The series consists of five webinars. The live session dates are detailed below.

Session 1: Making history accessible: context and considerations (FREE for HA members)

Monday 3 March 2025, 4pm–5pm
Catherine Priggs

This webinar will provide an overview of recent key developments in SEND, including statutory guidance and regulations from Ofsted’s latest Education Inspection Framework and the SEND improvement plan. Drawing on SEND toolkits, we will reflect on how to embed inclusive practice. This will be explored in the context of the history classroom as we draw upon the Historical Association’s Secondary Committee Making History Accessible resources to consider how to develop and support SEND students’ historical learning. At the end of this session, participants will be introduced to an optional small-scale action research project. This project will prompt reflection on a specific aspect of participants’ practice, which will be explored and reviewed through the webinar series.

Session 2: Mastering the memory challenge: running successful interventions with students who are struggling to remember at GCSE

Tuesday 11 March 2025, 4pm–5pm
Dale Banham

This webinar will explore a range of proven strategies for helping students remember more at GCSE. This includes:
- How to avoid cognitive overload by maintaining an explicit focus on key takeaways
- How to use recent research from cognitive science and the 2024 International Revision Census to make those key takeaways stick
- How to apply the theory of ‘desirable difficulties’ to structuring schemes of work that regularly revisit previous learning
- How to help students visualise what is expected of them in the exam so that they remember exam technique tips.

Session 3: Teaching neurodivergent students to succeed at GCSE History and beyond

Tuesday 25 March 2025, 4pm–5pm
Gemma Hargraves and Kate Wright, SENDCo

This session will offer practical strategies teachers can use to support and challenge neurodivergent students at GCSE. Covering the importance of scaffolding and Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, Kate Wright will offer a SENDCo’s perspective on how best to support GCSE historians. From Frayer models and graphic organisers to explicitly teaching key concepts and vocabulary, the session will outline how to achieve clarity in lessons, resources and homework.

Session 4: Showcasing history teaching and learning in special schools

Tuesday 29 April 2025, 4pm–5pm
Gemma Hargraves and Sally Lonsdale, Special School history curriculum lead

From a special school perspective, Sally Lonsdale will explore how history is encountered at her school. With secondary students working at Key Stage 1 age related expectations, history is seen as an ‘enriching subject’ with a strong focus on literacy and vocabulary.  The session will explore how students with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities and those with EHCP outcomes are supported and show how history teaching can be effective and joyful when directed by student experience and interests and focusing on skills rather than specific knowledge.

Session 5: Making history accessible: review and reflection

Tuesday 6 May 2025, 4pm–5pm
Catherine Priggs and Dale Banham

In this session, participants will review their action research projects established during the first webinar. Coaching conversations will encourage reflection, allowing participants to share their actions and insights. Additionally, they will begin developing a strategic plan to outline next steps for supporting students with SEND in accessing the history curriculum.

The course is for anyone who teaches, including history subject leaders, seconds in department/TLR postholders and aspiring subject leaders. The series has a specific focus on Key Stage 4, but content is also relevant to teachers of Key Stages 3 and 5.

This webinar series will enable you to: 

• - Consider how all students in your classroom can be supported to access high quality history teaching
• - Develop awareness of specific aspects of historical learning which may pose problems for students, and consider practical strategies to tackle these areas
• - Reflect on your own practice and address deficits

Dale Banham is a history teacher in a large comprehensive in Ipswich. He is an author of GCSE and Key Stage 3 textbooks and is an honorary fellow of both the Historical Association and the Schools History Project. 

Gemma Hargraves is a history teacher and Deputy Headteacher (Pastoral). She is a member of the Historical Association’s Secondary Committee and has previously been an A-level examiner and team leader.

Catherine Priggs is a member of the Historical Association’s Secondary Committee and freelance education consultant with over 15 years’ experience as a teacher and specialist leader of education. She also works as a specialist assessor for two exam boards.

For Session 3, we will be joined by Kate Wright, a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo). For Session 4, we will be joined by Sally Lonsdale, a Special School history curriculum lead. 

All prices are listed inclusive of VAT. Any webinar booked individually on Cademy will incur an additional fee.

To access the member price please provide your membership number when prompted. You must have a valid membership at the time of booking and attending. All webinars in this series are eligible for the corporate member free recording offer.

The webinars will take place online over Zoom. While we strongly recommend participating live, if you are unable to attend for any reason a recording link will be made available. This will be emailed to all registered participants to access for a limited period.

To book for multiple webinars or request an invoice, please complete the form below.

If you have missed a session, a recording can be accessed using the form. You will be emailed an invoice for the cost of the recording(s) and a time-limited link to access the webinar recording on Zoom.