History education has (quite rightly) been under serious scrutiny this past week. It’s something I have been studying over this past few months since evaluating the education system in the USA and their approach to the story of thanksgiving, which is deeply troubling.

Shakespeare’s STD and the colonisation of USA. Which parts of history can we afford to lose when condensing a piece of history?

I’ve always found images to be a lot more memorable than words. The amount of detail that can be crammed into a single image can be so much greater and emotive than language alone. Combining images (particularly using this overhead camera rig) with voiceover was a bit of an experiment to see how much more effectively I could remember facts when there was a logical narrative and visual stimulus throughout.

Picking a name that suits your character is crucial. Yet, the opposite is true as well: characters can be built from something as simple as a name.

The Coronavirus has introduced some truly unexpected side effects to learning. Aside from missing those crucial final months of the academic year, it has forced teachers to reconsider teaching techniques and the impact of learning from home. This will be summarised in three categories: digital resources, exams and transitions, and learning environments.

Most of the time, I look for interesting approaches to topics that are done in almost every classroom every single year. However, this is one topic that you are probably less familiar with, and definitely don’t teach to your class.

Many teachers spend too long focussing on how to keep every child in their class engaged in their lessons. If they switch the focus to finding new ways to keep themselves (the teacher) engaged, the class will follow. Enthusiasm is contagious.

Tom and David have been training in Sherwood Forest to improve their storytelling skills and history knowledge.

A new collaboration with Miner2Major project will see Lord Byron making a return to primary schools across Nottinghamshire. 

Preparations are underway to make 2020 even bigger and better. A new range of props and costumes are being introduced as part of our ‘School Takeover’ series.

The final video of our Bloop series was released this month. The responses to the videos has been overwhelming and we are so pleased to hear that they are being used in schools across the country.

New for 2020! Live Encounters for the whole school. Following the success of our award-winning Live Encounters series, we have made them bigger so every class can experience it.

Lord Byron had numerous love affairs across the world. He was irresponsible with money and landed himself in masses of debt. So what can we learn from him?

Tom returns to his old college to speak to students about teaching opportunities and career options once they’ve finished their A Levels.

WBD is always a highlight of the school year. It’s your chance to get your class excited about reading. Many schools and parents are restricted by budgets as the prices of children’s books seem to be increasing.

A school in Bradford, UK has recently performed one of the biggest U-turns in primary school history by coming from a state of ‘Special Measures’ and into a the top half of performing schools in Britain. How? An extra six hours a week of music for every child. 

The national curriculum has been updated – but not enough. There, we said it. Whilst technology is being advanced constantly, our education system hasn’t changed that much since Queen Victoria was on the throne.

As a child I loved reading, Roald Dahl or otherwise, and this has led me to where I am today – about to start a PhD in English Literature at the University of Nottingham. But it all stemmed from being read to and reading at home, and in school.