The current national curriculum programmes of study for history, which have been taught since September 2014, set the framework for the teaching of the subject in maintained schools in terms of the broad time periods and themes to be taught. Academies may design and follow their own curricula.<\/p>
<\/p>
The government does not specify what the content of lessons on particular topics should be or how teachers should present information. We trust teachers, as professionals, to plan their own lessons and select their own resources.<\/p>
<\/p>
However, the curriculum does aim to make sure that pupils know and understand how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world. Therefore, Empire and colonialism is a significant theme, and a suggested topic within the \u2018challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day\u2019 theme is \u2018Indian independence and end of Empire\u2019.<\/p>
<\/p>
Programmes of study also require at least one study of a significant society or issue in world history and its interconnections with other world developments. While not mandatory, a suggested topic is \u2018China\u2019s Qing dynasty 1644-1911\u2019, which encompasses the period within which the Opium Wars took place.<\/p>
<\/p>