Keystage history - Imaginative History Teaching in Primary and Secondary Schools
About Keystage History
Keystage history is the home of best practice in primary and secondary history teaching and learning. You can totally trust the authoritative, cutting edge, expert advice and you will be inspired by all the creative planning and teaching ideas. Subscribers love the wide range of fully resourced history lessons, all judged outstanding by a vastly experienced LA history adviser who has observed over 2,000 primary and secondary lessons and has carried out 60 national inspections for OFSTED. Every aspect of leading history 5-19 is covered in detail, from assessment and progression through to curriculum planning, raising standards and inspiring colleagues. This site is a must for any forward-looking subject leader.
Recently Added
Why did punishments become so bloody in the 18th century? KQ4
Pupils label their own copy of a motivating Hogarth print showing popular attitudes to public executions before explaining the puzzling conundrum: when the number of death penalties was increased why did the number of executions actually go down? Really good...more
Hitler’s propaganda: the cult of leader. Reading internal clues. KS3 & 4 Smart Task
The aim of this short task is to encourage students to look really closely at images for what is there, not what they think should be there. Students are asked to consider how they might expect Hitler to be portrayed on...more
More of the same. How did crimes and punishments change between 1500 and 1750? KQ3
All you need for this lesson on Crime and Punishment 1500-1750 is to turn your classroom into an art gallery and to provide a highwayman’s mask while pupils consider the advantages and disadvantages of being a highwayman and some bells...more
What does the legend of Robin Hood tell us about medieval justice? KQ2
In the following activities, KS2 pupils learn: a. that medieval justice was loaded in favour of the rich and powerful; b. that if you ran away from justice you would be declared an outlaw and could be killed on sight; c. that Robin...more
Has man ever been to the moon and how can we know for sure? KQ1
Varied introduction to the Moon Landing topic with pupils actively involved in sequencing, speculating and then the killer activity called Prove it in which they have to use a gallery of visual clues to find evidence to prove that man...more
Planning for teaching 1000 years of Crime and Punishment (KS2 Thematic Unit)
This post-1066 thematic unit has been produced to meet demand from KS2 teachers for a topic that is genuinely relevant and up-to-date for top juniors: something for them to get their teeth into and to voice their own opinions. By...more
KS2 lesson. How do we know what punishment was like 800 years ago. KQ1
moreHow were criminals punished 800 years ago, and how do we know? The story of the fox and the goose
Before you launch into the first key question you might like an introductory lesson in which you explore some of the...
Common assessment tasks in history at KS1
It is often difficult knowing how to assess pupils’ historical thinking at KS1. Are we simply testing literacy and /or recall? But what about historical understanding? Faced with this problem, I have been working with two large London primary schools....more
Medium-term planning for history at Key Stage 1
This part of the site contains a dozen detailed fully-developed enquiry-led, key question-driven medium term plans for all the major KS1 history -led topics. They have all been judged to be outstanding by an experienced OFSTED history inspector. All the...more
Curriculum models for KS1 history
It seems a logical extension of the advice on long-term planning of the 2014 curriculum to offer you some models of what it might look like. As you know, the devil is in the detail. With the current emphasis firmly...more
Has man ever been to the moon and how can we know for sure? KQ1
Varied introduction to the Moon Landing topic with pupils actively involved in sequencing, speculating and then the killer activity called Prove it in which they have to use a gallery of visual clues to find evidence to prove that man...more
What do you think the Wright brothers did to make them famous? KQ1
At the very start of the topic, on the assumption that you haven’t told them what the topic is about!! pupils are shown slide 2 in the form of a slow reveal. 4 coloured boxes obscure a picture of the...more
How did people react to Amy Johnson’s famous flight? KS1 activity
moreHow did people react to Amy at the time, and how do we know? KQ4
Children generate adjectives to describe Amy’s arrival in Australia using a photograph and short newspaper extracts and then are given 10 statements which they have to...
Has man ever been to the moon and how can we know for sure? KQ1
Varied introduction to the Moon Landing topic with pupils actively involved in sequencing, speculating and then the killer activity called Prove it in which they have to use a gallery of visual clues to find evidence to prove that man...moreWhat do you think the Wright brothers did to make them famous? KQ1
At the very start of the topic, on the assumption that you haven’t told them what the topic is about!! pupils are shown slide 2 in the form of a slow reveal. 4 coloured boxes obscure a picture of the...moreHow did people react to Amy Johnson’s famous flight? KS1 activity
moreHow did people react to Amy at the time, and how do we know? KQ4
Children generate adjectives to describe Amy’s arrival in Australia using a photograph and short newspaper extracts and then are given 10 statements which they have to...
Why did punishments become so bloody in the 18th century? KQ4
Pupils label their own copy of a motivating Hogarth print showing popular attitudes to public executions before explaining the puzzling conundrum: when the number of death penalties was increased why did the number of executions actually go down? Really good...moreMore of the same. How did crimes and punishments change between 1500 and 1750? KQ3
All you need for this lesson on Crime and Punishment 1500-1750 is to turn your classroom into an art gallery and to provide a highwayman’s mask while pupils consider the advantages and disadvantages of being a highwayman and some bells...moreWhat does the legend of Robin Hood tell us about medieval justice? KQ2
In the following activities, KS2 pupils learn: a. that medieval justice was loaded in favour of the rich and powerful; b. that if you ran away from justice you would be declared an outlaw and could be killed on sight; c. that Robin...more
Hitler’s propaganda: the cult of leader. Reading internal clues. KS3 & 4 Smart Task
The aim of this short task is to encourage students to look really closely at images for what is there, not what they think should be there. Students are asked to consider how they might expect Hitler to be portrayed on...more
Why did Germany lose the Battle of Britain?
moreIf Britain was only a few days away from defeat in August 1940 how on earth did she win the Battle of Britain a month later?
PLEASE NOTE This lesson was aimed at Key Stage 3 but should be capable of...
Great starter on interpretations of Henry VIII
Working closely with academic authors, in this case Catherine Fletcher, always gives a fascinating insight into what historians want to write and publishers want to sell. This is fertile ground for exploring the question of interpretations with pupils at KS2...more
Hitler’s propaganda: the cult of leader. Reading internal clues. KS3 & 4 Smart Task
The aim of this short task is to encourage students to look really closely at images for what is there, not what they think should be there. Students are asked to consider how they might expect Hitler to be portrayed on...moreWhy did Germany lose the Battle of Britain?
moreIf Britain was only a few days away from defeat in August 1940 how on earth did she win the Battle of Britain a month later?
PLEASE NOTE This lesson was aimed at Key Stage 3 but should be capable of...
What was the impact of the Californian Gold Rush 1848-9? GCSE SMART TASK
In this series of short tasks GCSE students predict, infer, gather information and then improve existing explanations of the impact of the Californian Gold Rush. Firstly, students have to use their existing contextual knowledge to predict what the likely consequences might...more
Follow Us
About Me
Neil acts as an educational consultant for history for schools throughout the country. After teaching for 12 years, during which time he ran two departments and was a member of the Senior Leadership, Neil moved into advisory work,
For 18 years, he supported 70 secondary and 450 primary and special schools in Hampshire during which time he carried out over 60 national OFSTED inspections. More recently he has been heavily involved in running about 40 highly acclaimed national training courses a year for primary and secondary history teachers, as well as bespoke whole staff INSET days in primary schools.
