If you haven't already come across this School Run website offers 13 different ideas for making history come alive with your pupils, including games, story books, visits, history re-enactments etc. What i like about the list is that they offer examples too. Well worth...
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Leading History
Using data to improve history teaching and learning at Key Stage 1
Given that there is no subject-specific data on history at KS1 this might seem a strange inclusion on the site. Those of you who feel that there is quite enough use of assessment data in the core subjects will be relieved to hear this. So...
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Raising attainment in history at Key Stage 1
Experience of working with highly effective subject leaders over eighteen years has enabled me to distil SEVEN key factors that collectively contribute most to raising attainment.
Factor 1: The school focuses its attention on the central concerns of each history-led topic in terms of skills and...
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Self-evaluation for history at Key Stage 1 and 2
For Primary history subject leaders it is very important to get a clear sense of perspective on self-evaluation. I f you are not careful you will spend your very restricted non-contact time measuring and not growing the subject. Naturally you need to take stock of...
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Policy and vision for history at Key Stage 1
There is much debate about the value of a history policy, not least how long it should be!! A couple of examples are provided here to give you a feel for contrasting ways of doing it. An OFSTED inspector would be happy with either. What...
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Leadership in history
When looking at leadership in history a careful balance has to be created between offering generic advice (which you could get elsewhere) and very subject-specific advice, which in its attempt to be unique to history leaves out key generic issues. On the whole I have...
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Forward planning in history at Key Stage 1 and 2
It goes without saying that a history improvement plan must reflect the whole school approach. There is no need for it to be different. Usually the following structure is used in grid format.
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1. Area for development
- A limited number of areas for improvement
- Clear concise...
Prioritising your work as history subject leader at Key Stage 1
When you are new to the role, your first priority must always be to establish the health of the subject before you start on any grand improvement schemes. This may seem obvious, but it is often overlooked, not least because it is often difficult...
Developing your staff at keystage 1
Nearly all teachers enjoy teaching history and will want to improve the quality of their own teaching so that children can make better progress. However, the demanding task of improving colleagues' practice can be daunting, especially when you first start leading the subject. The philosophy...
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Monitoring in history at Key Stage 1
Almost every subject leader I know feels that they ought to be doing more monitoring, as if ordered to 'Go forth and monitor!' Because time is so scarce for this sort of activity we need to plan very carefully what we are going to look...
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