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Round Table Discussion: Does Content Matter?
Annual Conference 2010
This round table discussion took place on Saturday 15th May 2010. The panel includes: Dr Katharine Burn (Editor of Teaching History), Dr Michael Riley (Director of the Schools History Project.); Colin Jones (President of the Royal Historical Society and Professor of History at Queen Mary, London); David Evans (Former Head of Eton).
Round Table Discussion: Does Content Matter?
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Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 History (Early Years)
Primary History article
Please note: this resource pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content and links may be outdated.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...
Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 History (Early Years)
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Film: What's the wisdom on... Causation
Your Virtual History Department Meeting
We’ve been talking to our secondary school members and we know how difficult life is for teachers in the current circumstances, so we wanted to lend a helping hand.
'What’s the wisdom on…' is a brand-new and already popular feature in our secondary journal Teaching History and provides the perfect...
Film: What's the wisdom on... Causation
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Chronology & Topics at Key Stage 2
Primary History article
Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.
The Nearly Complete History Of Almost Everything outlines the chronology of various aspects of our lives, and gives a flavour of the enormity at first glanceof ‘teaching chronology'. Topics, which are not tied to a particular...
Chronology & Topics at Key Stage 2
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Ofsted and primary history
Primary History article
Firstly, I would like to introduce myself as Ofsted’s new Subject Lead for history.
Despite the many challenges of the past year, it is an exciting time for history education. I am very pleased that the number of primary history teachers who are now part of the HA community has...
Ofsted and primary history
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Using the back cover image: Oxford Street in the 1960s
Primary History feature
Photographs are very useful and productive documents when teaching history. They provide a snapshot of the past such as this one from just outside Selfridges on Oxford Street in London c.1962-64. Combined with further images from Heritage Explorer, clips from Pathé News, extracts from the 1911 Census, locally gathered images...
Using the back cover image: Oxford Street in the 1960s
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Sporting legacy: the history of endeavour
Primary History article
One of the highlights of 2021 for many people was getting up early over the summer and avidly watching events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics unfold: feats of bravery and endurance, heartbreak and celebration. It will, of course, enter the history books and the pub quiz questions, not least because...
Sporting legacy: the history of endeavour
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Using 'Development Matters' in the Foundation stage
Primary History article
Using ‘Development Matters' to plan learning for history in the Foundation stage
You won't find the term history in the Early Years curriculum framework at all. That being so, it can be difficult to know how best to support our Nursery and Reception colleagues when developing historical understanding within the...
Using 'Development Matters' in the Foundation stage
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Citizenship and History
E-CPD
Welcome to this on-line self supported self-study UNIT on History and Citizenship Education. While the UNIT is designed for supported self-study we hope that you will work with a school mentor, and if available, a university tutor [Expert Learning Fellow or ELF]. This Citizenship and History Education UNIT introduces History/Citizenship Education...
Citizenship and History
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Teaching with Meaning: Supporting Historical Understanding in the Primary Classroom
Primary History article
Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.
In essence, history is a record of human affairs. The problem in making this record is that events are past and gone and have to be reconstructed. Evidence may be uncertain and incomplete. Inevitably, several...
Teaching with Meaning: Supporting Historical Understanding in the Primary Classroom
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Looking at buildings as a source for developing historical enquiries
Primary History article
Please note: this article was written before the the 2014 National Curriculum. The section on using computers in particular is now outdated.
Buildings offer a fascinating insight into history. We live, work and shop in buildings of various descriptions. Some of these buildings are very new, others are very old. Frequently...
Looking at buildings as a source for developing historical enquiries
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EYFS: What does good curriculum provision look like?
HA Primary Subject Leader Area
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...
EYFS: What does good curriculum provision look like?
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Even more support for beginning teachers from the Historical Association
Primary History article
It is easy to be both overwhelmed and confused by the demands of teaching in the primary sector. The Historical Association has long been aware of the need to support student teachers, early career teachers and those that support them. With all the busy demands it is easy to miss...
Even more support for beginning teachers from the Historical Association
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Pupils as apprentice historians (4)
Primary History article
Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.
The Historical Association [HA] supports effective, stimulating and rewarding history teaching through its website, publications and in-service programme, particularly Primary History and its HITT [History in Initial Teacher Training Programme]. HITT provides extensive guidance on a...
Pupils as apprentice historians (4)
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Printed pictures with text: Using cartoons as historical evidence
Primary History article
Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.
Written and printed sources are often multi-modal in nature, i.e. they combine images and text (Kress and Van Leeuwen, 2001). Indeed, many printed sources in the print age, c. 1500-2000 and nearly all in the digital...
Printed pictures with text: Using cartoons as historical evidence
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Coherence in primary history
Primary History article
This article looks at what coherence is, how it can be mapped and ways in which classroom activities can enhance pupils’ awareness of the past in a more coherent way.
What is it?
The term ‘coherence’ has been around a fair time now. Most reincarnations of the National Curriculum have referred to the need for...
Coherence in primary history
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Filmed Lecture: Medlicott Lecture 2025 - Dr Christine Counsell
Dr Christine Counsell
The Historical Association's Medlicott Medal 2025 was awarded to Dr Christine Counsell. The award seeks to recognise individuals from a diversity of backgrounds in their service to history. Read more about Christine, her work and her award here.
As is the custom, Dr Christine Counsell received her award and presented her...
Filmed Lecture: Medlicott Lecture 2025 - Dr Christine Counsell
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The Dramas of History
Primary History article
Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.
The Mantle of the Expert [MoE] dramatic system works quite simply whereby classes are first of all invited to imagine. Within this imagined world - the class view their world through the eyes of other people...
The Dramas of History
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Using museum and heritage sites to promote higher-level learning at KS2
Primary History article
The Key Stage 2 Primary History Curriculum sets ambitious challenges for pupils: "…They should regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance. They should construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information. They should understand how our knowledge...
Using museum and heritage sites to promote higher-level learning at KS2
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Chronology through ICT
Primary History article
Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum.
Introduction: Research into chronological understanding
Chronological understanding is both one of history's most important disciplinary organising concepts (Lee and Shemilt: 2004) required for developing a full understanding of history, and certainly one of the most researched, though often with a broader remit...
Chronology through ICT
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Students’ local history stories
Multipage Article
One of the strengths of the HA is our broad interest in all areas of history. So many history themes and narratives focus on the big issues, but for many of us, history starts in the local. That is why we introduced Local History and Community Month for each May...
Students’ local history stories
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Making History Accessible
Multipage Article
My students struggle with...
Every student has an entitlement to learn history and to high quality history teaching. In this section you will find support for helping students who struggle with specific aspects of learning history.
For each aspect of learning history that students struggle with you will find:
A...
Making History Accessible
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Pull-out Posters: Primary History 69
Britain and World timeline 4000-2000BC, and key primary historical terms
Pull-out Posters: Primary History 69
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Chartered Teacher of History
Multipage Article
The Chartered Teacher of History status (or CTHist) confers a distinction on its holder in recognition of a high level of commitment to ongoing professional development of historical knowledge and age-appropriate history pedagogy. It follows the same rigorous standards as other successful Chartered Teacher schemes.
Chartered Teacher of History (CTHist)...
Chartered Teacher of History
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History supporting global learning
Primary History article
I am the teaching head of a small village primary school, Hawkshead Esthwaite Primary, in Cumbria. We have, for the last year been one of the first Centres for Excellence for the Global Learning Programme (GLP).The GLP is a Department for International Development (DFID) initiative which began in September 2013...
History supporting global learning
