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History, citizenship and controversy
Primary History article
Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.
Y4 question their MP about nuclear waste policy; Y6 survey people in their community and school about a proposed casino in their town, and feed back the information to the local council; children decide to...
History, citizenship and controversy
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The Historical Association's response to Curriculum Review 2024
20th November 2024
New government, new curriculum review. It always happens when there is a big change in who is in charge. But just because it always happens doesn’t mean we can ignore it. Ten years ago, substantial changes were made to education, and they have affected a whole generation of children and teachers....
The Historical Association's response to Curriculum Review 2024
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Young Historian Awards 2024 – the winners
16th September 2024
Spirit of Normandy Trust Senior
Vivaan Davda – The Cathedral and John Connon School, Mumbai
Spirit of Normandy Trust Key Stage 3
Joshua Broadbent – Royal Grammar School, Guildford
Spirit of Normandy Trust Primary
Salisbury Cathedral School
Best School History Magazine [sponsored by the Mid-Trent and Mercia Branch]
St Alban’s School
Stockport...
Young Historian Awards 2024 – the winners
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Primary Scheme of Work: The Elizabethans
Primary Scheme of Work, Key Stage 2 History (resourced)
This unit provides children the opportunity to look at Elizabethan times as an aspect of British history that extends pupils' chronological knowledge beyond 1066.
This unit is supported by the following article: Bracey, P. (2018) The Elizabethans. All Banquets and fun? Primary History 80 (NB available to HA members only)
Key vocabulary:...
Primary Scheme of Work: The Elizabethans
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The Elizabeth cake
Primary History article
Hidden away on top of a dusty, battered cupboard in a local primary school were two equally dusty and battered log books. Each has seen better days and each could provide a range of links to local and national history. The log book was one of two found in one...
The Elizabeth cake
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Making the most of a census
Primary History article
This article looks at how children can utilise and manipulate mathematical data to make sense of a historic past. The focus is on helping children see the numbers as a resource for understanding the experiences of those that lived in this place.
Aim: Understand historical concepts such as continuity and...
Making the most of a census
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Scheme of Work: Comparing Ancient Civilisations
Scheme of Work, Key Stage 2 History (unresourced)
What do all the Ancient Civilisations have in common?
This enquiry provides an overview of the Ancient Civilisations of Egypt, Sumer, Indus Valley and Shang, showing where and when they developed, the similarities between them and how they relate to a broadly based chronological understanding of the past. It provides a...
Scheme of Work: Comparing Ancient Civilisations
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Young Quills winners 2024
The Young Quills Awards for best historical fiction for young people
The Young Quills winners and highly commended have been announced for his year. This competition for historical fiction for children is a way of celebrating and recognising those authors who are continuing the long tradition of creative writing about the past for children.
All of the books are reviewed by...
Young Quills winners 2024
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Webinar series: Building and securing disciplinary thinking in primary history
HA webinar series for primary teachers and history subject leaders
We know that substantive knowledge in history is the substance ('the stuff') we teach: the facts which we are sure about and which all have to know, the names and places, the events, and well-known stories. But experts in a subject, such as historians, have different types of question they ask of that substance....
Webinar series: Building and securing disciplinary thinking in primary history
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Short course: Witchcraft, Werewolves and Magic in European History
HA short course, 10 September–10 December 2024
Led by Jonathan Durrant, Laura Kounine, Jan Machielsen, Lisa Tallis, Juliette Wood
Book Now
(Registration is via Cademy which opens in a new window. Please read the course terms and conditions before registering)
What does the course cover?
This Historical Association short course is an introduction to European witchcraft...
Short course: Witchcraft, Werewolves and Magic in European History
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How diverse is your history curriculum?
Article
The past was full of diverse people and our students are entitled to learn about this diverse past. History lessons should enable students to see their connection to the past and to understand the world today. Here are a list of questions for history teachers to use to support a...
How diverse is your history curriculum?
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It worked for me: investing in dialogue as a tool for assessment
Primary History feature
The school in which I work serves a community of locals and expats and follows the English National Curriculum. Situated in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, we are one of a growing number of international schools in the area. It is five form entry and only opened in 2009....
It worked for me: investing in dialogue as a tool for assessment
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Talking History
A history public speaking competition for pupils in years 5 and 6
Entries to the 2024 competition are now closed.
Following the success of our Great Debate competition for secondary students, we are delighted to announce that we are piloting a new history public speaking competition for primary pupils.
