Interview with Scott Harrison, 6 May 2009

Scott Harrison is an HMI working for Ofsted and currently responsible for overseeing the teaching of the citizenship curriculum. He was formerly specialist adviser for history at Ofsted. He discusses his teacher training and early career teaching in a deprived part of Liverpool and also teaching adult classes. He recalls developing a CSE 'Mode 3' course for ROSLA students and became interested in the Schools Council History Project after attending a meeting in 1974, though he noted that the reaction amongst history teachers was mixed. Scott reflects on his experience as an examiner of O level and A level, as well as the new GCSE. He recalls the great variety in teachers' responses to the new demand for coursework - one school even sending a video of pupils dancing a historical event. Scott moves on to discuss the impact of the National Curriculum and the impact of ICT on the teaching of history, in which he has taken a particular interest. Interviewed by Nicola Sheldon