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Webinar series: History and literacy: better together
On-demand webinar series for primary teachers and history subject leaders
History is a highly literate discipline, but what should the relationship be between primary history and the general teaching of literacy and English? The answer is that primary history should be modelling what it is like to think, speak, read, write and listen in an historical way. However, the subject...
Webinar series: History and literacy: better together
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British organised youth and the First World War
Historian article
This posthumously published article by John Springhall was presented to us, with recommended illustrations, shortly before his death. It reflects his interest in popular culture and how people lived their lives in quite a remarkable manner.
Adult-directed British uniformed youth movements played a significant but often overlooked role during the...
British organised youth and the First World War
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Out and About in Paestum
Historian feature
Trevor James introduces the extraordinary archaeological remains from Greek and Roman occupation to be found at Paestum.
Paestum is the more recent name of a location originally known as Poseidonia, named in honour of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. Poseidonia was a Greek settlement or colony on the west...
Out and About in Paestum
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HA Honorary Fellows 2025
HA awards
We are delighted to announce the Honorary Fellows for 2025.
Each year the Historical Association awards Honorary Fellowships to a small group of people. These awards are to recognise and celebrate outstanding services to history and to the Historical Association. The awards cover services to the Historical Association Branches (of which there are...
HA Honorary Fellows 2025
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Webinar series: Practical approaches to disciplinary concepts in primary history
HA webinar series for primary teachers and history subject leaders
What does this series cover?
This webinar series will look at each of the key historical concepts and how these can be implemented in a primary setting. It will give practical advice on how to incorporate the concepts into Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 including how to frame...
Webinar series: Practical approaches to disciplinary concepts in primary history
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HA Secondary History Survey 2024
24th June 2025
For the last 15 years the Historical Association has carried out an annual or biennial survey of history teaching in Secondary Schools. The survey data now provides us with an up-to-date insight into the successes, pressures and concerns in schools affecting history and how those factors have developed, changed or...
HA Secondary History Survey 2024
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Young Quills shortlist for 2025
The HA's annual awards for best historical fiction for young people
Each year, the Historical Association runs ‘Young Quills’, a competition for published historical fiction for children and young adults (14+). The Young Quills books for each year must be published for the first time in English in the year preceding the competition – so 2024 for this year’s selection.
Our aim...
Young Quills shortlist for 2025
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The Historian 139: Out now
Journal News
There has never been a more exciting time to study Anglo-Saxon history. Recent archaeological discoveries are transforming our understanding of the narrative of early English history and have added new layers of meaning to our existing knowledge. New methodologies such as the study of landscape and of gender have challenged...
The Historian 139: Out now
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Webinar series: Making GCSE history accessible: supporting all learners at Key Stage 4
HA webinar series for history teachers, leaders and SENDCos
What does this series cover and why should I attend?
In recent years, the UK’s SEND system has been under the spotlight. As numbers of students with identified special educational needs increase, attention has been given to how to best embed inclusive practice, enabling teachers to support all students to...
Webinar series: Making GCSE history accessible: supporting all learners at Key Stage 4
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Primary History 84
The primary education journal of the Historical Association
04 Editorial (Read article for free)
05 HA Primary News
08 Using stories to support early history skills and understanding in the EYFS – Sandra Kirkland (Read article)
10 Democratising history lessons in Key Stage 1: how pupil voice shapes history teaching and learning in our school – Stuart Boydell...
Primary History 84
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No more ‘doing’ diversity
Teaching History feature
Catherine Priggs and her history department colleagues were increasingly concerned that their curriculum was too narrow. They feared that major areas of history were being left out and that many of their own pupils were not seeing themselves, in their various ethnic, cultural and world identities, in the past. Priggs...
No more ‘doing’ diversity
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On-demand webinar series: Building and securing disciplinary thinking in primary history
On-demand webinar series for primary teachers and history subject leaders
What does this series cover?
This series of webinars will consider how disciplinary knowledge is slowly introduced into the primary curriculum, built upon and strengthened.
We know that substantive knowledge in history is the substance ('the stuff') we teach: the facts which we are sure about and which all have...
On-demand webinar series: Building and securing disciplinary thinking in primary history
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The great Liberal landslide: the 1906 General Election in perspective
Historian article
On 1 May 1997 the Conservative party suffered an electoral defeat so overwhelming that political commentators were left rummaging through the statistics of the previous two centuries to find anything similar. The Times concluded on 3 May that it was the party's worst performance since 1832, though 'The disaster suffered...
The great Liberal landslide: the 1906 General Election in perspective
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Course: Supporting SEND pupils in your primary history lessons
HA CPD course for history subject leaders in mainstream schools
Book Now
(Registration is via Cademy which opens in a new window. Please read the HA CPD terms and conditions before registering)
Available dates
Autumn term: Friday 5 December, 9am - 2pm (online)
What does the course cover?
