September 2023 It feels very strange sitting at home typing this blog on the first day of the new school year, knowing that after 30 years in the History classroom, I am not sitting in a school hall listening to the exam feedback and Headteacher’s (sometimes un)inspiring vision for the year. Instead, I am embarking on a new journey, balancing part time teaching at Park View school, with the Direc...
Read More »In anticipation of this year’s summer conference we wanted to share the absolutely fantastic plenary from last year’s virtual event by the brilliant Jason Todd: “Silences, Traces and Voices: Conversations and Journeys Through Race”. In the film Jason makes the case, drawing on the work of the Jamaican-born intellectual Stuart Hall and Haitian academic Michel Rolph Trouillot...
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A very warm ‘hello’ from Curriculum PATHS at the start of the 2025/26 academic year. Exploring possibilities As we enter into the landscape of curriculum review, a new Ofsted framework, and potential exam reform, all against the backdrop of a growing far right threat across the globe, we know that a space for history teachers to engage with and discuss the role of school history is mor...
Read More »Inspired by my summer reading (Bell Hooks’ Teaching to Transgress’ and John Harris’s ‘Maybe I’m Amazed, A story of love and connection in 10 songs’), it’s been a summer of reflection. Two years into my Directorship, it felt like it was a good time to take stock and ponder on what has gone well so far and where we can take the Schools History Project in the future. There certainly have been some v...
Read More »Please read the information below before using this form to submit your proposal https://forms.office.com/e/UHkC15w52G The Schools History Project’s Summer Conference will be taking place at Leeds Trinity University on July 10-12, 2026. Our workshops run for 90 minutes, providing an in-depth opportunity to share and explore your chosen topic(s) with the conference delegates. This year we are going...
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Hi everyone! Apologies for the long delay in getting the election results confirmed for you – it has been a very hectic couple of months! I am delighted so say that I have just completed the summer 2025 election for the Curriculum PATHS Council. We had 5 spots on the Council open, all of which have been filled. There were seven nominations in total. The draw of names was completed by Helen B...
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The SHP Curriculum PATHS Council are seeking to recognise the amazing work of teachers all over the UK, who put ethics at the heart of their history curriculum planning and teaching. This Easter will see the launch of our Curriculum PATHS Award for history teachers and departments who have contributed to the CPATHS Sharing Hub and used the CPATHS Principles in their curriculum planning. We also ha...
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The SHP Curriculum PATHS Council are seeking to recognise the amazing work of teachers all over the UK who have shared their work via the Curriculum PATHS Hub. We are launching two new awards to recognise this work. Curriculum PATHS History Teaching Award Any teacher or department sharing a unit via the Curriculum PATHS Sharing Hub is eligible for the award. Curriculum PATHS History Planning Award...
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Image: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, 1789. Held by British Library: Shelfmark: 1489.g.50 Welcome to the second PATHfinders update from SHP Curriculum PATHS. This project is all about connecting creative history teachers with the latest sources and interpretations. We hope these materials will help inspire you to create, collaborate on, and share your own Curriculum PATH...
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Dear all, Well, it feels like it has been a very long winter this year, but spring is finally just around the corner. Days are getting longer. The daffodils are coming out. Time for some curriculum spring cleaning. The Curriculum PATHS Council met in February, along with our new Primary members. We have been discussing how to build on the early momentum of Curriculum PATHS and help grow this proje...
Read More »The Schools History Project’s Summer Conference is the absolute highlight of my teaching year. We call it the ‘Glastonbury of the mind’ (copyright Arthur Chapman) because it is the standout event of the summer, and the vibes are just as strong. It’s a wonderful weekend of outstanding professional development, as well as a chance to be a part of our growing SHP family. This year we are returning to...
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As the Director of the Schools History Project, it is a great honour and privilege to represent the History teaching community, but with that comes a deep sense of responsibility. That certainly rang true for me, when I was working on our submission for the government’s curriculum review. When I opened the document, I was overwhelmed by the 54 (!) questions covering every aspect of school life, bu...
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