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Young Quills 2025
16th April 2025
Each year, the Historical Association runs 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.
Our...
Young Quills 2025
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When was the post-war?
Article
There is a peculiar tension at the heart of scholarship about the years and decades after the Second World War. On the one hand, the political developments following the breakdown of the war-time alliance between the United States and the Soviet Union have spawned an enormous literature, in parts as old...
When was the post-war?
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Great Debate Final 2025
14th April 2025
Winner:
Quinn Scott – Chesterton Community College, Cambridge
Runners up:
Anya Bensouiah – Kendrick School, Reading
Fred Bosley – The King’s School, Canterbury
Aimee Nelson – Bablake School, Coventry
Finalists:
Emily Tweddle, Earlston High School, Scottish Borders
Hannah Brearton, Upton Hall, Oxford
Rosie Thomson, The Maynard School, Exeter
Isabella Passarelli, Torquay Girls Grammar School,...
Great Debate Final 2025
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HA News, Spring 2025
Welcome to the spring 2025 edition of HA News magazine
Have your say about HA News
We'd love to get your feedback on your membership magazine.
Please fill out our survey here (takes about 5 minutes)
Welcome to this packed spring edition of HA News.
Take a look at the programme for our Annual Conference in May, including the top 10 things to do at the HA Conference,...
HA News, Spring 2025
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Film: What's the wisdom on... Evidence and sources (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... Evidence and sources (Primary)
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Webinar series: Direct history teaching
HA webinar series for history teachers at KS3 and KS4
What does this series cover?
In this webinar series, explore a direct approach to teaching history. Presenters Jacob Olivey and Mike Hill will advocate for ‘lean lessons’ that focus on reading, explanation, and discussion to build pupils’ historical knowledge and understanding – with no worksheets, activities, or group work in...
Webinar series: Direct history teaching
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Primary history and geography forum: climate education
HA CPD in partnership with the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)
Book Now
(Registration is via Cademy which opens in a new window/tab. Please read the HA CPD terms and conditions before registering)
About the event
Join the Historical Association and the Royal Geographical Society at this special online twilight forum event specifically for primary teachers of history and geography. The...
Primary history and geography forum: climate education
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Webinar series: Developing students’ historical thinking at A-level
HA webinar series for subject leaders and teachers of history at KS5
What does this series cover?
This webinar series will help you to support your A-level students to gain detailed knowledge of particular periods and to engage in rigorous historical thinking. The topics covered will include building students’ knowledge, developing students’ disciplinary understanding in order to help them construct arguments in...
Webinar series: Developing students’ historical thinking at A-level
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Course: Assessment and progression in primary history
HA CPD course for primary history subject leaders and senior leaders
Book Now
(Registration is via Cademy which opens in a new window. Please read the HA CPD terms and conditions before registering)
Available dates
Summer term: Wednesday 11 June 2025, 9.30am–3.30pm (online)
What does the course cover?
This practical course will help primary teachers to understand the purpose of assessment...
Course: Assessment and progression in primary history
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Film: What's the wisdom on... Evidence and sources
Your Virtual History Department Meeting
We’ve been talking to our secondary school members and we know how difficult life is for teachers in the current circumstances, so we wanted to lend a helping hand.
'What’s the wisdom on…' is a new and already popular feature in our secondary journal Teaching History and provides the perfect stimulus for a...
Film: What's the wisdom on... Evidence and sources
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Teaching History 62
The HA's journal for history teachers
Articles:
8 Always Historicise: Unintended Opportunities in National Curriculum History - Keith Jenkins and Peter Brickley
15 'From Little Acorns Grow...': A Liaison with Nursery, Infant and Junior Schools in the Framwellgate Moor Area of Durham City - D. R. Featonby
19 Standing the World on its Head: A Review of Eurocentrism...
Teaching History 62
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Film: What's the wisdom on... Causation
Your Virtual History Department Meeting
We’ve been talking to our secondary school members and we know how difficult life is for teachers in the current circumstances, so we wanted to lend a helping hand.
'What’s the wisdom on…' is a brand-new and already popular feature in our secondary journal Teaching History and provides the perfect...
Film: What's the wisdom on... Causation
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More than ever, history and historians need a collaborative and co-ordinated approach
27th February 2025
It’s been an especially grim start to 2025 for many in UK higher education. News in early January of cuts and job losses at the universities of Canterbury Christ Church, Northampton and Staffordshire has been followed by announcements from Cardiff, Durham, Newcastle, Reading and, once again, Kent. This, moreover, is...