Do you struggle to engage your lower attaining or EAL pupils in their history lessons? Are you...
Course: Supporting SEND pupils in your primary history lessons
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Course: Assessment and progression in primary history
HA CPD course for primary history subject leaders and senior leaders
Upcoming dates
Spring term: 30 January 2026, 9.30am–3.30pm (online)
Booking will become available at the end of the autumn term.
What does the course cover?
This practical course will help primary teachers to understand the purpose of assessment in history and consider current best practice. We will explore ways of continuing to...
Course: Assessment and progression in primary history
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The subject associations of the UK have addressed a letter to the Secretary of State for Education
5th November 2020
Dear Gavin Williamson,
We are deeply concerned by the short-sighted decision to reduce and in many cases remove bursaries from trainees in a number of subjects and in primary teaching. Cutting off support conveys a strong signal as to the value of teaching in our society. Lack of financial support...
The subject associations of the UK have addressed a letter to the Secretary of State for Education
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On-demand webinar series: Embracing messiness: teaching disciplinary thinking in history
On-demand webinar series for secondary history teachers and leaders
What does this series cover?
This series of webinars will consider how disciplinary thinking has perhaps become something of an afterthought in curriculum planning, for a range of valid reasons, and start to explore ways to build it back in. It will encourage colleagues to hold up a mirror to...
On-demand webinar series: Embracing messiness: teaching disciplinary thinking in history
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Webinar series: Coherence at Key Stage 4
HA webinar series for subject leaders and teachers of history
What does this series cover?
This series of webinars will consider coherence at Key Stage 4. We will reflect on using sequencing to establish coherence, how different categories of coherence can be used to inform our planning and delivery of GCSE, and how meaningful approaches to assessment will allow pupils’...
Webinar series: Coherence at Key Stage 4
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More than ever, history and historians need a collaborative and co-ordinated approach
27th February 2025
It’s been an especially grim start to 2025 for many in UK higher education. News in early January of cuts and job losses at the universities of Canterbury Christ Church, Northampton and Staffordshire has been followed by announcements from Cardiff, Durham, Newcastle, Reading and, once again, Kent. This, moreover, is...
More than ever, history and historians need a collaborative and co-ordinated approach
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Real Lives: Flora Sandes
Historian feature
Our series ‘Real Lives’ seeks to put the story of the ordinary person into our great historical narrative. We are all part of the rich fabric of the communities in which we live and we are affected to greater and lesser degrees by the big events that happen on a daily...
Real Lives: Flora Sandes
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Key Principles for teaching Thematic Studies at GCSE
GCSE Guidance
For many teachers the thematic study is the most new and most troubling unit of the new GCSE specifications. By following this link, you will be connected to an article that appears on www.thinkinghistory.co.uk. This free website for teachers is maintained by Ian Dawson. In this article Ian works with...
Key Principles for teaching Thematic Studies at GCSE
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History Teacher Development Programme (HTDP)
Immersive online course for history teachers looking to develop beyond their early career
Book now
Autumn 2025 cohort
- Welcome meeting: Thursday 16 October, 4.45pm–5.45pm- Second meeting: Thursday 15 January, 4.45pm–5.45pm- Assessment meeting: Thursday 26 February, 4.45pm–5.45pm
What is the History Teacher Development Programme?
The History Teacher Development Programme is an immersive online programme aimed at history teachers who want to re-focus their...
History Teacher Development Programme (HTDP)
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Primary History 83
The primary education journal of the Historical Association
04 Editorial (Read article for free)
05 HA Primary News
08 Developing early history skills and understanding through the EYFS – Emily Dickenson (Read article)
12 Teaching sensitive subjects: slavery and Britain’s role in the trade – Susie Townsend (Read article)
18 The Elizabeth cake – Sandra Kirkland (Read article)
21 Turning Technology:...
Primary History 83
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History teacher subject knowledge reading list
One Big History Department blog post
Subject knowledge updating is enjoyable and a huge challenge in a busy teacher's life.
There are fantastic initiatives which make this process more collegiate. And some historians are incredibly generous with their time and engage with history teachers on social media and at conferences. Nevertheless, there can’t be many of us who...
History teacher subject knowledge reading list
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Holocaust Memorial Day 2025
19th December 2024
Each year on 27 January the UK observes Holocaust Memorial Day. Every year since its introduction communities, individuals, organisations and institutions have been encouraged to mark the day and remember it. The history of what is remembered is straightforward: on 27 January 1945 the Soviet Army entered into a Nazi...
Holocaust Memorial Day 2025
