Section 1: What teachers can do?

From primary to secondary: what can primary teachers do?
From primary to secondary: what can secondary history department do?
What can primary and secondary teachers do together?

The aim of this section is to explore ways in which the work of primary and secondary teachers can help pupils make progress and provide a sound framework for history learning.

History at key stages 1 and 2 is now a statutory, well-established part of the curriculum with clearly specified content in all primary schools. Most pupils have a good understanding of the subject by the age of 11, and it is therefore extremely important that work in secondary schools builds effectively on the history taught before.

From primary to secondary: what can primary teachers do?

Primary teachers can:

• help pupils develop positive attitudes towards the subject, to see history as a study for lively, enquiring minds. This can be aided when teachers provide a rich variety of activities, which are interesting, exciting and enjoyable, to engage pupils in the historical process, as well as providing opportunities for pupils to make decisions, be adventurous, creative and imaginative, or devise and carry out their own historical enquiries and show their ability to think historically.
• ensure that history is taught in year 6. Some schools have concentrated their history teaching in years 3 to 5 because of the pressures created by assessment demands on achievement in the core subjects. This can threaten the overall coherence of the history programme. If pupils do not study history in their final primary year there is an inevitable accretion of knowledge, understanding and skills by the time they enter secondary school.
• ensure that work taught is based on effective teaching and learning in history. Pupils should use a range of historical sources, both primary and secondary, and should have opportunities to do extended reading and writing tasks where appropriate. There should be a preference for studying some aspects of a history topic in depth, rather than trying to cover all aspects equally. Where there is a teacher with responsibility for history, that person has a key role in initiating dialogue about effective practice in teaching, learning and assessment of history. Further guidance on this can be found in the sections on this website for history at key stages 1 and 2.
• have high expectations of what pupils can know, understand and be able to do in history by the end of year 6.
• ensure that teacher assessment is of good quality. Throughout the key stage teachers should monitor pupils' work against the level descriptions of the national curriculum, and identify pupils' strengths and weaknesses.
• report on pupils' achievements in history to secondary colleagues. To build effectively on pupils' progress secondary schools need such information in a useable, high quality form, which notes achievement against level descriptions, ideally referring to specific content or work. Some primary schools provide specific comments on what pupils can already understand and do in history, together with specified targets. This provides secondary school history heads of department with information that can be used for more effective curriculum planning of work, matched to pupils' abilities and achievements. Some schools also provide information about the sequencing, organisation and coverage of study units across key stage 2.
• recognise constraints and find ways around them. Some schools and teachers provide for a smooth transition despite constraining factors. For instance: the process of compiling supplementary transfer information beyond statutory requirements, although useful for the secondary school, is time-consuming, and comes at the end of a year, which also involves pupils' end of key stage tests and full reports to parents with tight deadlines. In the light of this some schools now operate a two-stage exchange of such information. Others are moving to electronic systems for the transfer of records. Primary teachers have heavy timetable constraints and a full teaching commitment, so a non-contact day, timetabled jointly by secondary and feeder primary schools, allows teachers to share examples of good practice and consider examples of pupils' work. The adoption of a common framework of reporting at year 6, which meets the needs of receiving secondary schools, might also be a useful point to consider.

From primary to secondary: what can secondary history department do?

Secondary teachers can:

• recognise and value the teaching and learning approaches from year 6 and build on these in year 7. Some continuity in teaching and learning styles will help pupils make the transition from year 6 to 7. Good links with literacy, well established in the primary school, can also be exploited, especially in the use of historical fiction.
• recognise and value pupils' previous achievements and experiences.This is effectively done where the information has been made available by the feeder primary schools. This aids differentiation and encourages real progression from achievement at key stage 2.
• actively build on knowledge, skills and understanding acquired during key stage 2, and make explicit links and similarities with previous history work, while challenging the full range of pupils, including those of high ability. Standards at key stage 3 are often highest where pupils are able to relate new knowledge and understanding to previous learning.
• recognise and work round any constraints experienced at the point of transfer.

Pupils are new to the school and the teacher, so start the term by finding out from the pupils what they learned in history at their previous schools. Develop an introductory unit of work from this information.Some secondary schools set out to mould pupils into new work habits, and give pupils a 'fresh start'. Studies of year 7 have suggested that pupils' enjoyment, sense of achievement, belief that they are making progress, and attitudes to school can decline as a result. The more able can feel as if they are marking time; the less able can be frustrated by work that is not matched to their needs. In some schools re-examination of teaching and learning methods, and discussion about ways in which differentiation is to be achieved and supported, would be useful staff development activities. Different feeder primary schools may have tackled history topics in a different order, with different emphases. Some secondary schools have found this a concern in attempting to build on pupils' previous experience of history. Where practice is good, secondary teachers have exploited and celebrated this diversity, sometimes using able pupils who have covered particular topic more recently as 'experts' in group work.

• meet with primary teachers to assess and moderate examples of pupils' work and allay concerns about varying standards across the phases in history.
• provide a link topic in year 7 that symbolises primary/secondary continuity and builds on a topic taught in primary school, for example, a key stage 2 enquiry on the Romans, Anglo-Saxons or Vikings in Britain could be built on at key stage 3 through a study of either the Medieval period or the Roman Empire.
• foster effective liaison with primary schools.

What can primary and secondary teachers do together?

Primary and secondary teachers can:

• meet together. Dialogue between primary and secondary teachers is a key agent of effective transition, breaking down of barriers and stereotypes.
• find out more about what happens in terms of teaching and learning about history at the other key stage.
• explore understandings about what the programmes of study and the level descriptions in history mean. Activities involving secondary and primary teachers jointly assessing and moderating pupils' work can help in this. National Curriculum standards have the same meaning and application at both key stages.
• work collaboratively on long-term planning across the key stages to ensure continuity of practice, to improve the standards achieved by pupils, and perhaps to share resources.
• review and evaluate current practice and expectations and thus develop trust and confidence in the professional judgement and expertise of colleagues from other schools.