Long-term overview - Victorians - Year 2

The Year 2 history curriculum offers pupils a journey into the past, focusing on the Victorian era, a time beyond living memory that holds significant national and global importance. The key substantive knowledge imparted in this unit includes understanding the term 'industrial revolution' and recognising its transformative impact on British towns and cities. Students explore the daily lives of Victorian children and the domestic life of the era, gaining insights into how Victorian society functioned and differed from today's world.

Disciplinary knowledge is developed through various historical skills. Students learn to use chronology and causation, placing people and events on a basic timeline and appreciating the difference between time periods. They are introduced to historical enquiry, where they examine pictures and objects to extract information about the past, and they learn to ask questions and choose evidence that supports their understanding. Interpretation and significance are also key aspects, as students recount details from historical accounts and artefacts, reflecting on the past's significance and how they have come to learn about it. This comprehensive overview ensures that pupils not only gather factual knowledge about the Victorians but also develop the skills to analyse and understand history's impact on the present day.