Head of History; Staff Governor

Rachel Ncube

I look for scaffolds that help pupils with different reading needs work on a shared historical question, without changing the question into several unrelated tasks.

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A little about me

History is taught across a department, but students should be able to recognise what a strong explanation has to do. I lead the subject and teach alongside the team, so moderation is part of keeping feedback consistent across classes.

Source analysis needs more than one route into the same enquiry. I look for scaffolds that help pupils with different reading needs work on a shared historical question, without changing the question into several unrelated tasks. The source should remain central: students need to examine what it says, consider its perspective and build a supported interpretation.

My own teaching keeps departmental workload discussions connected to the classroom pressures colleagues face. I value moderation that makes expectations discussable and gives students feedback they can use on the historical reasoning, not only the presentation of an answer.

How I approach a lesson

Keep a shared enquiry question while varying support for reading a source.
Use moderation to compare how teachers assess historical reasoning.
Give feedback that identifies the next step in interpreting evidence.

Templates I'd use with my class

Explore these templates and decide what fits your own setting.

History and social studies

Analytical essay planner: causes of the First World War

Develop a historical argument that answers the question, supports claims with identifiable evidence and weighs an alternative cause before reaching a judgement.

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History and social studies