Feedback from users
From Mrs T Mariapa, All Saints Junior CoE School, London SE19, July 2008
I started using this website site when I was suddenly moved from Y2 to Y5 one June and needed something on the Ancient Greeks really quickly! I spent ages happily browsing through all the materials provided and used some of the teaching ideas from other teachers. I have also used lesson plans, resources and background notes. A lot of what I have used has been shared with student teachers as well as an NQT Y5 teacher. They found the materials as useful as I did.
I like the site because it is easy to navigate and there is plenty to choose from. The Henry resources were very popular with the children and I used some of these in our Literacy lessons. I will be using the site more next year because we are moving to a themed curriculum from September so a new cohort of student teachers and I will be online then! We will be covering the Victorians first, as we are based in Crystal Palace and need goodish weather to visit the park, and the Ancient Greeks in the Spring term, I think.
I haven't had time to read all the new sections I can see have been added since I last visited the site in depth so I am looking forward to sharpening up my practice.
My thanks to all who work on the Primary History site who have made our lives much easier.
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From Ian Cawood, Head of Department of History, Newman College of Higher Education, Birmingham
"The site is brought to the attention of all our primary specialists (having used John Fines excellent video to demonstrate history teaching skills) and has been widely used by all the history specialists. The most popular section is, naturally, that of lesson ideas. Sections have also been used by our citizenship trainees (esp the Florence Nightingale and Guy Fawkes examples). I usually refer it to 'the best aid to history teachers on the net'.
From a BEd student at the University of Plymouth November 06
Just a quick note to thank you for your excellent website. Yesterday I, along with two colleagues, presented an hour-long seminar relating to the Sumerians and how it would be most appropriately taught. I used a condensed version of your lesson relating to the Royal Tombs of Ur. (See Sumerians.) It worked brilliantly and we were extremely pleased with the reation we received. This was with a class of 20 BEd students and two university lecturers! If this was the response from adults, I can't wait to use it in the classroom with children. Thank you once again. Your website is a valuable resource, with inspirational, yet achievable ideas and comments.
From a teacher in Denmark, October 06
I really like your teaching ideas and how you teach teachers how to teach. Thank you very much!
From Rebecca Tomlinson, Newton CP School, St Helens, Merseyside
March 06
Thank you so much for the information you have provided, it is greatly appreciated and very very helpful. As History Co-ordinator I personally use your site a lot, particularly when planning lessons for other year groups. Other teachers are starting to use it too. We find the lessons particularly helpful as we teach through a topic approach now and a lot of the lessons on your website lend themselves to this way of teaching.
From Hafiza Hajat, Woodland Grange Primary School, Oadby, Leicestershire, March 07
The Nuffield History site has been really helpful in ideas and effective questioning techniques and so much more. I'm in my second year of teaching and we're changing the curriculum to teach in topics.
From Candice Bell
I've written a brief resume of how I used the 'Henry at boarding school' lesson. It was quite a close crib of what Jacqui Dean had done and written up on this website. It was one of the first things I did with a new class. They had two different teachers in the first half term of the year, then had me in the afternoons, and now will have me full time for the rest of the year. It was a fantastic exercise to break the ice, to learn names, to find out strengths and weaknesses, and to stamp my mark. (download notes from Candice from the Henry web page)
