Category: teaching history

teaching history

Creating conversations with the new Historical Association Driving Your Discussion Cards

Post written by Emma McKenna, Head of Department at the King’s School, Grantham Inspired by @YorkClio and wanting the opportunity to talk about history teaching to other enthusiastic practitioners, I established a network for history teachers from other Grammar Schools in Lincolnshire. This was in 2023. We try to meet three times a year, and the meetings are always a truly uplifting experience, with lots … Continue reading Creating conversations with the new Historical Association Driving Your Discussion Cards

Unknown's avataronebighistorydepartmentLeave a comment
teaching history

A reflection on a summer of reading

By Sally Wilson, Carre’s Grammar School What did you read this summer? As the end of another school year ended, I looked forward to the pace of daily life shifting slightly – I was very much looking forward to the summer. I was also looking forward to deciding which books I was going to read. For many history teachers, the summer holiday brings a rare … Continue reading A reflection on a summer of reading

Unknown's avataronebighistorydepartmentLeave a comment
teaching history

Reflections on the HA’s Henry on Tour Teacher’s Fellowship

By Dr. Helen Carrel, Director of Humanities at Tormead School, Guildford In January 2025, I was delighted to be offered a place on the Historical Association Teacher Fellowship programme, working with the Henry on Tour project, which has been outlined in a recent blog by Geraint Brown, History Teacher CPD: Historical Association Teacher Fellowship Programme – OBHD .  One of the most exciting elements of … Continue reading Reflections on the HA’s Henry on Tour Teacher’s Fellowship

Unknown's avataronebighistorydepartmentLeave a comment
teaching history

GCSEs, Neurodiversity and what exam boards can do to help

Written by Fergus, a Year 11 student from a grammar school in Gloucestershire The symptoms started immediately. I felt sick; alarm bells bonged in my head. I also experienced what can only be described as extreme writer’s block. I would not set pen to paper – or rather, fingers to keyboard – until an excruciating hour and a half later. Thankfully this was a mock … Continue reading GCSEs, Neurodiversity and what exam boards can do to help

Unknown's avataronebighistorydepartment2 Comments
teaching history

SEND is everyone’s business — so what does it mean for history teachers?

This article is written by Catherine Priggs, Leadership and Curriculum consultant regarding SEND and history teaching. SEND is something no history teacher can afford to see as a niche issue. Around 40% of pupils will be identified as having special educational needs at some point during their time in school. The number of pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) has grown sharply since … Continue reading SEND is everyone’s business — so what does it mean for history teachers?

Unknown's avataronebighistorydepartmentLeave a comment
teaching history

History Teacher CPD: Historical Association Teacher Fellowship Programme

This article is written by Geraint Brown, FHA regarding the Henry on Tour Teacher Fellowship which began in January 2025 History teacher CPD through the HATF 2025: Henry on Tour It’s been a pleasure to be leading this year’s HA Teacher Fellowship focused on the royal progresses of Henry VIII, which is being run in partnership with the Henry on Tour project. For the history … Continue reading History Teacher CPD: Historical Association Teacher Fellowship Programme

Unknown's avataronebighistorydepartment1 Comment
teaching history

Using the iPad in the History Classroom

Article written by Kirstie Murray from Cambourne Village College, Cambridgeshire Speaking as a pen-and-paper girl rather than a digital native, the use of technology has always seemed more like an addition within the classroom than a tool capable of developing teaching and learning. This blog isn’t intended to present a sweeping argument about the utility or otherwise of technology in the classroom, but rather hopefully … Continue reading Using the iPad in the History Classroom

Unknown's avataronebighistorydepartmentLeave a comment
teaching history

Reflections on the Great Debate

An account of how students from two different schools prepared and delivered their speech for this year’s challenge. Written by students from The Crypt School, Gloucester and Carre’s Grammar School, Lincolnshire. Sapphire and Sanj worked as a team to write and research the speech. This is their experience… Being involved with the Great Debate enabled us to develop a passion for parts of History outside … Continue reading Reflections on the Great Debate

Unknown's avataronebighistorydepartmentLeave a comment
teaching history

The power of a ballad vs the power ballad

By Meggie Hayes, History Teacher at The Crypt School in Gloucester. If you ask students what a ballad is today, they will go straight to the talents of Adele and Lewis Capaldi – perhaps some of the more cultured of the class will recite the greats of the 80s like Bonnie Tyler’s ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’. But these answers – whilst bangers – are … Continue reading The power of a ballad vs the power ballad

Unknown's avataronebighistorydepartment1 Comment
GCSE and A level, teaching history

Building a coherent history curriculum: why it matters and how to achieve it

By Catherine Priggs Curricular coherence is a vital element of effective curriculum design. When a curriculum coheres, it unfolds as a logical narrative, ensuring that content is not a collection of isolated topics. In a coherent curriculum, topics are woven together through overarching ideas, reinforcing pupils’ chronological and conceptual understanding. So, what does curricular coherence look like in practice? The power of sequencing A vital … Continue reading Building a coherent history curriculum: why it matters and how to achieve it

Unknown's avataronebighistorydepartmentLeave a comment