Whilst there is much discourse within the teaching community about the importance of an inclusive curriculum for History, there seems to be a consensus that many attempts to address LGBTQ+ History are tokenistic at best, and that this is an area that requires development for schools. However, there is a dearth of guidance and training for schools wishing to develop this aspect of the curriculum. This presents University based Initial Teacher Education (ITE) providers with an exciting opportunity; to provide such training for beginning teachers on the PGCE History course, which can then be shared with the schools where they complete their training placements.

PGCE History trainees at the University have been engaged in a rigorous training programme to bolster their knowledge and skills in building ‘representative’ History curricula over the past 3 years and the current cohort are working closely with Siobhan O’Connor of Manchester Libraries to showcase bespoke lessons they have planned and delivered in their placement schools for a series of events to celebrate LGBT History month.

PGCE Historians Jack Brogan, Kai Smith, Ellie Mortimer and Lois Cupples will be presenting their work at Manchester Central Library on 21 February and at Withington Library on 26 February, covering a broad range of topics such as the evolution of gay rugby in Manchester, the role of the LGBT community during the Miners’ Strike and the legacy of Alan Turing. All have used the University’s Special Collections and local archives to craft enquiry-based lessons for free use in local schools.

Trainees will be reflecting on their experiences through the University’s PGCE partnership blog and the PGCE History blogs over the coming weeks.