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Spring Primary History Network

This session was recorded on Thursday 23rd February, 2023. Answers and comments may be in reference to the chat feed which you cannot see and therefore could seem out of context. You may use this session in your own school including all approaches, ideas and shared resources. You may NOT share these more widely without express written permission from Mr T does Primary History Ltd. This can be requested by emailing stuart@mrtdoeshistory.com with the subject: Spring Network Sharing.

The sessions are priced so reasonably to ensure as many teachers can access it as possible. This is impossible if people share the resources. Thank you for your cooperation.

Links and Suggested Resources:
Ofsted webinar 2024
My YouTube videos on Chronology
Greg Jenner, You are History

This term’s network meeting focused on the role history plays in EYFS. It forms part of understanding the world ELG. More information on this can be found here. It’s important to remember that this curriculum is different to KS1 and 2 therefore it’s more important to work with the foundation stage team than impose KS1 priorities on them. Find the common ground and priorities to identifies how what they teach is build upon in KS1.

The live session was recorded in the 18th October 2022. Comments and responses may be made in reference to the chat box which may mean they sound out of context. The book giveaway was done off screen because of time constraints and, because of GDPR, I cannot share the document that the names were linked to.

The Last Post:

The book can be bought from the author directly (please consider this as it means they get more money from each sale). To do this, email: Keith.campion@yahoo.co.uk with the subject: The Last Post to order your copies. If you prefer Amazon, that can be found here too.

Hobgoblin Theatre Company have turned the book into a play of which there is a video version too. To look into this, please visit their website: www.hobgoblintheatrecompany.co.uk for more information.

Disclaimer: I receive no remuneration or financial kickbacks for recommending this book from the author or theatre company. If you buy the book via Amazon, I receive a small commission as part of their affiliate programme.

The Spring Primary History Network is taking place on Thursday 23rd February, 2023 via zoom. The focus for the session is on supporting SEND learners in history lessons and my special guest is Sue Temple from the University of Cumbria.

Session recorded 27.9.22 as part of a live zoom session. You cannot see the chat feed so certain responses may seem out of context. This video is only to be used by the single person who purchased it. It must not be shared more widely without express written permission.

A possible curriculum taught using a common curriculum model of alternating history and geography emphasis.

Supporting Documents:
These supporting documents provide examples of what concepts could be run through the curriculum in a substantive and disciplinary sense. They may be used in one school and not shared more widely across a MAT/Federation or other partnership of schools without express written permission from Mr T does Primary History Ltd. This can be requested by email from stuart@mrtdoeshistory.com

Any questions? If you have watched the recording and have a question, please do get in touch! I’d be happy to try and help. Email stuart@mrtdoeshistory.com with the subject Building Narratives Question and I’ll get back to you as quick as I am able to.

Useful links:
Michael Fordham – substantive concepts

If an HA member, Andrew Wrenn’s article on teaching concepts is brilliant but only for members

History in Outstanding Primary Schools by Ofsted

Ofsted Research Review – NOT geared towards primary teachers but may be of interest for some

Ofsted webinar – Tim Jenner, History HMI

Teach Primary article by me on coherence

Book Recommendation:

Retrieval Practice: Primary: A guide for primary teachers and leaders

Retrieval Practice: Resource Guide

This term’s session was recorded on June 30th via zoom. We went through the usual features and resource sheet supplied by the lovely Bev Forrest.

I was delighted to welcome Luke from www.inspire.education to share his amazing resource platform and Ailsa Fidler from Liverpool John Moore university to talk about how we teach vocabulary in primary history.

To arrange a trial or demonstration of inspire.education, please contact Luke here:

Booking calendar:https://calendly.com/inspireeducation/nextsteps?back=1&month=2022-06
Website: www.inspire.education
Email: luke@inspire.education

Inspire have a number of free resources available on their YouTube channel too!


I focused on how we can effectively review this year’s successes and use that to inform the next academic year’s priorities and action plans.

Recommended Books:
Stuart shared this series of books as some non-fiction that would be a great addition to class or school libraries. They are eye catching and cover a range of aspects of life to broaden children’s understanding of the period they are learning about. There are more in the range that we didn’t go into!
British Museum: So You Think You’ve Got It Bad? A Kid’s Life in Ancient Egypt
British Museum: So You Think You’ve Got It Bad? A Kid’s Life in Ancient Rome
British Museum: So You Think You’ve Got It Bad? A Kid’s Life in Prehistoric Times
British Museum: So You Think You’ve Got It Bad? A Kid’s Life in Ancient Greece

Ailsa’s session included three places to find books to be used within topics or as part of the libraries:
https://clpe.org.uk/books
https://www.booksfortopics.com/
https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/llp

Above all else… read, read often, read lots and get children to enjoy reading!

