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                                                                                Film: What's the wisdom on... Extended Reading (Primary)
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    Article
                                                                            
                                    Please note: the 'What's the Wisdom On' film series has been produced principally for secondary school history teachers, however some of the content is transferrable to a primary setting. Secondary members can view the film here
'What’s the wisdom on…' is a popular feature in our secondary journal Teaching History and provides the perfect stimulus for a...
                                    Film: What's the wisdom on... Extended Reading (Primary)
                                 
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                                                                                Film: What's the wisdom on... Consequence (Primary)
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    Article
                                                                            
                                    Please note: the 'What's the Wisdom On' film series has been produced principally for secondary school history teachers, however some of the content is transferrable to a primary setting. Secondary members can view the film here
'What’s the wisdom on…' is a popular feature in our secondary journal Teaching History and provides the perfect stimulus for a...
                                    Film: What's the wisdom on... Consequence (Primary)
                                 
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                                                                                Primary History summer resource 2021: Using historical sources
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    Primary member resource
                                                                            
                                    This year's free summer resource for primary members looks at using historical sources with primary pupils. Introducing children to sources is an important part of understanding the disciplinary nature of history. One of the key ideas we need to get pupils to understand is that history is based on sources, which...
                                    Primary History summer resource 2021: Using historical sources
                                 
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                                                                                Progression in primary history
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    HA Primary Subject Leader Area
                                                                            
                                    In this guide Tim Lomas looks at how we can plan for progression in primary history, different measures we can use to check on it, and how we can make it work in practice. It also covers some key ‘dos and don’ts’ and offers some exemplar case studies, including an...
                                    Progression in primary history
                                 
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                                                                                Film: Meet the author: Marc Morris on The Anglo-Saxons
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    Article
                                                                            
                                    
In this Virtual Branch talk best-selling author and renowned historian Marc Morris joined us to discuss the process of researching for, structuring and writing his new book The Anglo-Saxons: a history of the beginnings of England. 
Drawing on a vast range of original evidence - chronicles, letters, archaeology and artefacts - Morris's...
                                    Film: Meet the author: Marc Morris on The Anglo-Saxons
                                 
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                                                                                Teaching Gypsy, Roma and Traveller history
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    Article
                                                                            
                                    Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people are the largest minority ethnic group in some communities (and therefore in some schools) in the UK. Yet the past of Gypsy, Roma, Traveller people may rarely be part of history lessons. The result is that pupils of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller heritage may not...
                                    Teaching Gypsy, Roma and Traveller history
                                 
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                                                                                Film: Primary History and the Ofsted Inspection Framework
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    Article
                                                                            
                                    In May of 2021, Ofsted published a blog post of findings from visits carried out to 24 different primary schools in order to gather evidence as to the quality of history education provided by these outstanding schools. You can find the blog here: https://educationinspection.blog.gov.uk/2021/04/27/history-in-outstanding-primary-schools/ 
Areas of both strength and improvement were outlined, although the...
                                    Film: Primary History and the Ofsted Inspection Framework
                                 
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                                                                                A Project on Working Class Education in the Victorian Period
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    Primary History article
                                                                            
                                    Please note: this article pre-dates the current National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.
In the third year at London Metropolitan University, history B.ED students research and prepare a resource about an aspect of life in C19th Britain for use with their chosen age group. Nicky made a book,...
                                    A Project on Working Class Education in the Victorian Period
                                 
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                                                                                Building St James's spire: Louth's guilds and popular piety in the later middle ages
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    Virtual Branch Lecture Recording
                                                                            
                                    Medieval historian Dr Claire Kennan continued our Virtual Branch series with a local history talk on the building of St James's spire, Louth. 
In her talk Kennan traces the important role that Louth's major guilds of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Holy Trinity played in the building of the St James’s spire. Throughout the...
                                    Building St James's spire: Louth's guilds and popular piety in the later middle ages
                                 
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                                                                                Census 2021: using the census in the history classroom
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    Article
                                                                            
                                    As we approach the next census in March 2021, we are reminded of what a rich historical source the census is. For historians, using the census can shine a light on particular people and places – a snapshot in time. Big stories can be told through a sharp local lens...
                                    Census 2021: using the census in the history classroom
                                 
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                                                                                Film: What's the wisdom on... Historical Significance (Primary)
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    Article
                                                                            
                                    Please note: the 'What's the Wisdom On' film series has been produced principally for secondary school history teachers, however some of the content is transferrable to a primary setting. Secondary members can view this film here
'What’s the wisdom on…' is a popular feature in our secondary journal Teaching History and provides the perfect stimulus for...
                                    Film: What's the wisdom on... Historical Significance (Primary)
                                 
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                                                                                Film: The life and legend of the Sultan Saladin
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    Article
                                                                            
                                    Jonathan Phillips’s 2020 HA Virtual Conference keynote talk on The life and legend of the Sultan Saladin reveals how a man initially branded as ‘the son of Satan’ became so esteemed in Europe and, through extensive new research, we will follow how his character and achievements have acted as a role model for...
                                    Film: The life and legend of the Sultan Saladin
                                 
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                                                                                Virtual Branch Recording: Henry V, Henry the Conqueror?
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    Article
                                                                            
                                    Henry V - Henry the Conqueror?
In this lecture former HA President Anne Curry Emeritus Professor of Medieval History Southampton addresses the question Henry V - Henry the Conqueror?'. She explores the relationship between Henry V, his court and those in France.
(Please note: if you have HA Membership and are...
                                    Virtual Branch Recording: Henry V, Henry the Conqueror?
                                 
