Tag: curriculum

teaching history

Historical Stories to support GCSE History

Pete Jackson from Ryedale School in North Yorkshire and Ben Bassett from Villiers School in London have been working on writing historical stories to support the GCSE Curriculum. Here is their findings and examples of their work The thinking behind the project Inspired by the growing momentum around historical storytelling in the classroom, we’ve spent the past year crafting narrative-rich resources to support the OCR … Continue reading Historical Stories to support GCSE History

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teaching history

Practical support for non-specialist history teachers

Written by Catherine Priggs, Educational Leadership and Curriculum Consultant History classrooms are busy, complex spaces. Pupils arrive with curiosity, questions and misconceptions. They deserve lessons that do more than recount events and that guide them to think historically and understand their place in a much larger tapestry of time. Teaching history as a non-specialist can feel daunting. Lessons often tackle complex and emotive issues – … Continue reading Practical support for non-specialist history teachers

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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

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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

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teaching history

Curriculum Review 2024

In September 2024 the Department for Education launched a consultation on the curriculum asking for students, parents, teachers, employers, leaders and experts to share their thoughts on the current model and what a future curriculum could look like. The Historical Association is preparing a response and we wanted to ask you for your help in enabling your students to give their feedback to us on … Continue reading Curriculum Review 2024

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curriculum and planning, diversity and inclusion, KS3, subject leadership, teaching history

Gained time = curriculum time

Thanks to Catherine Priggs, member of HA Secondary Committee, and Geraint Brown, HA Fellow, for this blogpost on how to use time gained in the best possible way for your history curriculum. They provide practical help to guide you in a curriculum review process. Pupils on study leave? Exam season coming to an end? More non-contact time? Now is the perfect time to relax… and … Continue reading Gained time = curriculum time

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curriculum and planning, diversity and inclusion, teaching and learning ideas, teaching history

Bringing the Black Tudors to Life Through an Interdisciplinary Approach

Alex Fairlamb (@LambHeartTea) is a Senior Leader in charge of Teaching and Learning and CPD, based in the North East, and also a member of the Historical Association Secondary Committee and the Schools North East Steering Board. The publication of Miranda Kaufmann’s ‘Black Tudors: The Untold Story’ had a profound effect, not only my teaching, but on many other educators’ teaching too.  ‘The Tudors’ is … Continue reading Bringing the Black Tudors to Life Through an Interdisciplinary Approach

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curriculum and planning, subject leadership

This blogpost isn’t for you; what your line manager needs to know about history

Thanks to Catherine Priggs, Assistant Headteacher T&L, Dr Challoner’s Grammar School and member of HA Secondary Committee for this week’s blogpost. In it Catherine explains how to work with senior leaders to ensure that they have the knowledge they need to support history teaching and subject leadership. Curriculum leadership needs our attention. In the face of non-specialist teaching due to a recruitment and retention crisis, … Continue reading This blogpost isn’t for you; what your line manager needs to know about history

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curriculum and planning, historical scholarship, KS3, substantive knowledge, teaching history

Cracking the Enigma: a new approach to teaching ALL of World War Two

Thanks to David Bailey, a history teacher at Jerudong International School, Brunei, for this blogpost. David, and his departmental colleagues, have been rethinking their approach to teaching World War Two. He hopes to start a conversation about this. Please get in touch with your ideas and think about contributing a blogpost about how you have wrestled with this issue. How do you tackle World War … Continue reading Cracking the Enigma: a new approach to teaching ALL of World War Two

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curriculum and planning, subject leadership

How special(ist) is your Line Manager?

Thank you to Simon Harrison, Headteacher of Crofton School and member of HA Secondary Committee, for this blogpost. In in Simon discusses line management by specialists and non-specialists, and points us in the direction of support for the latter to help them with their understanding of history as a school subject. As a history teaching headteacher, I find it hard to keep my nose out … Continue reading How special(ist) is your Line Manager?

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