Keystage History Blog – updates from Neil
Latest posts
OFSTED and primary history-latest
Sean Harford recently criticised schools that force pupils to repeatedly practice comprehension exercises for KS2 tests and repeats concerns that…
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Time for sweeping change in history assessment at KS3, GCSE and A level is NOW.
When so much time has been spent on measuring pupils’ progress in KS3 using spurious data derived from blunt assessment…
Read MoreFamous people at KS1- new resources from BBC
Over the last few weeks I have been approached by several companies bidding for the contract to produce animated films…
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Keeping up-to-date with your teaching of Victorian Britain at KS2
We often talk to children about the benefits that brought so many people into industrial towns in the first half…
Read MoreExpert advice on local history at KS1 and KS2 by OFSTED lead inspector
Ex-subject lead for history at OFSTED has recently written this very helpful booklet for English Heritage. A great place to start…
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Gove admits need to U-turn on history proposals
Listening doesn’t come easy to Gove. He’d rather just pontificate about what he thinks is best for us, irrespective of…
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Is this really the end of the Tudors, Victorians and WW2 at Key Stage 2?
Aside from Ancient Egypt, these are the three best taught history topics in KS2 so it is madness to ditch…
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Rationale for teaching Benin (West Africa) c. AD 900-1300 as your non-Western society in the KS2 history National Curriculum for 2014
There are two principal reasons why I think Benin was included as one of only three optional non-Western societies. The…
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Great short 5 minute video on Vikings guaranteed fun!
If you’re looking for a clever, funny and informative overview of the Vikings that your Y5s will really enjoy go…
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KS1 : Going to the Seaside-the mystery of the pier
One of the more interesting features of the Seaside holidays topic is the fact that it opens up discussion, even…
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New brilliantly differentiated lesson on Tudor theatre for KS2: 5 great differentiation strategies that don’t need masses of prep.
New brilliantly differentiated lesson on Tudor theatre for KS2: 5 great differentiation strategies that don’t need masses of prep. You…
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Really effective strategy : Dear Producer (video critique) features in new KQ6 lesson on Ancient Greeks
Those of you familiar with the technique Dear Producer will know that it asks pupils to evaluate how well a…
Read MoreWhat can the Ancient Greeks tell us about leading history at KS2?
In these days of accountability and showing that we are doing what is required, there is a temptation for subject…
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How much Irish history do your pupils learn?
Lise Hand the Times columnist recently described a visit to see the film Michael Collins with her well-educated and well-known…
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Photo of Scott’s disconsolate team at South Pole up for sale
Pupils have often wondered how a photograph could possibly be taken showing all five of Scott’s team in shot, given…
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French Revolution-what do the 1793 playing cards tell us?
Interesting new lesson on using 12 colourful playing cards to encourage students to work out what mattered most to the…
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Excellent animation of how Stonehenge was built
Great English Heritage showing how Stonehenge was built WATCH: The brilliance of our prehistoric ancestors and the creation of @EH_Stonehenge…
Read MoreAs a history subject leader, do you hold your colleagues to account?
It is a truth universally acknowledged that it not good for one’s health to read OFSTED reports in the summer…
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GCSE History of medicine: What was the most important medical advance in the last 200 years
Recently a sample of 11,000 doctors was asked to name the most important medical advance in the last 200 years.The…
Read MoreFlipping the GCSE history question: stopping students answering the questions that wasn’t set! An example from Crime and Punishment using zones of significance
We all know students who have answered the question that hoped would appear on the question, regardless of the actual…
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DfE criticises types of history teaching. Are you their target?
Nick Gibb, Minister for Schools has again sounded off about the virtues of formal didactic teaching of knowledge and has…
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KS1 Wright brothers topic KQ5 explores change using spectrum activity
Those of you teaching a topic on flight, in the sky or ‘up and away’ might be interested to know…
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10 most significant battles of World War One
Staff from the Imperial War Museums have just published their list of the 10 most significant battles of the First…
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Why Teach Students to “Think Like Historians?”
Sam Wineburg will be familiar to many of you. If not do try to read his stuff. Sam is at…
Read MoreUsing simple ‘how plausible’ strategy for high-intensity thinking from KS2 to A level
Sometimes the simplest ideas have the most impact, probably because we don’t over-complicate. Looking for a way of getting students…
Read MoreGrades 1-9 flightpath in history; or so you thought
I’m sure you has pretty limited expectations of what exemplication of grade 1-9 flightpath might look like . So its…
Read MoreWhat OFSTED says about primary history: 3 things you need to know
OFSTED’s views on primary history are difficult to find. The last Lead Inspector for history offered these three opinions before…
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Top 5 features of expert history teaching at KS1
Top five features of expert teaching at KS1 The key is challenge. Only by you setting high expectations will you…
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Learning in primary and secondary history : The 4 Ps, Gingerbread men and other thoughts on active learning
I have always favoured actively learning in history, not least because it frees the teachers to talk to individuals about…
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GCSE history : Medicine and World War One resource
This PowerPoint presentation , linked to clips from the film Battle of the Somme, is a must for those of…
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New A level resources for teaching Thatcherism
The BBC has recently archived 17 programmes, news items and documents which illustrate Thatcher’s image transformation from suburban housewife to…
Read MoreRelevance in A level history
I’m sure many of you have felt exasperated, from time to time, with students who answer questions about the extent…
Read MoreDefenders of the new history curriculum have their say: a dozen dons can’t be wrong?
In this morning’s Times, supported by a front page and leader aticle, a dozen dons have come out of the…
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Henry VIII on the money. The strange case of the one pound coin
This is not so much a full lesson as an introduction to the Break with Rome. It revolves around the…
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Holocaust teaching and need for training for history teachers
Holocaust teaching at KS3: what we should be doing! In addition to advising that history teachers and colleagues in other…
Read MoreStop using ‘can-do’ statements to assess KS3 history
It has always concerned me that context-free can-do statements have NO PLACE in HISTORY TEACHING. How can we possibly consider…
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Are you teaching your KS1 the truth about Guy Fawkes?
In many schools I hear teachers tell the same story about Guido Fawkes. Guy Fawkes was angry at the King…
Read MoreLaunch of new website www.keystagehistory.co.uk
Hi, Just a short note to say that a new website is being launched this week for teachers of history…
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