Summer Primary History Network

This session was recorded on Tuesday, 3rd June 2025. 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: Summer Network Sharing.

This term’s network focused on the opportunities and risks of using AI in primary history lessons. Stuart and Glenn were joined by Ailsa and Simon from Liverpool John Moore.

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.

Book Giveaway:
This term’s book giveaway is the brilliant The History Lessons by Shalina Patel which shares what we may define as lesser known aspects of British history and the role they play within the narrative of history we may have learned about at school. It is beautifully composed and incredibly thought-provoking. Whilst it is not a book I would use with children, it is invaluable for subject leaders to deepen their subject knowledge and consider how they may reframe their history curriculum to add greater representation.

Affiliate link: https://amzn.to/4kkmf0q

A New Resource with the Historic Royal Palaces:
For the last year, I (Mr T) have been working with the brilliant team at the Historic Royal Palaces on a free educational resource for KS1 focusing on significant individuals (Queen Elizabeth I and Victoria). They are totally FREE access and include videos of a character in role at the palaces and a task to unpick how we know about their lives. In addition, there are supplementary videos which highlight fascinating diverse stories about people linked to the two Queens. The resources can be accessed here.

This session was recorded on Thursday 6th March, 2025. 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.

I was joined by Alex Fairlamb to focus on how to build coherence between primary and secondary history and co-host Glenn Carter to consider cohesion within primary.

Links and Suggested Resources:

The Scaffolding Effect by Rachel Ball and Alex Fairlamb

Don’t Look Back by Becca Perl

Totally Chaotic Histories by Gregg Jenner

This term’s network meeting focused on what it means to use historian’s interpretations in primary classrooms. Glenn and I focused on the building blocks which lay the foundations across EYFS and KS1. Our special guest, Emmy Quinn, then shared how we may implement the work of historian’s at the heart of enquiries.

The live session was recorded on the 13th November 2025. Comments and responses may be made in reference to the chat box therefore 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.

What is history?

In this session, Stuart introduced and shared how we may develop a definition for what children might view history as across KS1 to UKS2. It can then be supported with how history is studied to progressively introduce children to the nature of the historical discipline in a contextual and developmental manner. The images he shared are freely downloadable as image documents. This is a draft and needs further development and refinement…

Book Giveaway:

In this session, I gave away a copy of Totally Chaotic History by Greg Jenner. These books are magnificent at supporting children with what is thought about periods of history at an appropriate level. However, their true genius lies in the expert interruptions by specialists who precisely explain how and why we think that way. It is the book we have needed… a historian writing for primary children without just emphasising the gruesome, gory and silly out of context!

Book and Resource List:

Throughout the session, Emmy referenced a number of books and videos that she uses to teach historical interpretations. For convenience, they are linked below:
Black and British: an illustrated history by David Olusoga
Black and British: a short essential history by David Olusoga
Stolen History by Sathnam Sanghera
African Kingdoms: West Africa by katie Amery, Teni Gogo and Aaron Wilkes
Totally Chaotic History – Ancient Egypt gets unruly by Greg Jenner
Totally Chaotic History – Roman Britain gets rowdy by Greg Jenner
Totally Chaotic History – the stone age runs wild
The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan

Life and Death in the Valley of the Kings – BBC Teach

Dan Snow’s History Hit
Stuart’s favourite – The Ancients
You’re Dead to Me – comedy history with ‘colourful’ language (not for children)
Empire
The Rest is History