Year 5 History Scheme of Work
Year 5 history broadens pupils' historical horizons significantly. After four years largely focused on British history, pupils now engage with two major world civilisations: Ancient Greece, whose democratic ideas, philosophical traditions, and artistic achievements remain influential to this day; and the Kingdom of Benin, a powerful and sophisticated West African state that challenges Eurocentric narratives of history and reveals the richness of African civilisation in the medieval period.
The contrast between these two units is itself pedagogically valuable: Ancient Greece is studied as a democracy-founding, philosophy-producing civilisation that directly influenced Western thought; the Benin Kingdom is studied as a counterpoint, revealing that sophistication, artistry, and organised governance were not uniquely European. Both units develop pupils' ability to use a wide range of sources — from Athenian pottery and philosophical texts to Benin bronzes and Portuguese accounts — and to consider how and why different accounts of the same civilisation can differ.
Expected prior knowledge
- ✓Knowledge of Roman Britain and the major themes of invasion, settlement, and legacy.
- ✓Understanding of how different cultures can have different social structures, beliefs, and forms of government.
- ✓Experience of comparing historical periods and evaluating the reliability of sources.
- ✓Ability to construct extended historical arguments using evidence.
Units across the year
Six half-term units covering all strands of the KS2 History programme of study.
Ancient Greece: Society and City-States
- –Know and understand the history of Ancient Greece, its impact on the wider world, and how it shaped Western civilisation.
- –Understand how Greek society was organised, including the role of city-states.
- –Compare aspects of Greek life with life in Britain at the same time.
- –Map the major Greek city-states (Athens, Sparta, Corinth, Olympia) and discuss how geography influenced Greek development.
- –Compare life in Athens and Sparta using a structured comparison grid covering government, education, women, and warfare.
- –Examine Greek vase paintings as primary sources and infer what they tell us about Greek daily life.
- –Create an annotated map of the Greek world showing the extent of Greek colonies and trade routes.
Ancient Greece: Democracy, Philosophy, and Legacy
- –Understand the birth of democracy in ancient Athens.
- –Know about the major Greek philosophers and their contributions to human thought.
- –Evaluate the legacy of ancient Greece on modern life, democracy, language, and science.
- –Study the Athenian democratic system and compare it with modern British democracy, noting similarities and differences.
- –Research the ideas of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle and discuss how their thinking still influences us today.
- –Explore the Greek Olympics and compare the ancient games with the modern Olympics.
- –Create a class debate using Greek democratic procedures: each pupil makes a short speech and votes are counted.
The Kingdom of Benin
- –Know about the Kingdom of Benin (c.900-1300 AD) as a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history.
- –Understand how the Kingdom of Benin was governed and how its society was structured.
- –Use Benin bronzes and other artefacts as historical evidence.
- –Locate the Kingdom of Benin on a map of Africa and place its history in a global chronological context.
- –Examine photographs of Benin bronzes and plaques and discuss what they tell us about Benin society, power, and artistry.
- –Research the role of the Oba (king) and the court in Benin society.
- –Study the relationship between Benin and European traders from the fifteenth century and discuss how this changed both societies.
The Kingdom of Benin: Legacy and the Bronzes Question
- –Understand the legacy of the Kingdom of Benin on modern Nigeria and African identity.
- –Know about the British expedition of 1897 and the removal of the Benin Bronzes.
- –Evaluate historical arguments about the ownership and repatriation of cultural artefacts.
- –Research the 1897 Punitive Expedition and the removal of Benin artefacts to British museums.
- –Study both sides of the repatriation debate and construct a balanced argument.
- –Compare the view of the 1897 expedition from British and Benin perspectives and discuss why accounts differ.
- –Write a letter either supporting or opposing the return of the Benin Bronzes, using historical evidence.
Crime and Punishment Through History
- –Know how crime and punishment have changed over time in Britain.
- –Understand the social and political reasons for changing attitudes to crime and punishment.
- –Use a range of sources to investigate changes across a long period of time.
- –Create a timeline of punishments in Britain from Roman times to the present day, identifying major changes.
- –Compare Tudor punishments (stocks, pillory, public executions) with Victorian punishments (transportation, prisons) and modern approaches.
- –Study a famous historical crime (e.g. Dick Turpin, the Newgate Prison) as a case study.
- –Discuss why punishments have become less brutal over time and consider the role of reformers such as Elizabeth Fry.
Progression into Year 6
In Year 6, pupils study two contrasting topics: World War II as a major national and international event that is within living memory for some people; and a local history study that allows pupils to investigate the history of their own community using a full range of primary and secondary sources.
Individual lesson plans
Full lesson frameworks — learning objectives, vocabulary, lesson structure, and common misconceptions — for each unit in this scheme.
View all Year 5 History lesson plans →