Many of the most important points for the teacher to consider when planning at classroom level and in selecting content are those discussed above in the section on Curriculum planning.

In addition, consideration should be given to the following:

The learning needs of the children

The learning experiences of the class so far, the work completed and the progress made by individual pupils will be the starting point when planning future learning in history. The class and pupil records in the school and talking to the previous teacher should help here, and these may be supplemented by the results of other informal and/or more formal assessment methods.

The curriculum in history

The relevant sections of the curriculum statement and the criteria for the selection and planning of content which accompany its overview pages will provide the basis for the teacher’s work with the class.

Careful consideration should also be given to the need to maintain a balance between the treatment of content andthe development of skills over the year or term. The treatment of the units should show progression in the level of skills used and in the depth of treatment.

Approaches and methodologies

Using a broad range of teaching techniques and classroom approaches is crucial for success in history. Identifying and building in opportunities to use a number of approaches during long-term planning will greatly facilitate the implementation of these methods during the year. For example, identifying opportunities to use a wide range of evidence with the children throughout the units of work will help in planning these teaching and learning experiences.

Suggestions for a range of approaches and methodologies which are particularly suited for historical topics are described in Section 5 of this document.

Consideration should also be given to whether an integrated theme-based approach or a more subject-centred focus with some cross-curricular links will be used to plan learning. The section Integrated learning on p. 56 provides many suggestions on how integration could be used.

Assessment

How pupils’ progress might be assessed and work recorded will be closely linked to the teaching methodologies in use and so will be an important aspect of the cycle of planning, teaching, learning, assessment and review. The ways in which various activities and approaches could contribute to learning and create evidence for assessment will be considered as the teacher plans the work of the class. Ongoing teacher observations, for example, will provide opportunities to assess how children are learning and may lead to modifications in the approaches used in future history lessons. Samples of work in drawn, written, oral, audio or video tape, computer disk, model or other formats may be collected for inclusion in the children’s portfolios.

Providing for individual differences

A number of techniques may be used to provide a range of learning activities appropriate to the individual needs of pupils. Teachers could consider

• using a mixture of whole-class teaching and focused group work. Following a whole-class lesson, different groups of children could be set tasks of varying complexity
• planning topics so that opportunities are provided for further investigation work for the more able or less able
• choosing more accessible or more demanding evidence. For example, artefacts and pictorial evidence may be more accessible than written evidence
• using a range of questions and providing a range of tasks. Teachers’ questioning in oral discussion should use a range of skills from simple recall to more complex comparative and analytical skills so that all pupils will have opportunities for success while the more able will be challenged
• planning for the use of a wide range of communication skills. Many pupils will have developed a sophisticated historical understanding yet will be unable to communicate this in written form. Opportunities should be provided for children to record and tell about their historical findings in oral presentations, debates, drawing, role-playing, modelling, computeraided work, etc.
• intervening to give individuals and groups the tuition they need as the children are engaged in learning activities.

Time

Long-term planning will also require consideration of the time to be devoted to each unit and the extent to which units could be integrated or treated simultaneously. In the middle and senior years a unit of work might be completed over a period of two or three weeks, while four or five weeks might be required to complete each of the indepth studies (one from local studies and one from a national or international context).

Seasonal factors

Work requiring visits in the environment may be affected by weather, and consideration should also be given to planning some topics around local festivals, commemorations and major occasions. Sites to be explored in the environment may be quieter and less crowded or safer at certain times of the year, and this should be borne in mind when planning a scheme of work.

The availability of resources and support

It is helpful to establish what resources and support might be available and when they will be in use by other teachers and classes: for example, different classes may need access to books from the library at particular times, parent volunteers willing to help with visits may be required at times by other teachers and the factory or farm may not be able to accommodate a visit at certain times of the year.