and believed in the ‘divine right of kings’ and didn’t treat Catholics well during his reign. As a result, there was a Gunpowder Plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament.
• The second Stuart king, the son of James I, was Charles I. He was unpopular with parliament and his decisions as king led to the English Civil War, where he was defeated and eventually executed for treason.
• Following the execution of Charles I, England became a Commonwealth and the Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell was in charge.
• The third Stuart king, Charles II, was restored to the throne in 1660 and ruled until his death in 1685. During his reign, the Great Plague of 1665-66 and the Great Fire of London happened.
• James II, the fourth Stuart king, inherited the throne from his brother Charles II. He was a Catholic and wanted more religious freedom for Catholics which upset parliament and consequently led to the Glorious Revolution.
• The Duke of Monmouth, the illegitimate son of Charles II attempted to overthrow James II but was defeated at the Battle of Sedgemoor.
• The Glorious Revolution of 1688 was when some powerful lords invited James II's daughter Mary and her husband, William of Orange (and his army) to England to take the throne. James II fled England and the two were crowned joint king and queen.
• The Bill of Rights was agreed by William and Mary in 1689. This limited the power of the monarchy and stated that laws and taxes had to be passed by parliament, and that people had the right to freedom of speech and fair treatment in court.
• To begin to understand that the Roman Empire came to an end in the 5th century as it became weakened and unable to keep out invaders
This unit aims to support children to develop a chronologically secure understanding of this significant period of British history by diving deeper into the changing role of the monarchy during the 17th century. During this unit, the children will retrieve prior learning on the monarchy in Britain, including key vocabulary such as ‘inherit’, ‘heir’ and ‘tyrant’, as well as knowledge of significant British monarchs and leaders, including Charles I, Oliver Cromwell, and William and Mary.
Furthermore, children can apply their knowledge of the geography of Britain when looking at where events took place, and understand the significance of the ‘Union of the Crown’ and the ‘Union Jack’ flag.
Year 5/6 - The Cold War
Key end points of the unit are:
To understand that the Cold War was a period of tension led by the capitalist superpower, the USA, and the communist superpower, the USSR.
• To know that although the superpowers never officially went to war, they fought in proxy wars - each supporting opposing sides. For example, during the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
• To know that the USA and USSR also competed to develop and stockpile the most dangerous nuclear weapons during the Cold War. This became known as the ‘arms race’.
• To know that in 1962 the world came close to nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
• To know that the superpowers also competed during the ‘space race’. The USSR were the first to put a satellite into space and the USA were the first to put a man on the moon.
Chronologically following on from the ‘World War II’ unit, this unit will challenge the pupils to consider how the Cold War differed from other wars they have previously studied (such as World War I and World War II). The aftermath of World War II changed the global balance of power, creating a polarised world led by two competing superpowers: The United States of America (USA) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). This global competition is referred to as the Cold War as the two superpowers never directly engaged in combat (hot war). The unit begins by recapping essential prior knowledge acquired from the ‘World War II’ unit, focusing on the relationship between the USA and the Soviet Union in the 1940s. This allows the children to build on their substantive concept of alliance: an agreement between states for mutual support in case of war. The first lesson then introduces the concepts of capitalism and communism. The children will learn that the Cold War was a period of tension led by the capitalist superpower, the USA, and the communist superpower, the USSR. Building on their understanding of global allies, the children will learn that the USA and its allies were concerned about the spread of communism and wanted to issue a policy of ‘containment’ (protectionism). In contrast, historians argue that the USSR was operating a policy of ‘expansion’ (expansionism).