Throughout their time at St. Martin’s, the children will learn about the different beliefs, values and practices in the past, both in this country and further afield.  They will be encouraged to engage with the past with empathy and appreciate the circumstances people living in the past faced and the motivations, values and attitudes behind their actions.  They will also learn that people’s experiences in the past were not homogeneous, and they will consider the relationship between people’s identities and their experiences.  They will particularly consider changing beliefs about the roles of men and women and changing attitudes towards race.  The children will encounter some people from the past who, by the standards of their time, had unusual and unexpected ideas and attitudes, which can prompt students to think deeply about those ‘strange’ ideas, and also – by comparison and contrast – about the assumptions of their own society today.

While studying History at St. Martin’s, the children will find out about the different ways that people and groups obtain and power throughout History and how they justify their claims to have authority over others.  They learn about the visual signs of power used to impress or control.  They examine the idea of kingship and explore the responsibilities that come with it.  They learn about different ways of legitimising kingship, including hereditary kingship and dynasties, beliefs in the divine rights of kingship and possibility of winning the crown through military or political power, and study examples of uprisings where people have tried to overthrow their leaders.  They also explore different political systems, including democracy and oligarchy and learn about the changing relationship between the Church, the monarchy and parliament in England during medieval times.  They learn about social and political changes in more recent times which have resulted in the expansion of franchise. 

While at St. Martin’s, the children will learn about a range of Ancient Civilisations in their History lessons.  They will begin to understand a civilisation as a sophisticated society where people live together in cities.  They will think about some of the conditions that would have been necessary for people to be able to come together in cities – the importance of having access to fertile land for agriculture and writing to run an administrative system, for example.  They will learn about the achievements of non-European civilisations and consider the impact of Ancient Greek ideas in the wider world. 

Children will also learn that an Empire is when one country, state or ruler controls land outside its borders, taking advantage of the resources and the people who live there.  They will study the way that Empire affects the indigenous population.  They will specifically learn the reasons for the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, and they will find out about the power vacuum that was created in Britain by the fall of the Roman Empire.  They also learn about the British Empire, contrasting its rise with that of the Roman Empire, and its impact on different people living in Britain and further afield, and particularly about the role of slavery as a source of wealth. 

During their History studies at St. Martin’s, the children will encounter the themes of invasion and conflict in a variety of contexts.  They will find out some of the motiving factors for invasion: access to land, access to trade or perceived injustice and they will learn about some of the factors which contribute to success: increased numbers (sometimes through allies), better organisation, superior technology.  They will also learn about the defensive actions that leaders take, such as building defence systems, developing alliances and negotiating peace treaties. 

The children will consider the social and political implications of invasion and warfare, such as the importance of gaining public support.  They find out about examples where open warfare has been avoided, such as in the Space Race or the Danelaw. 

Finally, the children will also find out about conflict within societies and how conflict can lead to change, for example the Civil Rights Movement in the USA.