National Curriculum objectives - Crime and Punishment - Year 4

In the Year 4 curriculum under History Key Stage 2, students are expected to deepen their understanding of British, local, and world history by developing a secure chronological knowledge. The curriculum emphasises the importance of recognising connections, contrasts, and trends throughout historical periods, while also mastering the use of historical terms. Students are encouraged to engage with historical questions that explore themes of change, cause, similarity, difference, and significance. They learn to construct well-informed responses by thoughtfully selecting and organising historical information, and they gain insight into how historical knowledge is pieced together from various sources.

One key aspect of the curriculum is the study of 'crime and punishment' in British history, with a focus on how methods of punishment have evolved over time. This thematic study aims to extend students' chronological knowledge beyond the year 1066. Pupils are expected to utilise a variety of evidence to understand different interpretations of events and to place a number of significant occurrences within a timeline with accurate dates. They should be able to describe major changes in history using concepts such as social, religious, political, technological, and cultural. Additionally, students should be adept at selecting pertinent information to answer historically valid questions, thereby enabling them to construct detailed and well-informed responses about the historical changes in 'crime and punishment' through the ages.