This session ran live on 09.02.23 and led jointly by Stuart Tiffany and Bev Forrest.

​Please see PPT for references on individual slides.

All resources and ideas may be used by one school only. The recording is to be accessed by one individual teacher per ticket only. If you would like to use any part of this session more widely, you MUST obtain permission in writing from the hosts via email.

Session recorded 23rd March, 2023. Please note: delegates are NOT permitted to share this recording with anyone that did not purchase a ticket. Resources and ideas may be used in the delegate’s school but not across a federation, MAT, partnership of any kind without express written permission from both hosts.

The aims of the deep dive session were:

  • Understand the requirements to prepare for a successful deep dive in history
  • Ensure the history provision in your school has the desired impact on learning and is in line with the Ofsted ‘approach’
  • Share experiences of a deep dive in history
  • Consider your next steps to outstanding history provision in your school

Video recorded October 14th 2021

PPT slides can be downloaded here:

Curriculum Aims resource can be downloaded here:

Deep Dive Information can be downloaded here:

As promised, you can download the Early Islamic Unit of work for free! Use the following code at checkout to reduce the price to £0.00. Please ensure both words begin with capital letters or it won’t work. 

IslamicFree

Processes Paragraph Key Stage 1:

Yellow: using vocabulary to express time passing. This links to narrative writing in English because the purpose overlaps and also in EYFS to express a sequence. Try and add more specificity with language such as using After in EYFS can become After 5 years in KS1. 

Orange: This is chronology as an organisational tool. Children need to understand that history is not a precise linear sequence. There are varied intervals between events and people’s lives and some crossover. 

Light Green: questions are fundamental to our understanding of the past BUT work more effectively when children can apply their knowledge base. Consider when you are suggesting children ask questions… remember those KWL grids? 

Dark Green: this relates to evidence use. Stories as evidence ties with the EYFS framework so builds on existing understanding. It is useful for children to know that a source of evidence tells us something about the past and how we learn from them. At this stage, heavily scaffold this to reduce misconceptions and sweeping generalisations.

Additional Questions Post Recording :

Supporting teacher subject knowledge – Michael Tidd History Cheat Sheets and BBC history 

​What to depict on a timeline – It depends on the emphasis. For the overall narrative, it’s important to keep it visually simple to ensure it can be interpreted. I would suggest including the taught curriculum children have learned already in that key stage so it can be added to through the year. 

Video Recorded 20.5.21

​Please see PPT for references on individual slides.

OFSTED blog referenced

National Curriculum

​The three PDFs on the right of the screen are the documents referenced in the session. 

If you’re a new subject leader for history or are just interested in knowing more about teaching history. I would absolutely recommend the following:

Join the Historical Association – the subject association for history with a wealth of knowledge and experience. 

Mastering Primary History – a great read to gain a deeper understanding of the subject and pedagogy.

Understanding and Teaching Primary History – another good read which explores primary history in lots of depth.

Early Islamic History Planning – Use the code IslamicFree to reduce the price to £0.

Really informative, great ideas, helpful advise and some fab resources. Thank you so much

C. Fielder, Curriculum Lead, Milton Keynes

We had a training day today; it was both fun and very inspirational. Lots of sensible and clear ideas to make History more engaging and purposeful for pupils.

A. Wells, Deputy Headteacher, Lincolnshire

I can’t recommend Mr T does Primary History enough. I am new to leading this particular subject and I left his training today feeling completely inspired. Thanks again Mr T

Louise Hill, History Subject Lead

Just purchased the Ancient Greek unit plan for 3/4 and its excellent! Certainly made my planning a lot easier! Many thanks, look forward to buying other units throughout the year!

I. Fern, Teacher

Awesome day spent with Mr T today going through our books and curriculum with a fine tooth comb. Great to know we were on the right track and to get clarity and direction on what we weren't sure about. Great staff meeting about how to use historical sources in a range of ways across the year groups.

H. Doust, History Subject Lead, Kirton Lindsey School