Teaching and Learning at KS2 | Keystage history

teaching and learnign ks2 The approach offered on this site is only one of many you might know, or even use.

Heaven forbid that teaching should ever be done to formula, but in my experience there are a number of phases a lesson might go through to achieve its objectives.

The Lego analogy to help improve children’s thinking about history

Looking through the most recent Historical Association journal of Teaching history (TH204, September 2026) I was taken with an article by Sarah-Jane Bee who had successfully used the analogy of…

Using history to help create a more cohesive society

In March 2026 the British government published its policy paper on community cohesion: Protecting What Matters: Towards a more confident, cohesive and resilient United Kingdom. It makes a very strong case…

Teaching historical concepts at KS2 : from lists and definitions to meaningful encounters

Many of you have been asked to include in your long term planning evidence of coverage of specific historical concepts, such as the ones listed in the National Curriculum and…

How do I know I am teaching history in the right way? A few pointers for non-specialists

When your colleagues, who have to master 11 subjects after all , feel that they need a few pointers to help them transform the planning into really good history learning,…

How well do your pupils understand the concept of historical interpretations? A quick diagnostic quiz

Teaching about interpretations in history is one of the hardest challenges KS2 teachers will face. When pupils are searching for one memorable narrative, they are often confused by the idea…

Fitness for purpose versus novelty

Visiting over 300 primary schools in my career, several of them many times over, during many years as a primary history adviser, I have come across a vast range of…

How well are you intertwining national and global history?

Last year saw the new Labour government abort plans to create a model primary history curriculum which would have offered a clear way of making your history curriculum more inclusive….

New guidelines for 21st century history

In a recently-published study by the Council of Europe entitled “Quality history in the 21st century” a number of key aspects were covered which have a significant bearing on how…

10 step guide to strengthening your history teaching

1. Ensure all topics are linked and logically sequenced At the planning stage make sure all topics are carefully linked and logically sequenced so teachers know what they can refer…

9 highly effective retrieval activities that really help history to stick ..and show real historical understanding too!

To prevent retrieval activities simply resembling a random fact pub quiz consider using the following , which I’m sure many of you are, in some form or other. You’ll notice…

8 retrieval tasks that really work in history

This list is by no means exhaustive nor is it linked to just one key stage. You can think of even more, I’m sure. For that reason I have kept…

Using Tudor artefacts

Idea 1: Writing an expert caption: e.g. wooden trencher Present an object such as a wooden trencher as a mystery item – assuming the children haven’t seen one before! Ask…

Closing the circle: making sure you have an exciting, ‘fit for purpose’ learning product in your KS1 and 2 history topics

I have often thought that we don’t always invest as much time in considering the final product of a unit’s work as we should. Rightly focussing on the key enquiry…

Grasping the chronology nettle

Everyone knows that chronology is one of the key historical concepts pupils need to learn, and yet in very few schools is it given serious attention. Unless the subject leader…

Running timebox – First and foremost

Why Timebox teams? First and foremost, Timebox Teams should be fun. Behind the serious intent of improving pupils’ chronological knowledge lies the belief that constant repetition and familiarity with images…

Timebox – KS2 Pack

Mention the teaching of chronology to most infant teachers and their eyes glaze over. Their experience is that it is like picking up mercury with a fork. One minute the…

′100′ great ideas for teaching history at KS2

This section describes the best of the imaginative ideas I have seen work successfully in the teaching of history at Key Stage 2. The figure’100′ is in inverted commas because…

It’s time to think about the teaching of time at KS1 and 2

Time is probably the concept most fundamental to understanding history. This presents problems, of course, particularly with the youngest children. But just because its a slippery concept doesn’t mean we…

10 top dos and don’ts of using knowledge organisers in primary history

Used well, knowledge organisers are a really powerful resource but it all depends on how they are used. However attractive and packed with facts it might appear, if it just…

10 Things to do to make your history teaching better at KS2

1. Teach through historical enquiries. Enquiries are the most effective subject pedagogy in history, not least because when well drafted, they make pupils think. You will notice that all the…

A six step approach to history lessons

Step 1: Teacher motivates pupils to want to learn and scopes the enquiry Hooking them in: eg. with a slow reveal Making it real, exciting, a job that needs doing,…

10 questions which we should ask when planning historical enquiries at KS2

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Progression in historical interpretations at Key Stage 2 – How the past is represented and interpreted in different ways, and to give reasons for this

Beginning of Key Stage Children can identify differences between versions of the same event e.g. the video gives a different view to what we have just read e.g. version of…

The top 10 things you need to know about chronology at KS2, but were afraid to ask.

