Keystage History Blog – updates from Neil
Latest posts
What does good leadership of history look like at KS 1 and 2?
BookmarkA recent report from a history HMI to a primary school reveals what they are looking for : One of…
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Keeping up-to-date with your teaching of the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings at KS2- dealing with fake news
BookmarkSubject knowledge is vital for any KS2 teacher. You can rely on this website to provide not only the background…
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GCSE Medicine and World War One. How did a weapon of war ( mustard gas) lead to a blood cancer treatment?
BookmarkFascinating short article looking at war as a factor in medical advances. Those who suffered most from mustard gas attacks…
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In many schools primary history curriculum found wanting by OFSTED
BookmarkSeven of the 33 primaries schools visited by the inspectorate under phase 3 of its curriculum study, published today, had…
Read MoreOFSTED rails against gimmicks rather than getting basics right
BookmarkThe chief inspector of schools at OFSTED has warned against resting hopes on the latest educational gimmicks and urged us…
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Top 10 Command words when planning your primary history activities
BookmarkAs well as listing and describing, what other forms of command words can we use to make sure that pupils’…
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New find reveals Roman relationship with the Celts
BookmarkYesterday the BBC ran this interesting article on an important find at Vindolanda Roman fort on Hadrian’s Wall which challenges…
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How can I raise standards in learning in history in my primary school? Doing the right things.
BookmarkOne of the hardest jobs for a history subject leader in primary schools is to build up a clear idea…
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7 ways to ensure that your history curriculm is 2019-ready
BookmarkThere has been a lot of coverage recently of OFSTED’s intention to focus more on the quality , range and…
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So, are we getting the emphasis right in our teaching of the Peterloo massacre at KS3?
BookmarkThe Peterloo massacre is one of the best-documented events in British history and now the subject of Mike Leigh’s recent…
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Moon Landing story book to use with Year 2
BookmarkThose of you teaching Man’s First Moonlanding at KS1 but like to know that there is a cute fiction title…
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Getting the level of difficulty of your history work just right.
BookmarkWe all know that pupils’ minds wander. Some brave researchers claim that this happens, on average, as much as 50%…
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Great class story to use with Ancient Egypt at KS2
BookmarkA few years ago when I was working closely with the staff at Belleville school in South London, we discussed…
Read More9 ways to ensure that your local history topic is successful at KS1 and 2
Bookmark9 ways to ensure that your local history topic is successful Don’t even begin your chosen local topic unless…
Read More10 things you must know about King Alfred before you teach about Saxons and Vikings at KS2
Bookmark1. Was Alfred born to be king? An unlikely ruler for a start. Although he was the son of the…
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Assessment in history at KS3 revisited-yet again!
BookmarkKS3 assessment revisited. Recently Sally Burnham and Geraint Brown revisited their earlier seminal paper on assessment now 10 years old…
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Using stories in history at KS3 and 4 as well as primary classes
BookmarkDaniel Willingham and other have long made the case for the use of story in history teaching at all keystages…
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Teaching Early Islam at KS2
BookmarkA recent article in the Historical Association’s magazine Primary History suggested that subject leaders need to ensure that the following…
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Making sure your KS2 pupils know the real reasons for the Mayan collpase: latest research
BookmarkThe Maya’s apparently sudden decline in the 9th century AD has long been a subject for historical debate. Now scientists…
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Top 10 Command words for primary history activities
BookmarkA simple way of ensuring that your pupils are thinking historically is to focus their activities using key command words….
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OFSTED looking for clear progression models in history
BookmarkCentral to much of the discussion in OFSTED about focussing more on subjects and the curriculum is the issue of…
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Powerful personal memories of Remembrance Day
BookmarkAs we all remembered the fallen yesterday, I had particular reason to think of family loss. In the Great War…
Read MoreHow did the Viking fleets keep afloat on their voyages?
BookmarkThe unsurprising answer is TAR. The Vikings knew how to produce it on an industrial scale, making batches of 200-300…
Read MoreGreat blog on narrative v analytical writing at A level
BookmarkIf any of you are feeling that the A level history markschemes don’t make much sense you will draw consideable…
Read MoreHas Mary Beard got it right about TV history?
