Michael Gove redrafts new history curriculum after outcry Michael Gove is poised to backtrack on major aspects of his controversial new history curriculum for schools in England after sustained opposition from teachers and prominent academics, the Guardian has learned. "A major rewrite" is likely to see more emphasis given to world history alongside the mainly British focus originally suggested by the Department for Education (DfE). Schools will also be given much more freedom - current mandatory requirements will become suggestions. In addition there will be a drastic reduction in the scope of the primary curriculum. Winston Churchill is no longer named in the new draft. Five- to seven-year-olds will not have to learn about the Victorian poet Christina Rossetti, as suggested in the current draft, but instead could be told about the more modern figures of LS Lowry, Neil Armstrong, Tim Berners-Lee and Rosa Parks. Charles Darwin may feature in secondary school history lessons, while schools are to be given more scope to teach pupils about immigration and Islamic history. DfE civil servants met history teachers last week to unveil the changes, in a document seen by the Guardian. The first draft of the history curriculum, to be taught to five- to 14-year-olds from next year, was published in February. The education secretary was criticised by historians including Simon Schama, Sir Richard Evans and Sir David Cannadine for its alleged over-emphasis on English history and insisting on too much detail. Schama, a former adviser to Gove on the curriculum, told the Hay Festival that it was "offensive and insulting." The Historical Association carried out an online poll which found only 4% of respondents thought the February draft was a positive change, while 96% of 545 secondary school teachers taking part in a separate survey by the association said the proposed curriculum was too prescriptive. The new children's laureate, Malorie Blackman, told the Guardian this month that the proposals were "dangerous." She said: "The curriculum needs to appeal to as many children as possible or a number of them could become disenchanted with education because they feel it's not relevant." The first draft expected seven- to-11-year-olds to be taught British history from the stone age to the union of parliaments in 1707, with 48 bullet points taking schools through historical events and personalities they must teach, while history for 11- to 14-year-olds would cover 1707 to 1989. But, although some historians - including David Starkey, Antony Beevor and Niall Ferguson - backed the move, the DfE seems to have been chastened by the reaction, with Gove indicating last month to the Commons education select committee that the curriculum would be changed for its next draft. The draft presented last week sees extra topics from world history included, while primary schools will no longer be expected to teach the whole period until 1707. Instead, 1066 is being put forward as the new end-point for primaries, though they are also asked to teach one topic from beyond that point, and secondaries one from before it. "It's much more in line with what primaries do now," said a source who was at the meeting. Secondary schools could now teach history up to the present day. The curriculum's compulsory content has also been drastically stripped back, with detailed bullet points that were previously listed as mandatory now presented as suggestions. Five- to seven-year-olds will no longer have to grapple with "the concept of the nation," as controversially suggested in the February draft, but instead should be taught about "changes within living memory." In key stages 2 (for seven- to-11-year-olds), and 3 (ages 11-14), pupils will have to study a world history topic and local history alongside British topics. At KS2, a world history topic is required, including the possibility of studying "early Islam" or the culture of Benin in west Africa, while the crusades could be studied at KS3. Clive of India, described by Schama last month as a "sociopathic, corrupt thug" featuring in a curriculum which was like "1066 and All That, but without the jokes," appears to have been dropped as even a suggested topic while, more controversially, Churchill is no longer named. The source said: "There's been a major rewrite since the thing came out in February. I do not know if that is because they ran into a lot more flak than they were expecting, but they have been listening to people's objections. There was a meeting last week at the DfE with quite a range of people and groups there and there is pretty much an awareness that this was a lot better and it is workable, both at primary and secondary. It may still change again before the latest draft is published, but I doubt it will change much. A second source: "I think the DfE was genuinely taken aback by the response they've had on this. They've had to move. Another source said the DfE had had to respond to concerns that the currently-published version of the new curriculum, which must be taught in conventional state-run schools, was overly prescriptive, while the government's favoured academies do not have to teach it at all. He said: "Because of the academy programme, it is difficult for them to say to one set of schools 'do what you like' and to another 'follow this incredibly detailed programme of study'. They've had to give more flexibility. The DfE is due to go public on its latest draft in the next few weeks Gove said on Friday that the new draft was with David Cameron and Nick Clegg, awaiting their sign-off. A DfE spokesperson said: "The consultation on the draft programmes of study has now closed. We will respond in due course. Out At key stage 1, Isaac Newton, Florence Nightingale, Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Christina Rossetti have gone. In They make way for Christopher Columbus, Neil Armstrong, William Caxton, Tim Berners-Lee, LS Lowry, Rosa Parks and Emily Davison. Out Five- to seven-year-olds are no longer likely to have to figure out the concepts of "nation, civilisation, monarchy, parliament, democracy, war and peace." In They will simply learn about historical events and changes, important figures and local history. Out At key stages 2 and 3 (ages seven-11), far fewer historical figures are specified in the latest draft, with Isaac Newton, Christopher Wren, Adam Smith, the anti-slavery campaigner Olaudah Equiano, William Gladstone, Benjamin Disraeli, Winston Churchill, Clement Attlee and even Margaret Thatcher no longer featuring. There is also no space for the empire figures General James Wolfe or Clive of India. In Charles Darwin is one of the few new personalities introduced in the latest version for older children. Topics such as "the development of the British empire," the slave trade and the second world war will cover many of the individuals above. Out Terms such as "Britain and her empire" and "the Heptarchy." In Now just "the British empire"; the "Glorious Revolution" is still there, but firmly in quotes.