• Subject professional development materials: history - 27 January 2012. This resource has been put together to help teachers in primary and secondary schools improve teaching and learning by reflecting on the main messages from the report (History for all) published in March 2011.
• History for all - 13 March 2011. This report evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of history in primary and secondary schools. It is based on evidence from history inspections between April 2007 and March 2010 in 166 maintained schools in England. Part A focuses on the key inspection findings in the context of rising standards since the previous report in 2007. Part B discusses some of the key issues facing history teachers and describes the essential components of effective learning in history. There are examples of good practice throughout building on Ofsted's 2007 report (History in the balance).

For history subject survey visits inspectors will use the 2012 section 5 evaluation schedule and additional guidance specific to history (.doc 106.5KB).

Subject survey feedback letters to schools

Ofsted survey findings in history are informed by up to 60 history visits to schools each year. Each school visited receives a short feedback letter which includes a judgement on the overall effectiveness of history together with an evaluation of pupils' achievement, the quality of teaching, the quality of the curriculum and the leadership and management of history. Ofsted latest history feedback letters will be updated termly.

Case studies of good practice in history in schools 

Putting the local community at the heart of the Key Stage 3 history curriculum - 9 February 2012. The Key Stage 3 history curriculum is distinctive and highly imaginative. It meets students' needs, aspirations and interests exceptionally well, and twice as many of these students choose to study history at Key Stage 4 than nationally. This is because they have an excellent understanding of history's relevance to their own lives. The curriculum gives them a detailed insight into how the local community fits into a wider national and international history.

Developing outstanding historical thinking in primary schools: Fox Primary School - 10 January 2012. By the time they leave Fox Primary School, pupils have outstanding historical knowledge and understanding. Crucial to this success is a determination to develop historical thinking at every opportunity through first-rate teaching, an outstanding curriculum and excellent planning.

Meaningful history for all - 20 May 2011. By putting inclusion at the heart of its approach to teaching and learning, history reflects students' needs and their context. It responds to their aspirations and it prepares them for their future as citizens in a diverse multi-cultural, multi-faith and multi-ethnic society. As a result, history is relevant. Yet it is also engaging and enjoyable, accessible and challenging.

National Adviser

Dr Michael Maddison is National Adviser for History and has held this post since 2008. 

Prior to his appointment as HMI in 2006, he held senior leadership positions in secondary schools in the North of England. He is an experienced teacher having taught both history and politics for over 25 years. He has had considerable examination experience at GCSE and A level, having been Assistant Principal Examiner and Senior Moderator for GCSE history with AQA from 1989 to 1996, and Principal Moderator for A level history with AQA from 1996 to 2002. 

As an HMI he has extensive experience of inspecting in all phases of education. As National Adviser, he has recently completed Ofsted's latest triennial report on history in primary and secondary schools in England covering the period 2007 to 2010 (History for all). This report was published in March 2011. 

Michael has also written various articles, including ‘History in Primary Schools: the view from Ofsted' (published in Primary History, Issue 50, Autumn 2008) and ‘History in Maintained Schools in England' (Euroclio, Bulletin 27, 2008). His latest article on ‘Developing pupils' chronological understanding' was published by Primary History, Issue 59, at the end of 2011. 

Recent and future events

Recent activities have included:

• Presentations on the report History for all and on history in schools as follows:
• Key note addresses to the 2011 Annual Conferences of the Historical Association, Schools History Project, SSAT Humanities Network, and Midlands History Forum
• The Curriculum Policy Division of the DfE
• History mentors, teacher trainers and trainees at three university faculty of education meetings, Roehampton, Cambridge, Edge Hill and UEA
• Secondary heads of history annual conferences for three local authorities, Cornwall, Norfolk and West Sussex
• Primary history subject coordinators for Lancashire
• The Royal Historical Society's Joint Education and Research Committee Meeting
• History UK (representatives from history departments in HE) at their annual plenary conference 
• The British Isles History Inspectors' Annual Conference in Cardiff
• The UK History Teacher Education Network Annual Conference for teacher trainers from across the UK and abroad at Roehampton University
• The Historical Association's Primary and Secondary Committees
• The primary and secondary history support team, and the secondary history teachers' network in Hampshire
• Meetings with Chris Skidmore MP, Tristram Hunt MP and Professor Sir David Cannadine to discuss history in schools
• Meetings with the Educational Publishers Council to discuss history text books and with the representatives of each of the examination boards in England to discuss results, trends and developments in public examinations
• Advice to history educators and inspectors in Poland on how to evaluate history in schools

Forthcoming activities will include:

• A meeting with Andrew Payne, Head of Learning and Outreach at the National Archives, to discuss the impact of their professional development activities for teachers
• A meeting with Sean Lang and the Better History Forum to discus their proposals for improving history in schools
• A meeting at the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich to review its learning and outreach work with schools
• A presentation on history in schools at the Outstanding History for All Conference, organised by Cambridgeshire Advisory Service
• A presentation on the national perspective about history in schools at the Staffordshire Humanities Conference 
• A presentation on history in schools at the Planning for engaging and challenging history at Key Stage 2 primary history  conference, organised by Norfolk County Council