HWS History
@hwshistory.bsky.social
Chris Holmes. Head of History & Politics at Highgate Wood School, North London. History is for life not just exams! For students, staff, alumni & parents. All views expressed here are strictly my own.
Formerly https://twitter.com/HWS_History
Formerly https://twitter.com/HWS_History
As teachers we sometimes forget how we can be inspired by students: I met up with an ex- student. They’ve followed a roundabout path in education & have now just started a degree several years after leaving school. They’ve never been happier. A role model that education isn’t a conveyor belt.
November 20, 2025 at 6:26 AM
As teachers we sometimes forget how we can be inspired by students: I met up with an ex- student. They’ve followed a roundabout path in education & have now just started a degree several years after leaving school. They’ve never been happier. A role model that education isn’t a conveyor belt.
Whatever we might think about the curriculum I am sick of the dumbing down narrative. I’m old enough to have done O levels. My school had only recently become a comprehensive and retained a grammar school ethos. My students today work far harder than I did. And their mental wellbeing is much worse.
November 5, 2025 at 7:34 AM
Whatever we might think about the curriculum I am sick of the dumbing down narrative. I’m old enough to have done O levels. My school had only recently become a comprehensive and retained a grammar school ethos. My students today work far harder than I did. And their mental wellbeing is much worse.
At the end of an inset day in school the History dept went to the Barbican for Olusoga’s ‘Gun through a time’. Genuine CPD - his argument that three technologies built Britain’s empire in Africa:
Quinine / Gunboats / Maxim Guns. I might just steal that.
Quinine / Gunboats / Maxim Guns. I might just steal that.
November 4, 2025 at 6:18 AM
At the end of an inset day in school the History dept went to the Barbican for Olusoga’s ‘Gun through a time’. Genuine CPD - his argument that three technologies built Britain’s empire in Africa:
Quinine / Gunboats / Maxim Guns. I might just steal that.
Quinine / Gunboats / Maxim Guns. I might just steal that.
History teachers use ads as primary sources in lessons. Often disturbing; for better or worse, they provide insight into the prevailing values of a period. So when a modern politician complains that ads today are now actually too multicultural, it's pretty safe to infer where they are coming from...
October 27, 2025 at 8:46 AM
History teachers use ads as primary sources in lessons. Often disturbing; for better or worse, they provide insight into the prevailing values of a period. So when a modern politician complains that ads today are now actually too multicultural, it's pretty safe to infer where they are coming from...
Anniversary today of Edgehill in 1642 - first major battle of the British civil wars. Interesting to think that those there can have had absolutely no conception of what they were about to be a part of: Three civil wars, regicide and the birth of several new ideologies.
October 23, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Anniversary today of Edgehill in 1642 - first major battle of the British civil wars. Interesting to think that those there can have had absolutely no conception of what they were about to be a part of: Three civil wars, regicide and the birth of several new ideologies.
Back from visiting Auschwitz/ Birkenau. Exhausting physically, mentally and emotionally. A privilege to share this experience with our students.
October 16, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Back from visiting Auschwitz/ Birkenau. Exhausting physically, mentally and emotionally. A privilege to share this experience with our students.
Y13 Auschwitz trip:
At the Waval castle overlooking the old city. An explanation of why the area was ironically a safe haven for Eastern European Jews for centuries.
At the Waval castle overlooking the old city. An explanation of why the area was ironically a safe haven for Eastern European Jews for centuries.
October 15, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Y13 Auschwitz trip:
At the Waval castle overlooking the old city. An explanation of why the area was ironically a safe haven for Eastern European Jews for centuries.
At the Waval castle overlooking the old city. An explanation of why the area was ironically a safe haven for Eastern European Jews for centuries.
Time of year of anniversary of me being made redundant from my previous career. Also time for advising students about university choices and seeing ex-students who’ve graduated & now stressing over careers. My example; it’s ok not to know at 18 or 21. You’ll find your path if you stay open minded.
October 12, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Time of year of anniversary of me being made redundant from my previous career. Also time for advising students about university choices and seeing ex-students who’ve graduated & now stressing over careers. My example; it’s ok not to know at 18 or 21. You’ll find your path if you stay open minded.
Sadly I couldn’t join them, today but I’m so happy that I work in a department where my colleagues choose to spend their weekends enjoying History. A trip to the battlefield for a reenactment to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings
October 11, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Sadly I couldn’t join them, today but I’m so happy that I work in a department where my colleagues choose to spend their weekends enjoying History. A trip to the battlefield for a reenactment to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings
Excited to be taking a new bunch of Year13s to Auschwitz next week. Did the usual parents briefing I’ve delivered many times before - depressing to think that given the current state of the world, the trip is more relevant now than when I first did it 12 years ago.
