Briefing Packs

In a busy world, sometimes you just need that update or issue explained in a nutshell. The Historical Association briefing packs provide succinct essential support for a range of issues affecting primary history teaching and learning. In addition our topic briefing packs provide an excellent starting point to learn more about particular historical periods, people and events. 

Sort by: Date (Newest first) | Title A-Z
Show: All | Articles | Podcasts | Multipage Articles
  • Scheme of Work: Anglo-Saxon, Viking and Scots settlement in Britain

    Article

    In this unit, children can be introduced to the idea that people from other societies have been coming to Britain for a long time. They can learn about some of the tensions involved in the settlement as well as ways of life and matters that impact on us still. This...

    Click to view
  • Ideas for Assemblies: Refugee stories

    Article

    Please note: this piece was written before Sir Mo Farah’s 2022 disclosure that he was trafficked to the UK as a child, so some of its content is no longer accurate. An assembly could focus on the achievements of their lives, experiences as child refugees and migrants, and how they overcame...

    Click to view
  • What confuses primary children in history...

    Article

    Young children who automatically see shiny things as new no matter what their age, those who mix up technology from one age with another, those who dismiss people in the past as stupid because they did not have the possessions we have today, those who equate the age of a...

    Click to view
  • Time for a story

    Article

    Stories are an important part of a young child’s way of making sense of their world. Hilary Cooper’s excellent article ‘Why Stories?’ explores some of the reasons why stories are important to young children and their growing ‘understanding of the world’. This article is going to explore some recommended stories...

    Click to view
  • The Maya: a 4,000-year-old civilisation in the Americas

    Article

    Obscured by the fame of the Aztec empire or shrouded by a veil of mystery, the cultural history of the Maya has generally been misunderstood by the British public. Maya civilisation developed in a territory the size of Germany and Denmark together (nearly 400,000 km2). This vast territory shows three...

    Click to view
  • Summary of Key Changes to Primary Curriculum for 2014

    Article

    Following the publication of the final programmes of study and through talking to primary teachers at regional events, it has come to our attention that there is still a great deal of confusion surrounding the final programmes of study for history about what is statutory, what is not, what can...

    Click to view
  • Progression without Levels

    Article

    "As part of our reforms to the national curriculum , the current system of ‘levels' used to report children's attainment and progress will be removed.  It will not be replaced." (DfE 2013) When National Curriculum levels were removed in 2014, it was all too easy to fall into the trap of...

    Click to view
  • Curriculum Mapping at Key Stage 2

    Article

    The revised National Curriculum for history published on July 8th 2013 contains new content and possibly greater coverage that may find schools needing to map out what they cover and when more closely. The following list defines the topics that must be taught. Following this are some suggestions as to how...

    Click to view
  • In My View: Creativity & History

    Article

    Introduction A great deal has been written recently defining what is meant by creativity in primary education. And much has been written urging us to ‘teach creatively'. Yet there had been no exploration of what teaching creatively means in terms of teaching history until a group of colleagues and I...

    Click to view
  • Creating the 'creative history' website

    Article

    Editorial note: The role of ICT in the Digital Age is a major, perhaps even, the major factor, in enhancing creativity in the learning and teaching of history. This paper illuminates another dimension of ICT in the Digital Age and creativity. It shows how a teacher's creativity  has produced a...

    Click to view
  • Geosong: a transition project

    Article

    How do we engage young people with their Heritage, answer curriculum needs and make that big leap of transition from primary to secondary school that bit easier? English Heritage's Geosong treasure hunt website went some way to providing answers. What does the website do? Using handheld GPS devices, groups must...

    Click to view
  • Thematic or topic based whole school curriculum planning

    Article

    Creative curricular planning With the National Curriculum under review, it seems that more schools are taking a creative approach to planning by delivering the curriculum through a focused theme or topic. This has allowed schools to take more ownership of the curriculum and has helped teachers become more innovative in their...

    Click to view
  • Case Study: Creative chronological thinking

    Article

    Personal biographies I often ask groups to collect and record their own personal chronologies. They are asked to bring in evidence to tell the stories of their own lives or of the life of a relative, which they will then weave into a ‘photo book' story. The photo books become...

    Click to view
  • The Blitz - Lesson Ideas - Film

    Multipage Article

    On the 20th of October 2011, Lecturers and PGCE trainees at the University of the West of England, Bristol created a Blitz experience for the children of three local primary schools. The University's Education department was transformed into a Blitz style street, complete with a home front kitchen, a Warden's post-...

    Click to view
  • The Normans

    Multipage Article

    This Topic Pack gives you a brief summary on the Normans.

    Click to view
  • Alternative Suggestions to the QCA Planning

    Article

    In the light of recent uncertainties about the new Primary Curriculum, we at the HA felt that it might be helpful to teachers in schools looking to adapt next year's planning to have a few alternative ideas at their fingertips. Those topics identified contain links to medium term plans that are...

    Click to view
  • Florence Nightingale

    Article

    Born: May 1820; Died: August 1910 Background and early life Florence Nightingale was born to a wealthy evangelical family in Florence, Italy in 1820. She was named after her place of birth. It was normal at the time for girls from wealthy families to be educated at home by a governess,...

    Click to view
  • The Great Fire of London 1666

    Multipage Article

    London in 1666 was a large and growing city. It was of great importance both as the country's capital city, but also as the seat of government. It was by far the largest city in the country. It had far outgrown its original city walls and because of its sprawling...

    Click to view
  • Tudor Society

    Multipage Article

    Please note: this resource pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum The Topic Pack gives you a brief summary on Tudor Society.

    Click to view
  • Tudor Monarchy

    Multipage Article

    Please note: this resource pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum. The Topic Pack gives you a brief summary on the Tudor Monarchy.

    Click to view