§ Lord Lukeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have plans for a review of the teaching of history in schools; and, if so, with what purpose. [HL3991]
§ Baroness Ashton of UphollandHistory is a statutory subject for all pupils aged five to 14. The latest Ofsted evidence on the teaching of history states that pupils' achievements in primary school have improved steadily, and in secondary schools there has been a particular improvement at key stage 3 over the last reported year. The Government have no plans, therefore, to review the content of the national curriculum for history, although we will be asking QCA to produce guidance, including possible additional units for DfES/QCA schemes of work, for primary and secondary history teachers to further improve children's understanding of key aspects, individuals and events in British history and their ability to more firmly relate these to a broad chronological framework. We are concerned, however, at reports that pupils are duplicating the study of particular periods of history at GCSE and beyond thus producing a narrowing of the curriculum. We will ask QCA for advice on whether the GCSE criteria for history should be reviewed, as part of an overall review of the coherence of 14 to 19 history provisions. QCA's new GCSE history hybrid pilot project is already exploring ways of broadening the history curriculum 14 to 16.