Making History Accessible – a new initiative from the HA Secondary Committee

‘SEND’ is a vast topic that encompasses many needs. Added to that, there is a lot of general support for teachers from experts relating to specific needs. But what about specific support for teaching history? How can we make history lessons more accessible for all? The Secondary Committee has put together a new resource called ‘Making History Accessible‘ to help. Back in 2017, Richard Kerridge … Continue reading Making History Accessible – a new initiative from the HA Secondary Committee

5 years’ on from ‘Britain and Transatlantic Slavery’: lessons learned and next steps

In 2018, Abdul Mohamud and Robin Whitburn (Justice2History) wrote a blogpost for OBHD entitled ‘Rethinking how we teach about transatlantic slavery’ as they were preparing for the HA Teacher Fellowship ‘Britain and Transatlantic Slavery’. In this blogpost Abdul, history teacher and now working on his PHd as part of the Empire, Migration and Belonging project, returns to the topic to reflect on what we have … Continue reading 5 years’ on from ‘Britain and Transatlantic Slavery’: lessons learned and next steps

Wisdom from Prof Terry Haydn

This very short blogpost is written by Helen Snelson, Chair of Secondary Committee. Having taught history and worked with beginning history teachers for quite a long time, I realise that sometimes it is useful simply to pass on knowledge of something that people might not have come across. Let me do that now with the teaching website of Professor Terry Haydn, Fellow of the HA. … Continue reading Wisdom from Prof Terry Haydn

Planning enquiries: five rules of thumb

Thanks to Mike Hill, Head of History, Ark Soane Academy, and a member of HA Secondary Committee, for this blogpost to help with the planning of enquiries. Over the last term, I planned seven new enquiries and I am currently working on an eighth. I feel out of breath typing this. Planning these enquiries has sometimes felt like trial by ordeal, but it’s also been … Continue reading Planning enquiries: five rules of thumb

Using Artificial Intelligence to support history teaching

Thanks to Will Bailey-Watson, University of Reading history PGCE and member of HA Secondary Committee, for sharing his initial explorations of AI to support history teaching. Hopefully this will help to start a discussion about AI and history teaching. We’d love to hear from you! Artificial Intelligence (AI) is clearly going to change the world. It probably already has done in ways I don’t know. … Continue reading Using Artificial Intelligence to support history teaching

You might want to rethink your teaching of 1381!

Thanks to the teachers and academics of the HA Fellowship ‘The People of 1381’, the resources have now started to go ‘live’. Here is a short introduction and links to the resources. Downloadable classroom resources with teacher guidance Support for teacher knowledge, curriculum and teaching ideas The importance of The People of 1381 Why make time for the people of 1381 in a crowded curriculum? … Continue reading You might want to rethink your teaching of 1381!

Active history to make history memorable and accessible

This blogpost accompanies the launch of a new webpage on the HA website. The ‘knowledge turn’ of recent years has been very welcome in many ways. There is inspiring work and success in evidence across the country in relation to developing coherent curricula. There are wonderful examples of historical enquiry and the use of historical narratives weaving disciplinary and substantive knowledge effectively. And yet, there … Continue reading Active history to make history memorable and accessible

Curriculum Mapping your History Department

Thanks to Philip Arkinstall, Curriculum Leader for History at Hardenhuish School, HA Secondary Committee member and Trustee for this blogpost. Phil guides us through the process of curriculum mapping in a history department. Curriculum mapping our department was one of the best things we have done as a department and we began the process in 2018. It started in a department meeting, where I used … Continue reading Curriculum Mapping your History Department

Disability and the Tudors

Thanks to Alex Fairlamb for this blogpost. Alex Fairlamb is a Senior Leader in charge of Teaching and Learning and CPD, based in the North East.  She is an SLE and an ELE.  Alex is also a member of the Historical Association Secondary Committee. Alex tweets as @lamb_heart_tea  Take two minutes to read the statement below and then reflect on the questions: “The curriculum in … Continue reading Disability and the Tudors

One year of embedding climate and sustainability education in our History PGCE

Thanks to Will Bailey-Watson, leader of the Secondary PGCE programme at the University of Reading and member of Secondary Committee for this blogpost. This year will see a lot of developments in thinking about the role of history education for a sustainable future. Will kicks this off by sharing what Reading colleages have learnt so far. Have you seen the climate stripes somewhere? If you … Continue reading One year of embedding climate and sustainability education in our History PGCE