Mummy, mummy, when can we go and visit the Brutish Museum?

Not now, dear. Mummy’s trying to draft a letter to the head, explaining why the fact that the department has successfully taught a thematic unit on the history of medicine for more than 40 years, is not necessarily a good reason for insisting that we continue to do so. It might have been wise to stick with some familiar content in 2016, when new GCSE specifications came in and we were still wrestling with the changes to A-levels, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t make a new choice now. Unfortunately, the head is now so committed to the principle that effective teaching depends on secure teacher knowledge that she won’t allow us to introduce anything new – even though teachers and students are keen to switch to a unit on empire and migration. I’m looking for ways to convince her that if we can be trusted to develop children’s knowledge and understanding of the past, we might have some insights into how to develop our own,
even if all the money in the CPD budget has long since been blown on supply cover for teachers in isolation...