Keystage history

Outstanding Lessons: Key Stage 1

If you have ever searched the internet for inspiration for your history sessions you will know how frustrating it can…

Using artefacts to help children’s historical understanding at Key Stage 1

Since the early 90s, artefacts have become increasingly available either to purchase or to loan. Many firms offer useful replicas…

Progression in primary history: Top 6 ideas

A lot of you have been tasked with trying to specify what progression looks like in history in your school….

Using AI to improve learning in history: need convincing?

Laura has just taken over as history subject leader from September. She has an interest in history but no qualifications,…

Rosa Parks end of unit quiz – KS1

This quiz will help you remember all the important things we have learned about Rosa Parks. She was a very…

Planner for teaching Black Death to today: Keeping healthy over time

This intrinsically interesting topic has been chosen as a long-term development study as it not only builds on the fact…

Keeping healthy – KQ1 – What does the Black Death of 1348 tell us about people’s knowledge of health 700 years ago?

Pupils are hooked in with a story of the impact of the Black Death on one family. This is followed…

Keeping healthy – KQ2 – How much more did they know about keeping healthy by the time of the Great Plague of 1665?

Pupils’ attention is focused on the Great Plague of 1665. They consider the likely efficacy of methods used to combat…

Keeping healthy – KQ3 – Did such huge changes in people’s health suddenly take place about 200 years ago?

Pupils’ attention is grabbed with a powerful story, supported by detailed analysis of two contemporary sources. Having had the changes…

Keeping healthy – KQ4 -Which were the biggest breakthroughs in people’s health in the 19th century?

In this session the focus moves to pupils’ working more independently, carrying out their own research in groups and then…

Keeping healthy – KQ5 – Has everyone become healthier in the last 100 years?

Starting with a contemporary cartoon analysis, which hints at highly relevant current life-style related health problems that still have not…

Keeping healthy – KQ6 – When was the best time to live in terms of keeping heathy? What would the dates of your preferred lifespan of 80 years be?

In this brief concluding session, pupils look back over 300 years of history and make a judgement about the best…

The Roman legacy and the Saxon Dark Ages? – In the news – September 2025

Almost inevitably you will ask with your class the time-honoured question: What have the Romans ever done for us? Alongside…

Wright Brothers end of unit quiz – KS1

You have learned all about the Wright brothers, who built the first successful flying machine. They were curious, inventive, and…

Scott of the Antarctic end of unit quiz – KS1

You have now learned all about the brave explorer Captain Scott and his incredible journey to the coldest place on…

10 things you need to show OFSTED that you are doing your best to give children a high quality history education

1. You will need to show OFSTED that you have a clearly thought through rationale for which topics you are…

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…

Seeing the BIG PICTURE of the past

“Big picture” history teaching emphasizes the connecting of specific historical events and links topics to broader themes and contexts. It…

Mary Seacole end of unit quiz – KS1

Let’s see what you remember about Mary Seacole! This quiz will help you review what you’ve learned about her amazing…

Mary Anning end of unit quiz – KS1

We’ve been learning all about Mary Anning, the amazing fossil hunter who found dinosaur bones by the seaside. Now it’s…

Going to the seaside end of unit quiz – KS1

We’ve had lots of fun learning about the seaside — from what it was like in the past to how…

Florence Nightingale end of unit quiz – KS1

You’ve been learning all about Florence Nightingale — a very special nurse who helped lots of people. Now it’s time…

Grace Darling end of unit quiz – KS1

Grace Darling is remembered for doing something very brave a long time ago. She helped others in a time of…

Britain during World War Two (WW2) end of unit quiz – KS2

You’ve spent some time diving into one of the most important events in modern history – World War Two. You’ve…

Sinking of the Titanic – end of unit quiz – KS1

This amazing ship set sail over 100 years ago but ended in a terrible disaster. You’ve learned all about it’s…

Policy Exchange report on state of secondary history education in 2025 – comment

I don’t know how many of you have caught sight of this week’s latest contribution to the on-going debate about…

Thinking skills in history at Key Stage 2; encouraging metacognition

To encourage metacognition – some initial ideas of activities that promote thinking skills. You will find examples of these in…

20 effective enquiries in Key Stage 3 history

Most of these feature as Outstanding Lessons What can we learn about medieval minds from looking at these Doom Paintings?…

How to carry out an effective work sample in Key Stage 3 history

It is assumed that you will already have a few hunches about what you will find based on your informal…

How to interview pupils – The pupil voice: let the children speak

This article draws on the wisdom, insight and practical experience of my friend and colleague Ken Wilby who was the…

What to look for in outstanding history lessons: Your starter for 12

Lists such as these are only useful up to a point. They do highlight what is characteristically present in lessons…

Observing history lessons at KS3

Why bother? Aside from Performance Management, you will want to see your colleagues at work and for them to see…

Feeding back after a lesson observation at KS3

Teaching in front of colleagues who are sitting at the back of your own classroom is nerve-wracking enough. To know…

Interviewing pupils

Much has been written in recent years about the value of listening to the pupils’ voice, not least in terms…

Your Key Stage 2 history portfolio – What should it contain?

20 questions for you to ponder and answer What should my KS2 history portfolio contain? What sort of work do…

Raising the profile of history at KS1

One of the main roles of subject leaders for history is to be a passionate advocate for the subject. The…

Motivating colleagues to teach history

1. Give praise Give praise wherever possible e.g. when you see evidence that your colleagues have: • Inspired pupils •…

Progression in chronology – KS1

Start of KS1 Can describe differences between him or herself as a baby and as he or she is now….

Learning principles applied to history at KS1

Effective history teaching at Key Stage 1 is rooted in sound learning principles that support young children’s development. At this…

Top tips for planning your KS2 history studies – The Anglo-Saxons

Planning the Anglo Saxons topic effectively ensures meaningful, engaging learning that builds pupils’ knowledge and thinking skills. These top tips…

Top tips for planning your KS2 history studies – Ancient Greece

A study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world With its emphasis squarely on the…

Top tips for planning your KS2 history studies – Local history

Are you going to do more than one study, one period study in depth and one overview, one in Y3…

Top tips for planning your KS2 history studies – Thematic post-1066

A study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066. Try to make…

Top tips for planning your KS2 history studies – The Vikings in Britain

Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the time of Edward the Confessor. There are two key…

Top tips for planning your KS2 history studies – Benin / Islam / Maya

Focus on why we are teaching this topic at KS2, often for the first time. Why was this civilization quite…

Top tips for planning your KS2 history studies – Roman Empire and its impact on Britain

Whilst it might look as if this is a bigger unit than simply the existing Roman Britain unit, in reality…

Top tips for planning your KS2 history studies – Ancient civilisations

For most of you, you will continue teaching Ancient Egypt as before, for 80% of this topic. You MUST give…

Top tips for planning your KS2 history studies – Stone Age to Iron Age

The British Isles has been populated by humans for 750.000 years but only became an island when the ice sheets…

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…

What to look for when evaluating the quality of history in your school – KS2

Evaluating the quality of history in your school involves examining curriculum breadth, teaching effectiveness, pupil engagement, and progression in historical…

Anglo-Saxon end of unit quiz

The Anglo-Saxons were people who came from parts of modern-day Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands to settle in Britain after…

Keystage history bulletin – March 2025

Welcome to this special edition of the newsletter devoted to the thorny issue of assessment. You will also find the…

Keystage history

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