The top 10 things you need to know about chronology at KS2, but were afraid to ask. 1. There is more to chronology than sequencing While sequencing is fundamentally important,…

Digital Technology, AI and Film in history at Key Stage 2

You may think it surprising that film and ICT appear together and not separately. With the advent of digitisation and easy manipulation of images, including moving images, using computers the…

Strategies for using artefacts in teaching history at KS2

Nobody would seriously doubt the value of using artefacts in history at Key Stage 1, but at Key Stage 2 they are used far less regularly. In part, this reflects…

Teaching Interpretations at Key Stage 2

Although challenging, teaching interpretations in history at KS2 level is immensely rewarding when you see the ‘penny drop’ in pupils’ minds. It is hard because it is abstract. It is…

Teaching enquiry in history at Key Stage 2

You will hear a lot spoken about historical enquiry, but very little written down and easily accessible. Given its central importance to an understanding of the nature of history, this…

Fit for purpose history teaching strategies at Key Stage 1 and 2

As primary schools have been so heavily criticised by OFSTED for failing to select strategies that are fit for purpose, I thought it would be helpful to show the range…

What makes an outstanding history lesson at KS2?

With very little national guidance now coming from OFSTED by way of revisions to the subject-specific criteria for outstanding primary history, we have to fall back on the survey reports…

The teaching process in history at KS2

Key Stage 2 history teaching is often unfairly caricatured as a teacher telling interested pupils lots of interesting stories: fun at the time, but of little lasting benefit. We need…

Views of learners in history at Key Stage 2

There has been very little published research on the views of KS2 pupils on their history work, other than lots of ranking activities which place history at, or near, the…

The learning process in history at KS2

Given that this site specialises in giving practical support to busy teachers and subject leaders, you may be surprised to find a section on the theory of learning. Well, don’t…

50 imaginative learning activities to use in history at Key Stage 2

Currently these top 50 imaginative ideas are just listed in alphabetical order with a brief description of each, cross-referenced to an Outstanding Lesson in which the strategy is used. If…

Roles of learners in history at Key Stage 2

One of the best ways of exciting young children in history is to put them in role. Dorothy Heathcote’s approach, called Mantle of the Expert, invests expertise in the pupils,…

20 creative products for history Key Stage 2

This section accompanies the ones on teaching and learning approaches. It offers you a few ideas you may not have tried for a while, or at least not within the…

Personalised learning in history at KS 2

This is certainly one of the key areas to be focusing on in the next few years and lies at the heart of the government’s Every Child Matters agenda. But a…

Gender issues in history at Key Stage 2

It is hard to think of a teaching and learning strategy that one would use with boys. We all know that boys seem to like more active approaches, but so…

Gifted and talented pupils in history at Key Stage 2

Much has been written in general terms about identifying and then catering for able pupils in history. OFSTED and others have criticized schools for not moving beyond identification and general…

Key motivational factors in history teaching at Key Stage 2

The essence of what appeals to pupils can often be summed up by the words, People, Puzzle and Point. Children engage best if there is human interest . They like…

S.E.N. in history at Key Stage 1 and 2

By inclusion we mean three things here: setting suitable learning challenges, responding to pupils’ diverse needs, and overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups. Below are…

History for pupils with EAL in Key Stages 1 and 2

Most of you will be well-versed in strategies for helping children with EAL access other subjects in the curriculum and will not need detailed guidance on general issues. To help…

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Written by Neil Thompson