BookmarkMary Beard has sparked controversy yet again , this time about the way history is portrayed on TV. Too many…
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Teaching Mary Anning as a significant person at KS1
BookmarkMany of you will know that I have been trying to wean schools off teaching JUST Florence Nightingale, and have…
Read MoreNew explanation as to why Mayan civilization collapsed- my KS2 kids can do better
BookmarkBelow is a recent short explanation as to why the Mayan civilization collapsed. I think that KS2 pupils can do…
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Commemorating centenary of ending of World War One: Using fiction to teach about remembrance at KS1 and 2
BookmarkFiction provides opportunities for children to explore what life might have been like for people living during the war and,…
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Why Learn History (When It’s Already on Your Phone)
BookmarkWhy Learn History (When It’s Already on Your Phone). Sam Wineburg’s just-published book in which he makes it clear that the…
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How good is your teaching and learning policy?
BookmarkSo primary schools and secondary history departments are happy to vaunt their teaching and learning policies. I applaud the fact that…
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Great short video on how Elizabeth I manipulated her image
BookmarkGreat video lasting just 6 mins during which an expert curator decodes the messages behind medals and miniatures. Really interesting….
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GCSE History: Guide to planning and teaching Edexcel 9-1 GCSE
BookmarkLots of thinking has taken place to decide the best way to structure the new Edexcel 9-1 GCSE history course. The…
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Gender issues when selecting your significant person to teach in history at KS1
BookmarkThere has always been a tendency towards gender stereotyping when selecting which ‘famous’ men and women to teach at KS1….
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Great new read for your incoming Y7 pupils studying Battle of Hastings
BookmarkYou know how keen your Y7 pupils are when they arrive, so why not strike while the iron’s hot and…
Read MoreUsing living graphs in history at KS4 and 5: don’t let the activity replace the thinking and long-term recall
BookmarkI have long been a fan of using living graphs, especially to help students appreciate extent and speed of change…
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Teaching Anglo-Saxons: Alfred and the Danes at KS2
BookmarkMany of you have kindly written to say how much your pupils have enjoyed the lesson where they have to…
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New resource for teaching evacuation at KS2 using sources critically
BookmarkIf you are teaching about evacuation World War Two, possibly as part of our innovative Thematic unit ‘Beyond Face vale’…
Read MoreUseful resource on Peterloo massacre KS3
BookmarkReally useful short video on Peterloo , ‘Manchester’s Tiananmen square’. Presented as a graphic novel, the visuals are really clear…
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Too many Cooks? Too pale, stale and male to be worth studying?
BookmarkAustralians are currently deep in debate about the enormous cost involved in yet another celebration of Cook’s voyages to Australia….
Read More£2.2. million to be spent on time-saving curriculum materials in hist, geog and science
BookmarkSounds great doesn’t it. Even better when you realise that the money is to fund school-based initiatives rather than top-down…
Read MoreUsing History Hits as a starter at KS3 and GCSE
BookmarkNearly all of us have asked pupils to jot down 10 things about a topic as a useful starter to…
Read MoreThe best way to plan your history topic at KS1 and 2 for September
BookmarkIt may seem odd that I’m still peddling advice on how to plan a primary history topic when schools have…
Read MoreWhat history skills should we be developing?
BookmarkIt is often helpful have a short list of key historical skills which is neither too daunting nor too convoluted….
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Spanish Armada: 430th anniversary- great lessons to enjoy for KS2 and 3
BookmarkThose of you teaching the Spanish Armada at KS2 or 3, will know that today is the 430th anniversary of…
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Teaching Stone Age to Iron Age at KS2 : Building your confidence
BookmarkThis excellent website offers you a very short, reliable summary of all the key points you need to teach to…
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Trump’s woeful ignorance of own country’s Cold War history
BookmarkI know we shouldn’t be surprised when Trump commits another faux pas, but I can’t help admitting that my hackles…
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Ignorant minister Nick Gibb says history teachers don’t use textbooks
BookmarkNick Gibb climbed on his hobby horse again this week and criticised teachers for not using textbooks more. The replacement…
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Great new GCSE Crime and Punishment resource
BookmarkSome of the world’s first police mugshots have been revealed showing criminals caught more than 150 years ago, including the…
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Only 1 in 50 children can spot fake news-teach them history
BookmarkAccording to a survey published today only 1 in 50 primary pupils have sharp enough critical skills to detect fake…
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Excellent short video on Hardwick house for your enquiry on Tudor homes
BookmarkAlthough designed for GCSE students i have watched the 3 minute video a number of times and its perfect for…
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.