On Friday 8 November 2024 there was a glittering event for those schools who have achieved the Quality Mark (QM) for History. We wanted to celebrate those who have put in the hard work and dedication to raise the standard of education, awareness, knowledge and enjoyment of history teaching in their school, elevating and embedding the subject across the learning environment in order to earn the Quality Mark. Gaining this award is an optional activity and not an easy one, so we wanted to provide an opportunity for those that do it to be recognised with a chance to celebrate.

The early evening event was held at the British Library with short talks from HA education Manager Mel Jones and her counterpart from the Geographical Association, Becky Kitchen – the GA were co-hosts of the event, also celebrating their Quality Mark awardees. Teachers from across the country were invited to attend and were able to enjoy an evening where they met and chatted to their peers from other schools and QM examiners.

For TV documentary fans there was an excellent keynote talk by broadcaster, writer and speaker Nicholas Crane (BBC’s Coast), who provided an excellent overview of how the landscape and geography of the UK has led to human historical development, and how human development has impacted on our physical environment. There was also an opportunity to visit the new British Library exhibition Medieval Women: In Their Own Words as guests.

Achieving Silver or Gold in the Quality Mark is an endeavour that takes months of hard work across the school body following a structured programme of development. Schools are supported with guidance from the HA who work with the teachers to ensure that new initiatives have rigour and sustainability. Those staff who achieve the Quality Mark will all have developed personal and professional skills that they can take forward, and the pupils who are the recipients of the new learning will have gained enormously in their educational knowledge and enthusiasm for history.

The Quality Mark is the Historical Association’s highest award programme for schools in the UK and it remains an outstanding part of our school support.

• Find out more about the HA's Quality Mark for Secondary schools
• Find out more about the HA's Quality Mark for Primary schools