A pupil misunderstanding their history is obviously a serious impediment to their historical development. Misconceptions are generally more serious, and a subject leader should be much more aware of these, at both at individual pupil level and the wider class and key stage level. Ironically, teachers devote a large amount...

Field trips as a class may be problematic for the immediate future, but this doesn't mean that you can’t still plan for a local history enquiry even during periods of local lockdown. On the contrary, if the enquiry is localised then the children should still be able to access local amenities...

In this joint piece, Helen and Rob explore the EYFS Development Matters framework and its relevance to developing children’s understanding of the past. Helen suggests some key resources and approaches which work well in EYFS as well as some key questions to frame discussions with early years staff. Rob shares...

Effective communication is vital in the classroom. The teacher must demonstrate and model effective communication in order to appropriately support and, on occasion, scaffold learning for pupils. The children consistently need opportunity to review, reflect and share their understanding in order to make progress. But what does the idea of...

Whether you have been a history subject lead for a while or are new to the role, the HA’s Quality Mark (QM) for Primary History can help to support you in developing the subject in your school. In this guide experienced Quality Mark assessor and primary educator Sue Temple outlines...

In this piece Stuart explores some of the key considerations when leading history in an independent school, including the potential benefits and drawbacks of forging links with other schools, how you can use history to enrich the curriculum in the school, improving the level of CPD in your school, and...

As we approach the introduction of the new Ofsted framework, it seems timely that we offer schools, subject leaders and teachers some guidance on how to approach the coming changes.  The call for a broad and balanced curriculum is given renewed emphasis in the new framework, but beyond that, curricula...

While many aspects of the teaching of history will be covered in general school policies, e.g. assessment, much will also depend on the subject leader helping colleagues to teach history in a coherent and efficient way. The content of history is infinite and some guidance will be needed on how...

The Historical Association has been producing its specialist primary journal Primary History since 1992. In that time there have been three editions per year and since 2017 an additional annual digital summer resource. In 1992 a National Curriculum for history had recently emerged as had the Ofsted inspection process. Since...

This free summer resource for primary members is designed to help primary subject leaders and teachers consider the implications of developing a school policy for teaching of diversity in history. This comprehensive guide provides timely advice and considers questions associated with teaching diversity and provides a rationale for its essential role in providing an understanding...

In this guide Tim Lomas looks at how we can plan for progression in primary history, different measures we can use to check on it, and how we can make it work in practice. It also covers some key ‘dos and don’ts’ and offers some exemplar case studies, including an...

All too often, primary schools allow English and mathematics to steal the limelight, unwittingly pushing other subjects to one side. Now is the time to steal some of the limelight back. Whether you are a new subject leader or you have been leading the subject for years, you have a...

As a subject leader, are you often asked to provide historical objects and other documentary sources to support your colleagues with the teaching of history, but don’t know where to start looking? Well – read on! Teachers need to give children experience of handling a range of sources of information....

In this piece Stuart looks at the ‘bigger picture’ of curriculum overview and how, through careful curriculum mapping and the exploration of key trends, topics can be structured to fit together within a wider chronological narrative. He provides practical approaches and examples, as well as discussing historical concepts that occur in...

Perhaps the most important part of the History National Curriculum is the very first paragraph – the Purpose of Study Statement. A crucial part of this section is the very first sentence: ‘A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that...

History has often been described as an umbrella subject. This is because the nature of history means that we must learn something about the past and this something will encapsulate learning from other subject areas. However, while the history taught in your school can be enriched by other subject areas,...

In this piece Bev explains why it’s important for history subject leaders to develop a whole school policy for history, key pieces of information you may want to include, and the need to review the policy on a periodic basis. It also includes two exemplars policies for you to review...

Although the emphasis on good practice changes over time, research over many years has identified some key characteristics of effective subject leadership that enjoy universal consensus. This practical piece from Rob Nixon and Tim Lomas reflects much of this recognised good practice. They offer some general principles you will find...