AQA GCSE History: Strategies for Success in the 2026 Exams

Course Code: T0300 £289.00

ABOUT THIS COURSE

This brand-new course will equip AQA GCSE History teachers with the tools to help their students succeed in the 2026 exams. Teachers will learn strategies for teaching thematic studies, source evaluation, and essay writing, as well as approaches for preparing students for exam questions.

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

  • Gain a clear understanding of the AQA GCSE History specification.
  • Learn strategies for teaching source-based questions and essays.
  • Explore methods for improving students’ written exam performance.
  • Receive resources and techniques to help support learners at all levels.

PROGRAMME

10:00am

Mastering the AQA GCSE History Specification

  • Overview of the key components and challenges of the specification.
  • Examining successful student work and effective assessment practices.
  • Structuring lessons to balance thematic, depth, and source-based components.

10:55am

Break

11:15am

Teaching Thematic Studies and Source Evaluation

  • Engaging students with the thematic components of the curriculum.
  • Practical exercises for analysing and using sources effectively.
  • Developing students' skills in critical thinking and historical analysis.

12:15pm

Improving Written Exam Performance

  • Supporting students in answering source-based and essay questions.
  • Teaching strategies for writing clear, structured, and analytical responses.
  • Helping students evaluate sources and draw valid conclusions.

1:00pm

Lunch

2:00pm

Preparing for Exam Success

  • Techniques for supporting students during revision.
  • Helping students structure effective answers in the exam.
  • Teaching methods to enhance historical argumentation and source evaluation.

2:45pm

Planning for Long-Term Success

  • Using assessments and feedback to track student progress.
  • Structuring the two-year course to build core skills consistently.
  • Supporting diverse learners, including those requiring additional help.

3:15pm

Final Q&A and Reflection

  • Addressing remaining challenges and questions.
  • Reviewing key strategies and taking away best practices for implementation.

3:30pm

Depart

   
GCSE - Code: T0300

AQA GCSE History: Strategies for Success in the 2026 Exams

COURSE LEADER

Malcolm Chandler was Chief Examiner for GCSE History for twenty years and has been leading courses for teachers and students since 1998, throughout England and Wales, but also in Europe and Dubai. He aims to simplify the demands of GCSE History for both teachers and students by avoiding ‘jargon’ and using straightforward terminology.

He believes that the best way of teaching history and improving results is to set clear, manageable targets for students and to enable them to feel ‘part of the process’. Many schools that have adopted the approaches and techniques that he recommends have seen significant improvements in examination grades in relatively short spaces of time.

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