Who is my local history hero?
The question of the Talking History competition...
Talking History
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The Blitz: All we need to know about World War II?
Primary History article
The Blitz of 1940 is certainly a significant event in Britain’s past, one which has repeatedly been drawn upon as a symbol of national consciousness. It was a time when most of Europe had been defeated by the Nazi regime in Germany, typically through ‘Blitzkrieg’ – or lightning war methods...
The Blitz: All we need to know about World War II?
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On-demand webinar series: Diversity in local history
HA on-demand webinar series for primary teachers
The Key Stage 1 and 2 history curriculum requires a local study. The local study is an opportunity for pupils to engage with their local area; to discover how it has been shaped by those who came before them and how their locality can reveal broader chronological and spatial contexts....
On-demand webinar series: Diversity in local history
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Primary virtual regional teachmeets
Free online history teachmeets for primary teachers
Teachmeets are a great way to find out what fellow teachers are doing in the classroom and beyond and to share practical ideas and inspiration. Over the past year, we have been inviting primary teachers across different UK regions to share their ideas and innovation in history teaching with the HA...
Primary virtual regional teachmeets
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Young Historian Awards 2025 – take part (Primary prizes)
History competition for primary schools
We want young people to get the bug for writing about history in an interesting and critical way. Each year the Historical Association in collaboration with the Spirit of Normandy Trust offers a series of awards to Primary school children for outstanding history scholarship. Children are asked to investigate, think and write about history. The...
Young Historian Awards 2025 – take part (Primary prizes)
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Young Historian Awards 2023 – the winners
Annual history competition for schools
Each year the Historical Association partners with The Spirit of Normandy Trust to recognise young historians who have shown excellent knowledge and demonstrated historical argument around a subject associated with a series of themes. The competition is divided into age brackets and the entry at secondary level is by essay,...
Young Historian Awards 2023 – the winners
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Scheme of Work: The Blitz: all we need to know about World War II?
Primary Scheme of Work, Key Stage 2 History (resourced)
This unit provides children with the opportunity to look at the Second World War as an aspect of British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066.
This 8-part enquiry is useable in full or to use sections of as stand alone shorter enquiries. Pupils will be encouraged to examine different...
Scheme of Work: The Blitz: all we need to know about World War II?
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Young Historian Awards 2022 – the winners
Annual history competition for schools
This was a very positive year for the Young Historian Awards. The judging panel continue to be delighted by the quality of the work submitted in a variety of formats by young historians. Although entry levels were lower than during the pandemic, the data confirms that, with the exception of...
Young Historian Awards 2022 – the winners
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What confuses primary pupils in history? Part 1
Primary History article
This article is primarily concerned with how pupil progress is affected negatively by general misunderstandings and confusions. What are some of these confusions? Here are what some teachers felt were some of the main ones:
Muddling issues from one period or place with those of another place.
People in the past must...
What confuses primary pupils in history? Part 1
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What can you do with an old postcard?
Primary History article
Whether looking at ‘events in living memory’ at Key Stage 1, or a local history study at Key Stage 2, old postcards are extremely useful. They are also relatively cheap and easy to get hold of.
One aspect that can easily be explored using old postcards is evidence - they are an...
What can you do with an old postcard?
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Write Your Own Historical Fiction Competition 2024
The Historical Association Historical Fiction Prize
Entries to the 2024 competition are now closed.
Each year we are so impressed by the ever increasing number and standard of entries we receive around such a wide range of historical periods and settings. You can take a look at some of last year’s winning entries here.
Unleash the creativity...
Write Your Own Historical Fiction Competition 2024
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Announcing the winners of the Write Your Own Historical Fiction competition 2022
The HA's writing competition for children aged 10-19 years
The HA's writing competition for children aged 10-19 years
After another year of high-quality fiction writing from our young people, we are pleased to announce that the winners in all of the categories are:
School Years 5-6:
Eloise Burt – The HMS Titanic. Old Priory Junior Academy, Plymouth
Hannah Tan...
Announcing the winners of the Write Your Own Historical Fiction competition 2022
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HA Blog Watch
Selected history education blogs
We've collated some of the best history education blogs here. The list isn't exhaustive so if there is a great history education blog out there that is not on this list – let us know!
One Big History Department
HA Secondary Committee blog
One Big History Department (OBHD) has been...
HA Blog Watch