October 8, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Excited to be taking a new bunch of Year13s to Auschwitz next week. Did the usual parents briefing I’ve delivered many times before - depressing to think that given the current state of the world, the trip is more relevant now than when I first did it 12 years ago.
The trouble with being a History teacher is that watching the news triggers historical parallels: Now I’m haunted by the fact that in 1934 most Germans who voted Nazi weren’t necessarily antisemitic - they were just prepared to overlook Nazi racism because they wanted to ‘reclaim their country’.
September 20, 2025 at 11:56 AM
The trouble with being a History teacher is that watching the news triggers historical parallels: Now I’m haunted by the fact that in 1934 most Germans who voted Nazi weren’t necessarily antisemitic - they were just prepared to overlook Nazi racism because they wanted to ‘reclaim their country’.
A week to contemplate the revolving door of teaching. New classes. A dinner for History A Level leavers off to university (one of my favourite events of the year). And meeting up with former students now returned home after graduating uni. A continuous community stretching across the years.
September 13, 2025 at 7:39 AM
A week to contemplate the revolving door of teaching. New classes. A dinner for History A Level leavers off to university (one of my favourite events of the year). And meeting up with former students now returned home after graduating uni. A continuous community stretching across the years.
Much as I enjoy the holidays, I’m ready for a new school year. But I dread starting it with interminable exams analysis & unveiling of new policies & mission statements. Imagine a world where teachers were shown this from Akala at INSET to inspire them for the task ahead.
youtu.be/YsK3Q-QNcpQ?...
youtu.be/YsK3Q-QNcpQ?...
Akala on Education
YouTube video by Double Down News
youtu.be
August 30, 2025 at 7:38 AM
Much as I enjoy the holidays, I’m ready for a new school year. But I dread starting it with interminable exams analysis & unveiling of new policies & mission statements. Imagine a world where teachers were shown this from Akala at INSET to inspire them for the task ahead.
youtu.be/YsK3Q-QNcpQ?...
youtu.be/YsK3Q-QNcpQ?...
A joyous GCSE results day yesterday. But why all the fuss at age 16 when education & training now extends until 18? When I was at school most students left at 16 to start work/join the dole queue. We’re due an overhaul of education & assessment system - that needs some brave & visionary leadership.
August 22, 2025 at 6:42 AM
A joyous GCSE results day yesterday. But why all the fuss at age 16 when education & training now extends until 18? When I was at school most students left at 16 to start work/join the dole queue. We’re due an overhaul of education & assessment system - that needs some brave & visionary leadership.
Like many teachers I use this London Transport recruitment poster in my migration lessons. To my shame I’ve not thought about the actual woman in the picture.Thanks to Michael Rosen I now know this is Claudette Hart. a salutary reminder to respect that History is the experience of ordinary people.
August 19, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Like many teachers I use this London Transport recruitment poster in my migration lessons. To my shame I’ve not thought about the actual woman in the picture.Thanks to Michael Rosen I now know this is Claudette Hart. a salutary reminder to respect that History is the experience of ordinary people.
So the Daily Mail a paper who is sceptical about the value of universities (and indeed education in general) has again come up with a set of rankings. Having dealt with students in Clearing yesterday this thinking is so damaging & ill-informed.
www.timeout.com/uk/news/the-...
www.timeout.com/uk/news/the-...
The best (and worst) universities in Britain have been named by the Daily Mail
Neither Oxford or Cambridge are in first place
www.timeout.com
August 15, 2025 at 8:27 AM
So the Daily Mail a paper who is sceptical about the value of universities (and indeed education in general) has again come up with a set of rankings. Having dealt with students in Clearing yesterday this thinking is so damaging & ill-informed.
www.timeout.com/uk/news/the-...
www.timeout.com/uk/news/the-...
Every year there’s a story to discredit our broken UCAS system. I’m pleased more students might get their first choice. But others won’t have applied in the first place because they were put off by published offers. And it’s just more unnecessary anxiety at a stressful time.
bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com/news/article...
More teens to get their choice of uni even if they miss their grades, says Ucas
A record number of 18-year-olds will get into their first choice, even if they miss their grades.
bbc.com
August 7, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Every year there’s a story to discredit our broken UCAS system. I’m pleased more students might get their first choice. But others won’t have applied in the first place because they were put off by published offers. And it’s just more unnecessary anxiety at a stressful time.
bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com/news/article...
