Leading History
Leading history at Key Stage 3
Getting ready for a history subject review: knowing what OFSTED inspectors are looking for and the criteria they are using. It is essential that you keep up-to-date with current OFSTED thinking against which your department will be judged. There are 3 ways of doing this.
You must know the current Framework for Inspection and the History subject-specific guidance available on the OFSTED website. Look at the examples of best practice that feature of the OFSTED website. It is never easy for busy subject leaders to know when these appear and to find time to digest them. To make life easier I have summarized the top 10 messages from the last case study of Best practice in secondary history written in May 2012.
Also very popular is the advice on Monitoring, Forward Planning, Raising attainment and Using Data.
One recent upload was written by a Head of History who was deciding what his priorities ought to be in the year. It would be really interesting to compare his priorities with yours.
For new heads of history this site is a must. Those areas with which you might be less familiar, such as data analysis are all explained in accessible detail with telling examples.
My 10 New Year (academic) Resolutions
BookmarkThey will probably all be broken by the end of October!! No plan survives its first encounter with the enemy….
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How to carry out an effective work sample in Key Stage 3 history
BookmarkIt is assumed that you will already have a few hunches about what you will find based on your informal…
Read MoreHow to interview pupils – The pupil voice: let the children speak
BookmarkThis article draws on the wisdom, insight and practical experience of my friend and colleague Ken Wilby who was the…
Read MoreWhat to look for in outstanding history lessons: Your starter for 12
BookmarkLists such as these are only useful up to a point. They do highlight what is characteristically present in lessons…
Read MoreObserving history lessons at KS3
BookmarkWhy bother? Aside from Performance Management, you will want to see your colleagues at work and for them to see…
Read MoreFeeding back after a lesson observation at KS3
BookmarkTeaching in front of colleagues who are sitting at the back of your own classroom is nerve-wracking enough. To know…
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10 most important things a secondary history subject leader should always be doing…yes, always
BookmarkNo contrived acronym here or implied order of priority just making sure you do the right things as well as…
Read MoreWhat historians do: handle with care
BookmarkA synopsis of Margaret McMillan’s line of argument in the book The Uses and Abuses of History History, by giving…
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What makes a history department outstanding?
BookmarkThe department is an 11-19 comprehensive school serving Hounslow. Approximately 80% of the students are from minority ethnic groups. The…
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Prioritising at Key Stage 3
BookmarkMost of you will have already carried out some form of self-evaluation and will have a shrewd idea as to…
Read MoreDeveloping your staff at key stage 3
BookmarkThe philosophy this site holds regarding teachers’ continuing professional development is summed up very neatly by the Assessment for Learning…
Read MoreMonitoring in history at Key Stage 3
BookmarkThis is a very significant section of the site as it embraces so much of a subject leader’s role. As…
Read MoreRaising attainment in history at Key Stage 3
BookmarkIn many ways it is harder to raise attainment at KS3 than at KS4 and not just because of non-specialist teaching…
Read MoreSelf evaluation in history at Key Stage 3
BookmarkOfsted does not require self-evaluation to be graded or provided in a specific format. Any assessment that is provided should…
Read MorePolicy and vision in history at Key Stage 3
BookmarkEverything you do as subject leader sends off messages about your passion for the subject and desire to ensure that…
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Forward planning in history at Key Stage 3
BookmarkThere are probably four separate strands that you need to weave into your forward planning. To start with there will…
Read MoreUsing data in history at Key Stage 3
BookmarkNB This section of the site is under development as we wait for best practice post-levels assessment to emerge. There…
Read MoreWritten by Neil Thompson
All content on Keystage history is written and quality assured by Neil Thompson, a former history teacher, county history adviser and Ofsted inspector with more than 30 years’ experience in history education.