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                                                                                Film: What's the wisdom on... Similarity and Difference (Primary)
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    Article
                                                                            
                                    Please note: the 'What's the Wisdom On' film series has been produced principally for secondary school history teachers, however some of the content is transferrable to a primary setting. Secondary members can view the film here
'What’s the wisdom on…' is a popular feature in our secondary journal Teaching History and provides the perfect stimulus for a department meeting....
                                    Film: What's the wisdom on... Similarity and Difference (Primary)
                                 
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                                                                                New Multi Academy Trust History Leads Network
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    Open to all MAT history leads
                                                                            
                                    New: Multi Academy Trust History Leads Network
The HA is teaming up with a group of history leads across different Multi Academy Trusts to re-ignite a network group dedicated to those leading history across a trust. The network will meet 3 times per year, twice online and once in-person, and meetings will...
                                    New Multi Academy Trust History Leads Network
                                 
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                                                                                Previous Young Quills winners
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    Information
                                                                            
                                    Each year the Historical Association runs the Young Quills, a competition for published historical fiction for children and young adults. The Young Quills books for each year must be published for the first time in English in the year preceding the competition. Divided by age suitability, the books are given...
                                    Previous Young Quills winners
                                 
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                                                                                Storytelling the past
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    Primary History article
                                                                            
                                    This article will demonstrate how to engage children through storytelling and how it can be used to develop their critical understanding of the past.
Why story?
Despite their common derivation, the words ‘history’ and ‘story’ suggest very different kinds of knowledge, the former carrying overtones of detached understanding of the...
                                    Storytelling the past
                                 
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                                                                                Young Historian Awards 2025 – the winners
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    4th September 2025
                                                                            
                                    Spirit of Normandy Trust SeniorAvani De Santis [Guildford Grammar School, Western Australia]Kyle Luk [Loughborough Grammar School] Caspar Wright [Wells Cathedral School]
Spirit of Normandy Trust Key Stage 3 Anne Andrews [St Mary’s Menston Catholic Voluntary Academy, Leeds]Rafferty Ludlow-Maisey [Crypt Grammar School, Gloucester]Robert Moczynski [Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield]
Spirit of...
                                    Young Historian Awards 2025 – the winners
                                 
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                                                                                Resourcing sources
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    HA Primary Subject Leader Area
                                                                            
                                    As a subject leader, are you often asked to provide historical objects and other documentary sources to support your colleagues with the teaching of history, but don’t know where to start looking? Well – read on!
Teachers need to give children experience of handling a range of sources of information....
                                    Resourcing sources
                                 
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                                                                                Film: What's the wisdom on... Change and continuity (Primary)
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    Article
                                                                            
                                    Please note: the 'What's the Wisdom On' film series has been produced principally for secondary school history teachers, however some of the content is transferrable to a primary setting. Secondary members can view the film here
We know how difficult life is for teachers in the current circumstances. We also understand your need...
                                    Film: What's the wisdom on... Change and continuity (Primary)
                                 
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                                                                                Webinar series: History and literacy: better together
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    On-demand webinar series for primary teachers and history subject leaders
                                                                            
                                    History is a highly literate discipline, but what should the relationship be between primary history and the general teaching of literacy and English? The answer is that primary history should be modelling what it is like to think, speak, read, write and listen in an historical way. However, the subject...
                                    Webinar series: History and literacy: better together
                                 
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                                                                                Young Quills 2025 – the winners
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    The Young Quills Awards for best historical fiction for young people
                                                                            
                                    Each year, the Historical Association runs the Young Quills, a competition for published historical fiction for children and young adults (14+). The Young Quills books for each year must be published for the first time in English in the year preceding the competition – so 2024 for this year’s selection....
                                    Young Quills 2025 – the winners
                                 
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                                                                                Webinar series: Practical approaches to disciplinary concepts in primary history
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    HA webinar series for primary teachers and history subject leaders
                                                                            
                                    What does this series cover?
This webinar series will look at each of the key historical concepts and how these can be implemented in a primary setting. It will give practical advice on how to incorporate the concepts into Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 including how to frame...
                                    Webinar series: Practical approaches to disciplinary concepts in primary history
                                 
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                                                                                Film: Reimagining the Blitz Spirit
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    The mobilisation of World War II propaganda in our own times
                                                                            
                                    Dr Jo Fox continued our virtual branch lecture series this July on the subject 'Reimagining the Blitz Spirit: the mobilisation of World War II propaganda in our own times'. Fox is the Director of the Institute of Historical Research and a well-known historian specialising in the history of propaganda, rumour and truth telling. 
In this talk...
                                    Film: Reimagining the Blitz Spirit
                                 
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                                                                                Primary History 45: History in the Foundation and Early Years
                                        
                                            
                                        
                                    
                                      
                                                                                    The primary education journal of the Historical Association
                                                                            
                                    04 Editorial
05 2006-2007 Historical Association History and ICT project — Alf Wilkinson
08 Citizenship: Citizenship through the English National Curriculum’s The Romans In Britain Study Unit — Hilary Claire
10 In my view: consigning history to the history books — Denis Hayes
11 Introducing history into the KS1 curriculum...
                                    Primary History 45: History in the Foundation and Early Years