Why these new 'deep dives' are a GOOD thing!

We're all starting to see and hear the hype, fuss and chaos surrounding 'deep dives' as Ofsted start probing further into our foundation subjects. They're asking questions that have rarely been asked of subject leaders before, and for me, that's a GOOD thing!

To be honest, having seen the feedback from Facebook groups and online about recent inspections, I now know the kinds of things that I need to do to meet these expectations. And I've got to tell you, I've never felt more in control of my subject! I used to think I did a pretty good job of leading history, colleagues told me I was 'great' and I believed them. It's only now though that I can see that I was just coasting along.

Having to know every aspect of my subject - the curriculum we've set, the progression from EYFS to Y6, the themes and threading that's had to happen - all of it has given me control of a subject that I loved, but didn't understand fully.

I was passionate about teaching history. I did exciting and engaging lessons. I veered off on tangents spouting about random historical nonsense that seemed interesting. But I never GRASPED history as a subject and reined it in, until now.

Yes, I'll still have a sleepless night if we get the call and I'm chosen, but I now know that I have much more of an idea of my subject than I EVER did before. They want to know about themes? Boom - this is them. Progression? Check - there's my progression grid. Curriclum structure? Wallop - it's laid out in this table with reasoning.

I'm fortunate that I lead a subject that I love and have an interest in. Not everybody is in that boat. The first thing that you should be doing at that point is ensure that you get some CPD, for whichever subject you lead. I guarantee you, it will calm your nerves and focus you on the plans that you set.

If you want history CPD around threading themes, progression or anything else, feel free to contact me and we can arrange sessions that are tailored to our needs.