New History resources coming to Classroom Secrets

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New History resources coming to Classroom Secrets 

Our Marketing Campaigns Manager, Claire, is keen to find out more; she is having a chat with our History specialist, Helen, to see what we can expect.  

Our History specialist, Helen, has been working behind the scenes, researching and planning what will be in our new History scheme. She’s been reviewing the curriculum, reading about what OFSTED are looking for, and listening to what teachers want to see in their History lessons. I’m excited to learn more about what is coming.  

Tell us what we can expect to see in the future from Classroom Secrets History. 

Firstly, this is such an exciting time here at Classroom Secrets, as we are widening our offering with new curriculum subjects. For History, we are creating six units for KS1, LKS2 and UKS2. The units have been carefully chosen from the National Curriculum and from what we know teachers are covering in school. Each unit will contain a Teacher Guidance document to guide you through the teaching of six lessons. For every lesson there is a teaching PowerPoint and a worksheet. The lessons have been designed to not just teach children facts about the unit, but to also encourage deeper thinking as we explore how historians study the past. 

That seems like you have a lot of exciting things planned… what can we expect to see first? 

We will be delivering our first complete unit for each Key Stage in time for teachers to give the resources a try in the summer term. For KS1, there is a topic about Significant Nurses and it explores the work and lives of Florence Nightingale, Edith Cavell and Mary Seacole. For LKS2, the first unit is The Tudors looking at the Tudor monarchs and the changes they made whilst in power. Finally, our first UKS2 offering is The History of Railways which gives children the opportunity to explore how the railway has developed and what impact it has on lives today. The units have been carefully designed to cover the disciplinary knowledge associated with history.  

Children need to develop their skills as a historian. So, the units cover all elements of the disciplinary knowledge at multiple times across the units which allows the children to delve a little deeper each time. The Teacher Guidance document for each unit outlines the substantive and disciplinary knowledge being covered to give you the confidence to teach history knowing the children are progressing as historians, not just learning facts about a unit area. 

Tell us why Classroom Secrets have decided to create new History resources. 

We know teachers are always looking for fresh ways to approach their teaching, and history was an area we hadn’t previously focused on. With that in mind, we asked teachers want they want and need to confidently teach history. After listening to your requests and considering what the National Curriculum outlines, we chose our topics of focus and ensured our resources provided more than just historical facts. This was a huge drive for us as we created these resources; we wanted to offer you more and we wanted to give children the opportunity to question, analyse and think like a historian.  

I know a lot of work has gone into this, what are you most proud of? 

When I was teaching history, I used to love delving into the lives of people who lived before us. But I always struggled to find the ‘why?’ I knew it was important to teach children about these things, but how could I convince those reluctant historians that these facts were worth learning before moving them onto the next, seemingly unrelated, history topic and learning some more facts? When developing these new history resources at Classroom Secrets, this was a huge focus for me: let’s give children the ‘why’ they are missing. Let’s link the units together. Let’s explore the timeline of the units and see where they link in time. What is happening in Britain at the same time something else is happening in the world? Let’s learn how to consider sources of information and think deeper about if we can now take the information as fact or do we need further evidence.  

As I explored these avenues, I discovered what I had previously thought was a tough task only suitable for UKS2 was actually completely relevant for KS1 children too. It is possible to get children thinking deeper and progressing those skills throughout primary school. So, with careful selection of sources and consideration of the questions to ask, we have provided a set of resources which teach children how to explore history not just learn it. 

I know some teachers may feel apprehensive about teaching History. Will there be enough detail to help anyone who feels like this?  

Yes! You can use these resources safe in the knowledge that you've got full coverage of the curriculum objectives, but also that children will be developing their disciplinary knowledge, which allows them to develop skills as they progress through school. We have tried to include as much support for teachers as possible. Whenever there is a question in the teaching PowerPoint, in the notes below the slide, there is further information to allow teachers to confidently lead a discussion. The Teacher Guidance is also useful to help show the coverage within the unit. It also outlines the key vocabulary being taught in the unit and includes a useful unit overview to give teachers the background knowledge they will need to teach the unit.  

So, what’s next?  

We have so many further ideas for History, so once this initial offering of the PowerPoints and worksheets are complete for the six units per Key Stage, we will be exploring what to offer next. We have so many great ideas, ranging from display packs to resources that have an oracy focus, key vocabulary activities, and many more. We will also continue to listen to what teachers are asking for and will as ever try to support teachers with what they want and need to provide quality education for the children you teach!