Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum. [THINK BUBBLE, has burst, r.i.p... Diogenes, a curmudgeonly Ancient Greek cynic, has taken its place. The original Grumpy Old Man Diogenes typically looks back to a mythical golden age] Introduction Unfortunately I'm old enough to remember a time when primary school...

Mary Potts draws on actual practice at St Patrick’s School in Liverpool to show how a focus on growth using seeds can help EYFS children understand ideas relevant to historical understanding such as change over time. Such potentially complex ideas can be made much more comprehensible to young children through...

Lucy Hawker has thought about how we might begin to explore the idea of sustainability with very young children. She suggests focussing on why we might save or reuse materials and objects. She presents a loose structure that could be used to develop talk. She also considers how we might...

Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated. A research project was carried out with Maltese primary school children at San Andrea Infant and Middle school to see if learning strategies could accelerate pupils' cognitive development. The research involved a range of historical sources:...

Please note: this resource pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content and links may be outdated. History education needs to be placed in a wider pattern of curriculum development. Part I of this paper looks at general issues linking History with citizenship education and the early years. Part 2...

Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum. Introduction: The teaching potential of film Films about historical events seem like the nearest thing we can give our pupils to a time machine. In commercial film, the physical appearance of the past has often been carefully researched, thus a snippet from...

Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated. History gives colour and vitality to the curriculum. There are just so many engaging things to do. Without history there wouldn't be so much fun; whether in handling objects such as: the old wooden toys,...

Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated. Early years history should provide opportunities to expand the children's knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past and develop children's investigative and interpretive skills. Children should focus on: Questioning Observation Generating thoughts...

Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated. This article will argue that although history can seem a ‘hard' discipline for young children, it can be made accessible and exciting through telling stories about objects. The article does not contain advice about obtaining objects:...

As a subject leader you often have a lot on your plate and not always the time provided to do so. I have always been fortunate in that I have had support but I appreciate that in certain schools it can be difficult to fit everything in. Hopefully with this...

Over the next three editions of Primary History our assemblies pages will be linked to the theme of commemorating the First World War. We have found that while many teachers wish to remember these events in school, they are unsure how to approach the subject with primary aged children. It...

The chance to pilot the new National Curriculum presented me with the opportunity I was looking for to revamp a tired Year 2 curriculum. I began teaching in Year 2 two years ago, having previously spent five years working in Key Stage 2. As in many other schools across the...

A successful schools system must have the capacity to harness the potential of all pupils. This means tailoring teaching so that every pupil makes strong, steady progress throughout their school lives. While we all agree that learners who are struggling need effective teaching and support, I am passionate that gifted...

History education has a key role to play in creating the informed, critical attachment of young people to the nation and in creating the feeling that young people belong and can participate in national life. The Curriculum for Cohesion Team, comprising Muslim and non-Muslim academics and community leaders, believes that...

History plays an important role in the development of young children’s understanding of their world. It can broaden children’s experiences beyond the immediate present, to a time in the past, which might be only a few years ago or which might extend much further back in time. ‘Tell me about...

Teaching about significant individuals at Key Stage 1. Workshop by Professor Penelope Hartnett, University of the West of England The history programme of study for Key Stage 1 requires pupils to be taught about: The lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements, some...

Jenny uses her experience and expertise from a school committed to using museum education to outline ways in which artefacts can be used effectively in primary settings. This article is based on practice at Langley Heritage Primary Academy. She outlines some of the challenges and how practice was refined, including actual...

We all agree that oral history is a particularly powerful and attractive method for children to gather evidence and appreciate the real life relevance of history. From the Early Years to Year 6, many of us look deliberately for the opportunities to bring a visitor into the classroom, who will...

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...

Please note: this resource pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum In this series of podcasts Dr Penelope Harnett, UWE and Sarah Whitehouse Senior Primary Lecturer at University of the West of England examine good history at Key Stage 1.  1. Chronology  2. What should history at Key Stage 1 do? Local History 3....