Curriculum Maestro topics

Autumn - Maafa

In the Maafa project, your child will learn about Africa today and the ancient kingdoms that thrived on the continent for thousands of years. They will learn about the origins of the transatlantic slave trade in the 15th century and Britain’s involvement from the time of Elizabeth I, when John Hawkins became the first British slave trader. Your child will understand the structure of the transatlantic slave trade and the consequences of enslavement for enslaved people. They will also discover how the people of Britain benefited from the money and goods produced by the slave trade. They will learn about the causes and consequences of the abolition of slavery in the 19th century, the worldwide African diaspora and the European colonisation in Africa. They will explore the lives and actions of black people in 20th century Britain. They will understand how the Race Relations Act of 1965 became the first piece of British legislation to tackle racial discrimination and know that the Equality Act 2010 provides people with protection against racism and other forms of discrimination, today. Your child will also explore the lives of black people who have made significant contributions to Britain and will celebrate black culture in Britain today.

Summer 2023 only - Groundbreaking Greeks

In the Groundbreaking Greeks project, your child will learn about different periods of Greek history, exploring the earliest civilisations, the devastation of the Dark Age and the breakthroughs and developments of the Archaic and Classical periods. They will understand how the geography of Greece affected the development of city states and explore Athens, learning about the structure of the government and society. They will get to know some of the most significant Athenians and understand why Greek art, culture, architecture, philosophy, medicine and mathematics were so significant. Your child will learn about the leadership of Alexander the Great and discover how ancient Greece became part of the Roman Empire after the Hellenistic period. They will explore how the Romans respected and developed Greek ideas, making them their own and spreading them throughout the Roman Empire. To end the project, your child will decide which was the ancient Greeks' greatest idea, and explore how the legacy of ancient Greece affects their lives today.

Summer 2024 onwards - Britain at War

In the Britain at War project, your child will learn about the main causes of the First World War and which countries were the major players. They will investigate why so many men volunteered to fight and then sequence the events at the start of the war. Using various sources of evidence, the children will learn about life in the trenches and the consequences of new weaponry. They will listen to first-hand accounts of life on the home front and evaluate the impact of war on everyday life. They will also discover the events that led to the Allied Powers’ victory and the consequences of the Treaty of Versailles. The children will also learn about the causes and main events of the Second World War. They will find out how Britain prepared itself for war and the war’s impact on civilian life. They will learn about the Battle of Britain and how it proved to be a key turning point for the Allied Powers. They will also hear about Anne Frank and discover what her story tells us about the treatment of Jewish people by the Nazi Party. The children will research the causes and consequences of the end of the Second World War and investigate the legacy of the wars in Britain. Closer to home, the children will research the life of a local First World War hero who sacrificed their life fighting for Britain. They will also investigate the legacy of these global conflicts in the post-war period.