More than ever, history and historians need a collaborative and co-ordinated approach
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VE Day – 75 years on
Historian article
In May this year the May Day bank holiday is being moved from the first Monday of the month to the first Friday, that is, from the 4 May to the 8 May. This is to commemorate the 75th anniversary of VE Day and the defeat of Nazism. Calls were...
VE Day – 75 years on
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Pilot GCSE Resources Spreadsheet
Article
The HA has compiled 3 spreadsheets that take you through the main History GCSE specifications World History, Schools History Project and the Pilot GCSE which has a compulsory examined element on Medieval England. Each spreadsheet takes you through each specification, topic by topic and is filled with links to all...
Pilot GCSE Resources Spreadsheet
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Schools History Project ICT Resources Spreadsheet
Article
The HA has compiled 3 spreadsheets that take you through the main History GCSE specifications World History, Schools History Project and the Pilot GCSE which has a compulsory examined element on Medieval England. Each spreadsheet takes you through each specification, topic by topic and is filled with links to all...
Schools History Project ICT Resources Spreadsheet
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Modern World History ICT Resources Spreadsheet
Article
The HA has compiled 3 spreadsheets that take you through the main History GCSE specifications World History, Schools History Project and the Pilot GCSE which has a compulsory examined element on Medieval England. Each spreadsheet takes you through each specification, topic by topic and is filled with links to all...
Modern World History ICT Resources Spreadsheet
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Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month
22nd May 2025
Supporting the teaching of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller history
In addition to drawing together a number of resources to encourage learning this June we are also using the month to highlight the launch of our fundraising plan to create a Teacher Fellowship on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller history in memory...
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month
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Primary History Survey 2024: the results
The HA's biennial survey of history in primary schools
Children love history – it is accessible, interesting, there is a growth in diversity of content and it is inclusive for different abilities, according to our survey. This is down to the hard work and dedication of their teaching and support staff. It is great news for our young people....
Primary History Survey 2024: the results
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Film: Writing history - The Life & Legend of the Sultan Saladin
Writing history featuring Professor Jonathan Phillips
In this first film from our new ‘meet the author’ series Professor Jonathan Phillips explores the memory of Sultan Saladin not just in the West but also in the Middle East, and how he researched this information in preparation for his new book. In this interview we ask questions about...
Film: Writing history - The Life & Legend of the Sultan Saladin
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The Great Debate 2026 – host a regional heat
The HA's public speaking competition open to school years 10–13
We are now looking for schools and venues across the country to host a regional heat in November, December 2025 or January 2026. If you are interested in hosting a heat, please fill out the form below.
The form will close on Sunday 15 June 2025. Successful applicants will be...
The Great Debate 2026 – host a regional heat
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Teach Climate History free event: climate action and history teaching in Aotearoa, New Zealand
Thursday 27 February 4.30-5.30pm, online
The climate crisis demands new approaches to education. One way teachers can respond is by making different choices about what and how we teach. In this talk, Michael Harcourt and Haimana Hirini present a project from Taitā College, a secondary school in Te Awakairangi, New Zealand, that integrated mātauranga (Indigenous...
Teach Climate History free event: climate action and history teaching in Aotearoa, New Zealand
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Raising the profile of history in your school
HA Primary Subject Leader Area
All too often, primary schools allow English and mathematics to steal the limelight, unwittingly pushing other subjects to one side. Now is the time to steal some of the limelight back. Whether you are a new subject leader or you have been leading the subject for years, you have a...
Raising the profile of history in your school
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Historian Membership Sample Resources
Digital Resource Samples
Historian membership gives access to a range of digital resources which help you to explore everything you love about history - whether that be new or familiar! Why not take a look at some of our sample resources?
The Historian magazine Issue 125 - Magna Carta
The Historian magazine Issue 127 - Agincourt
The Historian magazine Issue 138 - Hidden...
Historian Membership Sample Resources
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History teacher subject knowledge reading list
One Big History Department blog post
Subject knowledge updating is enjoyable and a huge challenge in a busy teacher's life.
There are fantastic initiatives which make this process more collegiate. And some historians are incredibly generous with their time and engage with history teachers on social media and at conferences. Nevertheless, there can’t be many of us who...
History teacher subject knowledge reading list
