What are the curriculum opportunities?
These already exist in the current National Curriculum and wider curriculum.
For example,
- Significant people in Key Stage 1
- Events beyond living memory in Key Stage 1
- Events within living memory in Key Stage 1
- Events that take history beyond 1066 in Key Stage 2
- Coronations and monarchy in other societies comparing how leaders are appointed such as Ancient Egypt, Benin, Ancient Rome in Key Stage 2
- Details on previous coronations from medieval times onwards in Key Stage 3
- Through other curricular opportunities such as PHSE and citizenship
- Through some whole school assemblies
- Through a themed history day or week looking at coronations over time
At first sight local history seems to offer fewer opportunities. After all, in recent centuries the coronation has taken place in London and so appears have a limited relevance to the locality. This would be an oversight. Before the Union between England and Scotland in 1707 there were separate coronations in the kingdoms of England and Scotland and in the medieval period these coronations occurred at various sites. The significance of a coronation stretches far beyond the place of the event itself. There is the added reason that local history is a feature of the National Curriculum in Key Stages 1, 2 and 3. Many schools will already understand how local history is a powerful way to view the world past and present helping an understanding of important national and international events within our local contexts. Learning about historic coronations in our localities can really bring them to life. These are also snapshots in time, points for us to focus on and discover what our localities were like in the past.
It is also important to remember that the National Curriculum is all about developing historical understanding through its specific terminology and disciplinary concepts. In fact, the coronation can draw on most of the key concepts used in history including:
- Cause and consequence
- Change and continuity
- Similarity and difference
- Interpretations and representations
- Using sources and evidence
- Enquiry
