History is all around us. Through finding out about how and why the world, our country, culture and local community have developed over time, we want pupils to understand how the past influences the present and the links that we have with people and events spanning the world.

The history department at Kempston Academy aims to do this through an ambitious curriculum which frequently links between topics and concepts. This will allow pupils to understand the process of change and continuity, to see how we arrived ‘here’ and help them to make sense of the present.

We want pupils to realise that whilst the past is gone, history is constructed and contested, with debates and discovery to be made. We aim for this curriculum to be accessible to all students, as knowing about how the present came to be helps students grow to become knowledgeable and aspirational citizens.

History’s unique concepts help pupils to construct ambitious arguments and support them to question human motivation and society with skill and confidence. What they learn through history can influence their decisions about personal choices, attitudes and values.