History

Curriculum Driver: CHALLENGING MISCONCEPTIONS

Vision

Our History curriculum aims to develop inquisitive, critical and historically-literate learners who question accepted narratives, challenge misconceptions, and understand the complexity of the past. We believe that misconceptions—whether formed through popular culture, oversimplified stories, or inherited assumptions—limit students’ capacity to think deeply about historical processes and the human experience. Therefore, our curriculum is intentionally designed to confront, investigate and correct these misunderstandings, empowering students to see history as contested, evidence-based and dynamic.

Core Purpose

The purpose of the History curriculum is to equip students with:

• Accurate historical knowledge rooted in a broad and diverse set of narratives.
• Analytical confidence, enabling them to critique sources, interpretations and representations.
• A secure understanding of causation, change and continuity, free from simplistic or myth-driven explanations.
• An appreciation of complexity, rejecting the idea that history can be reduced to heroes/villains, single causes, or inevitability.
• A strong sense of identity and place, informed by history that includes overlooked voices and challenges stereotypes.

Why Challenging Misconceptions Matters

Historical misconceptions are pervasive and often reinforced by media, tradition, or surface-level teaching. These misconceptions:

• Distort students’ understanding of how and why events happened.
• Reinforce biases and stereotypes about cultures, nations, and groups.
• Prevent learners from developing higher-order historical thinking.
• Undermine the discipline’s academic integrity.

By explicitly addressing and dismantling misconceptions, we help students build historically valid knowledge and develop the intellectual rigour required for modern citizenship.

What Students Will Become

By the end of their historical education, students will be:

Critical Thinkers who question assumptions and avoid accepting information at face value.

Confident Communicators who can articulate evidence-based arguments.

Respectful Global Citizens who recognise the influence of complex historical processes on modern society.

Independent Learners who can interrogate sources, challenge misinformation, and approach the past with curiosity and scepticism.

Impact

Our curriculum’s impact will be evident through:

• Students’ ability to explain and correct common misconceptions.
• High-quality written and verbal arguments grounded in evidence.
• Increasing sophistication in students’ use of disciplinary vocabulary.
• Assessments demonstrating depth, accuracy, and nuanced understanding.
• Positive attitudes toward history as a subject of inquiry, not passive acceptance.
• Readiness for further study, employment, and active citizenship in a world shaped by both information and misinformation.

Please click on the following link to view the Curriclum overview for History

History Curriculum Overview