In this episode, our host Carmel is joined by Will Bailey-Watson and Paula Worth to explore the complexities of curriculum design and crafting inquiry questions in history education. Drawing on their contributions to a new teaching guide, the discussion covers the use of metaphors in curriculum planning, the challenges of balancing content and engagement, and the importance of teacher agency. Practical strategies and personal experiences highlight the ongoing, collaborative, and creative nature of designing meaningful history curricula that inspire both teachers and students.
Highlights
Resources & Links
Books discussed:
A Practical Guide to Teaching History in the Secondary School (2nd edition, Routledge, 2025)
Who this episode is for
History teachers at every career stage, department leaders, ITT trainees and anyone interested in strengthening history education in schools.
📚 For full access to tools, ideas and support: Visit reteach.org.uk
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In this episode of Reteach History, our host Carmel speaks with two of the history‑teaching community’s most influential figures: Mel Jones (Education Manager, Historical Association) and Dan Lyndon-Cohen (Director, Schools History Project). We trace the origins and missions of the HA and SHP, unpack why relevance is central to classroom history, and share practical ways teachers and students can get involved with subject this wonderful associations, CPD and conferences.
Highlights
Why the Historical Association was founded in 1906 and how it supports teachers today.
The Schools History Project’s founding questions from the 1970s: making history meaningful and promoting student participation.
Practical routes for teachers to contribute: journals, Teach Fellowships, crowdsourced resources, competitions and conference bursaries.
How local history, curriculum projects and university partnerships help keep teaching up to date.
Behind‑the‑scenes on HA and SHP conferences, regional hubs and opportunities for early‑career teachers.
Resources & links
Historical Association: CPD, Teaching History journal, Teach Fellowships and competitions.
Schools History Project: curriculum paths, summer conference and OCRB partnership.
Recommended listening: Rachel Ball and Alex Fairlamb On What is History Teaching Now
Who this episode is for
History teachers at every career stage, department leaders, ITT trainees and anyone interested in strengthening history education in schools.
📚 For full access to tools, ideas and support: Visit reteach.org.uk
In this episode, Pete Jackson and Ben Bassett invite us into their shared journey of reimagining how history is taught in classrooms.
Drawing on Pete’s 20+ years of experience teaching in North Yorkshire and Ben’s role as Deputy Head of History in West London, they unpack how storytelling has become a powerful tool for connection, curiosity, and deeper understanding.
From Thomas Platter’s visit to the Globe Theatre to the gripping story of Sophie Scholl, they show how using rich, researched narratives helps students engage more deeply and remember more.
🛠️ Want to teach complex topics with clarity and flexibility?
Explore our Pathway Guides—visual frameworks, adaptable time plans, and ready-to-use activities that save you planning time and increase engagement.
🎧 Catch up on past episodes for more fresh perspectives and practical strategies from classroom educators. 🎙️Listen on Spotify
📚 For full access to tools, ideas and support: Visit reteach.org.uk
In this packed episode, Carmel explores why local history makes a great lesson starting point with educator and author Luke Mayhew, and then chats about practical examples and Liverpool's history with Subject Development Lead Colin McCormick, Development Lead and History teacher Dan Procter, and History teacher Caitlyn Palmer.
Resources at:
reteach.org.uk/subject/history/the-border-reivers
reteach.org.uk/subject/history/resistance-to-british-slavery-in-jamaica-1690-1833
Lincoln University Associate Professor Dr Sarah Longair and Head of Humanities Sasha Smith join Carmel Bones to map out an infallible approach to teach the British Empire: through the history of its objects.
Resources at:
reteach.org.uk/subject/history/britain-s-complex-relationship-with-india
reteach.org.uk/subject/history/the-british-empire-from-inside-india
reteach.org.uk/subject/history/the-role-of-the-british-empire-in-the-slave-trade
reteach.org.uk/subject/history/working-class-women-and-the-british-empire
Bristol University Senior Lecturer and PGCE Programme Lead Kate Hawkey discusses why the traditional History curriculum should include topics like climate change and offers pointers for enhancing teachers' subject knowledge on the matter, along with case studies to spark students' interest.
Resources at https://reteach.org.uk/subject/geography/how-a-systems-approach-can-help-us-understand-climate-change
https://reteach.org.uk/subject/geography/tackling-climate-change-and-sustainability-in-the-classroom
English Romani author and CEO of the York Travellers Trust Violet Cannon joins HA Secondary Committee chair Helen Snelson and HA Honorary Fellow Richard Kerridge to demistify common prejudice around the GRT communities and share hands-on tips on incorporating this untold perspective into the curriculum.Resources at reteach.org.uk/subject/history/the-romani-holocaust
Head of History Claire Hollis and teacher and mentor Becky Carter make the point of why LGBTQ+ History must be included in the curriculum, and how notions of heteronormative sexuality are already part of traditional lessons. They then offer practical ideas on how to incorporate this topic to deepen students' understanding of specific periods.
Resources at www.reteach.org.uk/subject/history/homosexuality-in-nazi-germany
Curriculum Lead Emmy Quinn explains why Ireland was, in fact, the British Empire's first colony, and how this makes Irish History a fundamental part of the curriculum which has been often overlooked.
