History and Politics teacher Ms Aitken-Burt will be co-authoring a series of new History textbooks with Collins.
Ms Aitken-Burt has been commissioned by Collins to co-author a new series of KS3 History textbooks for publication in 2022. This follows a speech she made last year at the West London Free School History Conference about rigour, diversity and inclusion in KS3 History curricula
The current editions of Collins’ ‘Knowing History’ will be revised and doubled in size to include a more global focus covering areas as varied as the Aztecs, Mongols, Mughals, Ottomans, Chinese dynasties, Islamic caliphates, African kingdoms and European imperialism. Ms Aitken-Burt will be writing multiple units across the four textbooks. She is also helping to increase representation of female characters and highlight language sensitivities throughout the text.
Ms Aitken-Burt’s interest in global history stems from a degree in Classical Archaeology and Ancient History and as a practicing archaeologist. With KS3 often falling by the wayside (as more focus can traditionally be placed on exam year groups), these new textbooks aim to give a solid academic grounding, improve literacy and spark younger pupils’ interest in the history of the world.