In this podcast, Katy Cubitt, Professor of Medieval History at the University of East Anglia, discusses the ways the church developed and changed in 10th and 11th century England. This period involved the rise of the local parish and the emergence of religious leaders who would attempt to ‘restore and purify' the religious...

The film Peterloo has been reviewed as one of the cinematic achievements of 2018, dramatising the people and events that led to the infamous ‘Peterloo’ massacre in August 1819. Respected film-maker Mike Leigh created the film using historical records and sources from the period, as he and historical adviser Jacqueline...

2018 has – rightly – seen a strong emphasis on the story of the suffragettes, of those courageous individuals who took to militant methods to get the vote for women. This is not their story; it is the often-overlooked story of the many thousands of women and men who fought...

There has never been a more exciting time to study Anglo-Saxon history. Recent archaeological discoveries are transforming our understanding of the narrative of early English history and have added new layers of meaning to our existing knowledge. New methodologies such as the study of landscape and of gender have challenged...

As we approach Remembrance Day and of course the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, schools across the country have been carrying out their own acts of remembrance in the form of special services, memorials, trips and drop down days among many other activities. Social media...

This November marks 100 years from the Armistice of the First World War. The war had lasted over four years and had destroyed empires and rocked governments. Existing practices and ideals were challenged, families were torn apart, and Europe and the World would feel the effect and legacy of the...

It was the Battle at Bosworth that brought an end to the War of the Roses. Richard III was defeated by Henry Tudor, ushering in a new dynasty to the monarchy of England and Wales. In recent years the battlefield at Bosworth has been investigated with archaeological excavations and new...

Archaeologists using hi-res motorised ground-penetrating radar have recently detected a well-preserved Viking ship burial, lying just 50cm below topsoil in farmland in south-east Norway. The ship’s 20-metre keel and timbers represent the fourth intact ship burial so far discovered in Norway. It is remarkable that this one has survived, because...

Access Primary History 80 (Free to HA Primary members) The Historical Association would never pretend that it understands what is the best primary history practice. On the contrary it recognises that such practice probably does not exist. Even outstanding ideas can turn into something disastrous if the teacher does not make...

Yesterday, the Royal Historical Society (RHS) launched their research report which highlights racial and ethnic inequalities in the teaching and practice of history in the UK. Less than 1% of university academics are Black, according to the RHS’s report. The report draws attention to the fact that while history remains...

The UK National Archives have posted online an array of fascinating documents and pictures illuminating the history of the 1920s, a decade that saw enormous changes in British society. The new resouce makes available 67 letters, cartoons, photographs, official documents and handwritten notes covering the General Strike, hunger marches and unemployment, the...

Access Teaching History 172 here (free to HA Secondary Members) Editorial: Cause and consequence While we suspect that few history teachers would accept EH Carr’s famous dictum that ‘the study of history is a study of causes’, causality is such a mainstay of school history that it seems surprising that...

Twenty-three  people met in the comfortable Clayton Hotel in central Cardiff in June to attempt to assimilate two thousand years of Welsh history in a week. We were blessed with a heatwave, a bustling city environment, and a lot to see. We started on the eastern edge of South Wales...

Teachers – well done on getting your students this far – time for a pat on the back. (Congratulations to students too!) We know it’s been a tough few years – new exam, with new subject areas and no time to embed or try out the new approaches, but you’ve...

We are drawing towards the close of the First World War centenary. This November there will be lots of stories in the media about that period. We wanted to get some of our coverage done early – partly before you all get bogged down with an overload, but also to...

Following the Department of Education’s recent call for pilot schools to bid for Curriculum Development Funds, the Historical Association (HA) sought clarification specifically connected to disciplinary understanding. Within the guidance, the DfE sets out its criteria for programmes, one of which is that they should be structured on the basis of...

The government has reformed GCSE qualifications in England to make them more demanding. You can find out more about the new GCSEs here or by watching this short video. By 2020, all GCSEs in England will be graded using numbers instead of letters. The new grading scale runs from 9 to...

The Maya was one of the world’s greatest ancient civilisations, and its apparently sudden decline in the 9th century AD has long been a subject for historical debate.   Now scientists have found evidence which appears to confirm the theory that the large-scale abandonment of Maya city states was precipitated by a massive drought...

Access Primary History 79 (Free to HA Primary members) As the academic year draws to a close I find myself reflecting on the trials and tribulations, successes and regrets of the past 12 months. This is now the end of my third year at this school and it has felt...

At the end of a sweltering June the Historical Association gathered in London for our annual awards evening. Each year this wonderful event is an opportunity to celebrate some of the people that make history happen across the country on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. For 2018 as the...