Resources at https://reteach.org.uk/subject/history/irish-perspectives-on-the-great-famine-1845-50
https://reteach.org.uk/subject/history/irish-perspectives-on-the-easter-rising
Historians and authors Malcolm Gaskill and Estelle Paranque dive into the fascinating topic of witchcraft from a social and cultural angle, exploring the patriarchal roots of this phenomenon and calling on case studies to investigate how it was used as a weapon both by the accusers and the accused throughout the centuries.Resources at www.reteach.org.uk/subject/history/witchcraft-a-social-and-cultural-case
History teachers and CPD Leaders Rachel Ball and Alex Fairlamb share their experience on grouping some of the most accomplished experts in the field of Secondary History teaching to compile a guide for each other on how to make the curriculum future and present-proof. They discuss the challenges and joys of acquiring deeper subject knowledge, discovering new angles, and never stop learning and sharing. Resources at reteach.org.uk/subject/history
Professor and author Ilan Kelman explains why the events described as 'natural disasters' are often the outcome of inherently unequal and unjust systems which don't allow the individuals who are part of them to access the same survival tools and employ the same recovery strategies. He discusses the importance of considering a variety of factors such as the political, economic and social contingencies when drafting policies around natural hazards, and concludes with an appeal to all human beings to be kinder to one another.
Resources at
https://reteach.org.uk/subject/geography/how-decision-making-affects-vulnerability-to-hazards
https://reteach.org.uk/subject/geography/natural-hazards-impacts-responses-and-human-influence
Head of Geography Kate Stockings shares her experience in using scholarship sources in her lessons to familiarise students with scientific literature and keep her subject knowledge up to date. She also talks about how she came to be one of the authors of the Geographical Association's Top Specs series, and how this enabled her to address Climate Change in a student-friendly way.
Resources at
https://reteach.org.uk/subject/geography/how-a-systems-approach-can-help-us-understand-climate-change
Head of History Joshua Preye Garry delves into the meaning and aspects of decolonisation in the context of education. He offers pedagogy-based perspectives on evidencial thinking and the significance of concepts such as ethnicity, gender identity, sexuality. Josh also highlights how the kind of scholarship and forms of assessment educators choose to bring into lessons can offer very different POVs.
Resources at
https://reteach.org.uk/subject/history/black-people-in-roman-britain
https://reteach.org.uk/subject/history/the-impact-of-the-transatlantic-slave-trade-on-west-africa
https://reteach.org.uk/subject/history/medieval-african-kingdoms-and-empires
Dr Carey Curtis joins us from the University of Melbourne to discuss sustainability in transport and urban planning, the importance of balance between land use and infrastructures, and the tension between principles and their implementations from a feasibility angle, with a focus on Oxford's low-traffic neighbourhoods.
Resources:
https://reteach.org.uk/subject/geography/sustainable-urban-transport
Dr Mark Maslin addresses the struggle of communicating the climate crisis in a non-daunting way, to empower students to strive for positive changes and solutions. He offers practical tips to do so through stimulating critical thinking, forming connections between topics, and using popular tools such as social media to spread awareness and spark conversations.
Resources:
Marine biologist Andrew Caine recounts the story of how he came to write a bestseller on making marine biology approachable for non-experts, and why humour is the best tool to engage students. He offers perspectives on endangered oceanic ecosystems, with a focus on coral cultivations in Indonesia.
Resources:
https://reteach.org.uk/subject/geography/the-diverse-ecosystems-of-the-ocean
Katie Amery, Head of History in Liverpool, and Simon Beale, Head of History and Politics in London, discuss how they've used Reteach to redesign their curriculum offer to be more inclusive and representative. They share practical tips and real-life case studies on approaching 'hard history' topics that are often tricky to tackle. #looting, #Nazi Germany, the legacy of the #BritishEmpire and finding new perspectives to engage #KS3 #KS4 students.
Resources:
https://reteach.org.uk/subject/history/the-benin-bronzes
https://reteach.org.uk/subject/history/homosexuality-in-nazi-germany
https://reteach.org.uk/subject/history/childhood-in-stalin-s-russia
https://reteach.org.uk/subject/history/the-legacy-of-the-british-empire-in-britain-today
https://reteach.org.uk/subject/history/the-whitechapel-murders-of-1888-from-the-victims-perspective
https://reteach.org.uk/subject/history/tudor-royal-and-noble-women-the-pinnacle-of-soft-power
Dr Paula Bartley explores the diversity of women's activism in the 20th century through an inclusive lens. She tells the stories of Lillian Bilocca and Jayaben Desai, who campaigned for improved working conditions; the Dolly Mixtures group, who fundraised for the 1984 miners' strike; fascist activists and the Olympia Rally of 1934; Jennifer Hosten, the first black woman to win Miss World, and the protests surrounding the contest itself.
Resources:
https://reteach.org.uk/subject/history/women-s-activism-in-19th-century-britainhttps://reteach.org.uk/subject/history/women-and-activism-in-twentieth-century-britain
Dr Ellie Woodacre joins us from the University of Winchester to discuss queenship and female power through history and geography. She offers tips on expanding the concept of monarchy to untraditional perspectives, like polygamous courts in Asia and Africa, co-ruling systems like the one implemented by Isabela and Ferdinando of Spain, and the figure of the King Consort.
Resources:
https://reteach.org.uk/subject/history/royal-women-of-eastern-asia
https://reteach.org.uk/subject/history/royal-women-of-the-mughal-empire