Visited a large museum of the Resistance & Liberation in a small town in an out of the way part of France. Insightful & sensitive handling not just of the heroic aspects but also the issues of Petainist collaboration & Vichy’s role in the Holocaust. Such nuance & honesty too rare in public History.
August 4, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Visited a large museum of the Resistance & Liberation in a small town in an out of the way part of France. Insightful & sensitive handling not just of the heroic aspects but also the issues of Petainist collaboration & Vichy’s role in the Holocaust. Such nuance & honesty too rare in public History.
We saw racist historian David Starkey reveal his true colours and commit career suicide at the time of BLM. Let’s hope apologist of imperialism and darling of the Right Niall Fergusson does the same.
kmflett.wordpress.com/2025/08/02/g...
kmflett.wordpress.com/2025/08/02/g...
Genocide in Gaza a ‘luxury belief’: Sir Niall Ferguson departs the ranks of serious historians
Genocide in Gaza a ‘luxury belief: Niall Ferguson departs the ranks of serious historians Sir Niall Ferguson, knighted not long ago by King Charles and someone who has advised Kemi Badenoch is a ri…
kmflett.wordpress.com
August 3, 2025 at 12:32 PM
We saw racist historian David Starkey reveal his true colours and commit career suicide at the time of BLM. Let’s hope apologist of imperialism and darling of the Right Niall Fergusson does the same.
kmflett.wordpress.com/2025/08/02/g...
kmflett.wordpress.com/2025/08/02/g...
Another History teacher on holiday pleasure is catching up on historical dramas on my tablet. Easy to mock, but actually they have a place in the classroom to instil a sense of period & historical empathy. Except of course when they’re just anachronistic crap.
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
TV’s best (and worst) historical epics: from Wolf Hall to I, Claudius
Sweeping dramas set in days of yore are everywhere. But which are some of the finest television ever created? And which are little more than an excuse to show naked backsides?
www.theguardian.com
August 1, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Another History teacher on holiday pleasure is catching up on historical dramas on my tablet. Easy to mock, but actually they have a place in the classroom to instil a sense of period & historical empathy. Except of course when they’re just anachronistic crap.
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
One of the joys of being a History teacher on holiday is getting to read some History. One of the disadvantages is when something like this genuinely challenges your thinking about a topic you have taught for a while. And then you realise you’re going to have to re-plan a whole series lessons 🤦🏻😂
July 27, 2025 at 6:35 AM
One of the joys of being a History teacher on holiday is getting to read some History. One of the disadvantages is when something like this genuinely challenges your thinking about a topic you have taught for a while. And then you realise you’re going to have to re-plan a whole series lessons 🤦🏻😂
Finding names for new parties on the Left can quickly dissolve into a Monty Python sketch. And at the turn of the 19th century nay-sayers in the trade union move we’re worried that an emerging Labour Party would split the Liberal vote. Plus ca change..,
July 26, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Finding names for new parties on the Left can quickly dissolve into a Monty Python sketch. And at the turn of the 19th century nay-sayers in the trade union move we’re worried that an emerging Labour Party would split the Liberal vote. Plus ca change..,
The last week of term. I'm having a lot of conversations about careers with leavers ( Y11 & Y13) and former students now graduating. I'm tempted to recommend David Gerber's book. To encourage them to do work with meaning both for them & society. So proud my own daughters work in the public sector
July 14, 2025 at 5:29 AM
The last week of term. I'm having a lot of conversations about careers with leavers ( Y11 & Y13) and former students now graduating. I'm tempted to recommend David Gerber's book. To encourage them to do work with meaning both for them & society. So proud my own daughters work in the public sector
As a teacher this is such a discombobulating time of year. Shattered after the stresses of exam prep. ‘Gain time’ for curriculum development once exam classes gone. And the bitter-sweet revolving door of saying goodbyes to students we’ve built relationships with - sometimes for 7 years.
June 30, 2025 at 5:38 PM
As a teacher this is such a discombobulating time of year. Shattered after the stresses of exam prep. ‘Gain time’ for curriculum development once exam classes gone. And the bitter-sweet revolving door of saying goodbyes to students we’ve built relationships with - sometimes for 7 years.
Serves me right: After bemoaning absence of women from the A Level English Revolution spec - the exam yesterday had a Leveller women source. Don’t know whether to be happy or annoyed at the exam board for featuring topics not in the spec or their approved textbook. Good job I teach beyond the spec.
June 7, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Serves me right: After bemoaning absence of women from the A Level English Revolution spec - the exam yesterday had a Leveller women source. Don’t know whether to be happy or annoyed at the exam board for featuring topics not in the spec or their approved textbook. Good job I teach beyond the spec.