Keystage history
The learning approach in history at Key Stage 4
Learning in Key Stage 4 history lessons is nearly always good but rarely is it outstanding. Because we are so…
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Learning Activities: Key Stage 4
Most evidence of history teaching at Key Stage 4 comes from OFSTED reports which repeatedly paint a picture of highly…
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Learning at Key Stage 3
This section of the site has been designed to bring greater variety to learning and to work towards making pupils…
Read MoreIndependence History at KS3 and GCSE
Independent Enquirers Learners can develop as independent enquirers when they are provided with opportunities in history to: explore for themselves…
Read MoreView of learners in history at Key Stage 3
With the increasing emphasis now being placed on the ‘pupil voice’, it is important that we make use of feedback…
Read MoreRoles for Learners: KS3
In addition to thinking of imaginative and motivating activities for our lessons, it is often helpful to think about the…
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20 Imaginative products in history at Key Stage 3
This section is included to jog your memory about the range of outcomes that might be expected and to promote…
Read MoreThe learning process at Key Stage 3
Far from being ‘just theory’, understanding how children learn in history underpins all the decisions we make in our classrooms. …
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Using a Victorian census to discover what life was like 100 years ago SMART TASK
There are 4 separate ways of approaching this topic, each becoming increasingly more ambitious. Stage 1 only is featured below. …
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ICT and Film in history at Key Stage 2
You may think it surprising that film and ICT appear together and not separately. Wit hthe advent of digitisation and…
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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…
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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’…
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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…
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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,…
Read MoreWhat 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…
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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…
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Help Tom to fight the Great Fire. Smart Task
This ICT based activity draws heavily on the superb new website created as a joint enterprise by the National Archives,…
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Long-term planning at Key Stage 2
The advent of the new curriculum for history marked the most significant change in your school’s history planning for over…
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Short-term planning in history at KS2
As a rule, this site does not recommend the publication of short-term planning, preferring instead to focus on very detailed…
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History and literacy at Key Stage 2
Although OFSTED still points out that opportunities for exploiting the link between history and literacy are still being overlooked, the…
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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…
Read MoreViews 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…
Read MoreThe 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…
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Roles of learners
One of the best ways of exciting young children in history is to put them in role. Dorothy Heathcote’s approach…
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Imaginative history outcomes at Key Stage 1
A key part of motivating infants in history is providing interesting practical products that really stimulate their interest. When so…
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50 imaginative history learning activities for KS1
This ground-breaking section offers a massive range of ideas, arranged in alphabetical order. Some of the titles may seem a…
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Are we fair to the Vikings? A question of interpretation. SMART TASK KS2
Pupils are shown a range of stereotypical images of Vikings, using slides 2 and 3. This should be used to…
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Testing a simple hypothesis about where the early Anglo-Saxons lived and how we know
This ambitious but engaging lesson asks children to test some simple hypotheses about where the early Saxons settled. They start…
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When Prohibition was so popular when it was introduced, why had it failed within 12 years? SMART TASK
In this varied series of activities, students predict from pictures, categorise influence cards, and create a tweet before structuring an…
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Raising attainment at Key Stage 4
This section of the site contains four different types of advice. There is general advice, outlining factors that usually explain…
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Italian foreign policy-outstanding lesson
At what point did Mussolini seem to side more with Germany than with Britain or France? Students arrive at the…
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‘Gladstone’s conversion to Home Rule was a calculated political act’. Assess the validity of this claim
Start by posing the question as a puzzle to be solved. Why would Gladstone convert so suddenly to Home Rule…
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Using Fiction: teaching Stone Age to Bronze Age in history at KS2
Using Boy with the Bronze Axe by Kathleen Fidler to help you teach Stone Age to Bronze Age and Skara…
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The Empire strikes back! SMART TASK KS3
Having previously investigated the criticism of empire, students now set about defending it. After studying a contemporary Indian view of…
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Teaching source work imaginatively in AS and A2 history
Imaginative approaches to source work Again, 10 examples are provided on a separate PowerPoint presentation. The approach has been to…
Read MoreCurriculum planning for post-16 history
As all schools and colleges have their own schemes of work I have not made the modelling of good schemes…
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Why should Mary Anning be remembered? Have your say. SMART TASK
In Lyme Regis they are going to improve their Museum dedicated to Mary Anning. It will cost a lot of…
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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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Inclusion at Key Stage 1
In addition to advice on: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution etc, this site focuses…
Read MorePersonalised learning in history at KS 1
This is certainly one of the key areas to be focusing on in the next few years and lies at…
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Gender issues in history at Key Stage 1
It is tempting when thinking about boys’ achievement to focus on teaching and learning, but there is a stage before…
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Gifted and Talented in history at KS1
Much has been written in general terms about identifying and then catering for able pupils in history. OFSTED and others…
Read MoreMotivating pupils in history at Key Stage 1
The essence of what appeals to pupils can often be summed up by the words, People, Puzzle and Point. Children…
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Smart Task Puzzle Corner – Why did so many infants die when the death rate was falling?
Puzzle corner: SMART thinking skills task on why so many infants continued to die before their first birthday at a…
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Who started the Korean War? Smart Task
In this short starter smart task students are given two contradictory accounts of the start of the Korean War, both…
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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…
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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…
Read MoreUsing ICT and film at Key Stage 1
This section alerts you to where you will find examples of published best practice as well as featuring a few…
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Teaching chronology at Key Stage 1
Mention the teaching of chronology to most infant teachers and their eyes glaze over. Their experience is that it is…
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‘100’ great ideas for teaching history at KS1
At present there are nearly 80 ideas arranged in alphabetical order. You will see that a brief description is offered,…
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