At the HA, we understand the importance of creating the next generation of history students who can not only write about history, but who can also effectively communicate their thinking through oracy. Current academic research highlights the importance of oracy for learning and the close relationship between being able to talk and communicate thoughts and ideas about history before being able to write effectively about history. This webinar series is focused upon building effective oracy into your history lessons at Key Stages 3, 4 and 5.  

Learning outcomes

In this webinar series you will:  

• Gain knowledge of what good oracy looks like  
• Gain confidence and practical strategies to build oracy into your history lessons  
• Be equipped to effectively assess progress in history through oracy 
• Understand the important relationship between talking about history and effective writing about history and how building oracy into your curriculum can help to improve grades for all students.  

Programme

Session 1: What does great oracy look like in history? (FREE for HA members)
Focus: Key Stages 3 and 4 | Presenter: Toby Dove

This session will explore the features of good student oracy in a non-disciplinary sense, but also within the setting of a history classroom. The session will explore how to identify these features in the day to day of teaching history.

Session 2: How can we support strong oracy in history classrooms?
Focus: Key Stages 3 and 4 | Presenter: Toby Dove

This session will explore different strategies for promoting and embedding good oracy within a history classroom. The session will consider the roles of teachers and students in creating a classroom climate that fosters great oracy.

Session 3: How might we go about assessing oracy in history classrooms?
Focus: Key Stages 3 and 4 | Presenter: Toby Dove

This session will put forward and then critique a framework for assessing oracy within a history classroom context. It will suggest different practical ways of assessing oracy and provide materials for supporting embedding oral assessments within a history department.

Session 4: 'But Miss I don’t know what to write, or even how to start!'
Focus: Key Stage 5 | Presenter: Dani Hilliard

The transition from GCSE to A-level is a big one and sixth-form students often struggle with a variety of different challenges. This session looks at the problems that many experience as they attempt to master the important subject-specific and life skills of being able to express their thoughts and ideas fluently and coherently in the written form. Read more

Session 5: OK! Talk to me, let me hear your argument
Focus: Key Stage 5 | Presenter: Dani Hilliard

This session will look at potential solutions to some of the problems that students have writing history at A-level. At the core of this session is academic research that advocates the importance of talk within the classroom at whole-class level as well as in small group activities. Read more

How to book

This webinar series took place in Spring 2024 and we have made access to the recordings available on demand from September 2024–September 2025.

Release date: Monday 2 September 2024
Expiry date: Sunday 31 August 2025

You will need to be logged in to pay and access each webinar using the links on this page. We regret we are unable to arrange block purchases or issue invoices, but VAT receipts are available upon request. Once you have purchased each webinar, the recording will be available to view at the bottom of the relevant resource page until the stated expiry date. 

Terms and conditions

All Historical Association webinars are subject to the HA CPD terms and conditions. For enquiries please contact events@history.org.uk.