Teacher Fellowship Programmes

What is the HA Teacher Fellowship programme?

The Historical Association's Teacher Fellowship programme is a fully funded, in-depth CPD programme focused on providing sustained, subject-knowledge-based professional development for history teachers.

We bring our academic partners together with experienced teacher educators to design a programme that brings your research to the teachers involved and always ensures there is a strong practical approach to the teaching and a solid curriculum rationale.

The programme seeks to develop both deep and wide impact: participants develop practical teaching resources to use in their own classrooms, which are published open access with guidance for other teachers to use and adapt in different schools and settings. Teacher Fellows disseminate the project outcomes and share their new understanding with other teachers through their own local networks, national and local conferences and events, and the HA’s own online and print publications.

  • How are the programmes structured?

    Each programme is split into multiple stages:

    Planning: Academic historians work collaboratively with an experienced history teacher educator to design a programme focused on recent historical scholarship in a given field that addresses specific curriculum needs. A selection of teachers is recruited to participate in the main phase of the programme.

    Residential: A two-day intensive programme covering academic and teaching issues. Academics bring the teachers up to date with the latest historical research and teachers begin to reflect upon how to apply this in their teaching, facilitated by the teacher educator.

    Online course: An 8–10-week online course, requiring 3 to 4 hours’ reading and discussion per week. Participants undertake a programme of structured reading based on themes arising from the residential and reflect further on implications of the scholarship for classroom practice.

    Resource development: With the guidance and support of the teacher educator and historians, participants produce a teaching resource reflecting their own learning from the programme. Resources are published on the HA website, allowing other practitioners to benefit from the knowledge and experience that participants developed throughout the programme.

  • How are the programmes funded?

    Teacher Fellowship programmes need to be funded, though we always offer a considerable in-kind contribution. We highly recommend that the costs are built into your impact funding and that you discuss the possibilities with us with plenty of time to embed these into a funding application.

    Contact us to arrange a conversation

  • What is expected of academic partners?

    Once academic partners have secured funding, it is expected that you will continue to take a lead role planning and delivering the programme. This includes development of the course programme in partnership with the teacher educator, contributing to introductory webinars or podcasts, participation and delivery of lectures at the residential, providing reading and support for the online course, attendance at the resource workshop, and contribution to the resource review.

    Contact us to arrange a conversation

  • How can I find out more about previous programmes?

Participants in previous Teacher Fellowship programmes have said:

“The most amazing piece of CPD I’ve ever been on; a key turning point in my professional career, and an experience you’ll not find anywhere else. It really revitalised me and helped me to understand that what I do as a history teacher is important.”

“The programme has deeply enhanced my knowledge and understanding and re-sparked a historical curiosity which will ensure I question dominant historical narratives. My future teaching will be significantly affected and will benefit my colleagues.”

“I feel as though this Fellowship was a profoundly important part of my development, not just as a history teacher, but as a citizen of the United Kingdom, coming to terms with this country’s past. The positive and inspirational way the course was led meant that we could achieve a huge amount in a short time. The sense of shared purpose and energy will stay with me for a long time to come. It has already affected my teaching and curricular decisions, as well as conversations with family, friends and students.”