ABSTRACT
This chapter offers a brief introduction to some of the principal issues and problems relating to the teaching of history in primary schools in England. It draws heavily on the findings of inspection, as well as the work of scholars involved in history education and the views of politicians, policymakers, historians and commentators. The chapter focuses on the importance of the curriculum and the issues that emanate from how it is interpreted and implemented in schools. The principal themes that concern most primary teachers revolve around: ensuring history's place in the whole-school curriculum; managing curriculum choice; organising the selected curriculum topics; acquiring appropriate resources to ensure sufficient depth of knowledge and understanding; and determining how to assess pupils' achievement. The chapter seeks to comment on each of these issues. As expected, schools are beginning to develop their own systems for assessing pupils' achievement in history. These approaches vary considerably.
