Zac Hill

Hi, I’m Zac and I am Head of History at a secondary school in Leeds. I completed my history degree at Manchester Metropolitan University and qualified as a teacher through the PGCE School Direct Secondary History programme in Bolton, as part of the St James’s Church of England School Teaching Alliance and Manchester Metropolitan University accredited PGCE programme.

I have tutored pupils in history alongside my studies and other forms of work since being a teaching assistant in 2011. I have a real passion for history as a discipline and spend lots of my free time reading, listening to, and watching history documentaries (particularly during lockdown!). I enjoy making History accessible and fun for all and I truly believe knowledge and understanding is the pathway to success.

Having taught in a few schools and through tutoring I have developed an up-to-date knowledge of the exam boards and the debates surrounding the changes to the history curriculum. I have taught and tutored both GCSE and A-level history and helped students achieve fantastic results. I have also spent time in specialist educational provisions for both behavioural and additional needs, this has included teaching across the curriculum, building students’ knowledge and confidence over time in literacy, humanities, and sport as well as organising extra-curricular field trips.
I am currently an examiner for WJEC/Eduqas and OCR B History having previously marked exams for AQA. Whilst I currently tutor my nephews who are completing the Edexcel History GCSE. So, I am confident in my knowledge of the requirements of each exam board. My students and tutees regularly tell me that my decoding and scaffolding skills allow them to understand the GCSE questions which helps them work under the pressure of examinations – this has helped these students to achieve some fantastic grades.

I believe history is a vitally important subject and provides us not only with knowledge but transferrable skills which many doors throughout our lives. History teaches us skills such as analysis, evaluation, debating, chronology, being able to draw comparisons over time and the ability to make
interpretations. History also teaches us to question everything we see, hear, or read and I tell my students this all the time particularly as our lives are influenced so much by the internet and social media!

My other hobbies are playing, watching, and studying sports (rugby, football, American football, golf, cricket, boxing… the list goes on). I have played rugby union since I was 5 years old including time spent playing for my county and region; cricket throughout school; American football from 18-25 and my position of choice in football is goalkeeper having represented my school and local clubs growing up. I have recently taken up golf (but I am not very good at this yet!) and running which, I seem to be getting better at. Another hobby that not many people know is I love to cook! I am always researching and trying out new recipes, but I am a very messy cook – much to my wife’s
despair!
So now you know a little bit about me, I cannot wait to get to know you and to help you on your
exciting journey through history!

Zac Hill