To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to increase the proportion of the history national curriculum devoted to the teaching of British history.

One of the aims of the national curriculum for history is to ensure that all pupils know and understand the history of Great Britain as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day; how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world.

The Department does not dictate how much time teachers should spend on each element of the curriculum. However, the national curriculum history programmes of study specify eras of history and broad themes which should be taught, and give examples of non-statutory topics which relate to the broader theme. The majority of these broader themes relate to British history. The history programmes of study can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum.