Last year the Bristol HA ran an A level student conference for one of the largest A level topics, Modern Russian History, with 200 students.  This time we went for one of the newest topics, African Kingdoms 1400-1800.  Working again with Bristol University and the support of the OCR’s History subject officer Richard Kerridge we got off to a flying start.  By November 2025 we had planned the afternoon conference for April 2025.  David Rawlings and Mary Feerick had recruited expert speakers including Professor Toby Green from London University and Professors Kate Spinner and Jose Lingna Nafafe from Bristol.  They aimed to lecture on the main topics of the OCR’s module; Benin, the Kongo and Dahomey. Richard Kerridge at OCR flagged up the event to sixth forms and interest was already firm before the Christmas holidays.  This enabled teachers negotiate the paperwork and logistical problems that often make visits difficult.

Bristol’s Education and History departments supported the event by supplying some of the speakers, enabling us to book a free lecture hall and providing free refreshments. David Rawlings of the Education department used the African Kingdoms Whatapp he had established.  The Bristol HA co-ordinated the external speakers, covered their expenses, dealt with applications and encouraged other teachers to use the conference for their own CPD.  Richard Kerridge came along to answer questions for OCR and the OUP sent Nicola Scarisbrick and Kate Buckley with samples of Key Stage 3 textbooks on African History. 

The support from schools and colleges was terrific.  Nine centres brought their students, 130 in all and the total attendance was 151. Most of the students were local since Bristol and the South West is one of the major areas this topic is studied. There were students from Chew Valley, Trinity Academy, St Brendan’s College, Montpelier High School, Winterstoke Hundred Academy and Saint Mary Redcliffe.  In addition, three schools, made long journeys; Belper School and Derby High School from Derbyshire and Trinity School from Croydon.  Thirteen more teachers without students came along as part of their own professional development.  The lectures were on contrasting topics. Toby Green, author of a Fist full of Shells, did a lecture on Benin and the Politics of Restitution.  Not only was it highly relevant to the teachers and students but he also gave them information of the newest digital resources available. Jose Linga Nafafe’s lecture shared his award winning research on Lourenço da Silva Mendonça, and the Black Atlantic Abolitionist Movement in the 17th century. This challenged the traditional British narrative that it was Clarkson and Wilberforce who led the way in the abolition of the slave trade.  Our final speaker Professor Kate Skinner gave a very concise and enlightening lecture on how the kingdom of Dahomey was different from the other African Kingdom the students studied, including its involvement in the Slave Trade.  There was very enthusiastic feedback from teachers, students, and the lecturers.

‘I just wanted to thank you for the amazing event last week.  It was so well run and all three lectures were fascinating.  I’d love to attend any future conferences, and will also potentially bring students next time.’

‘That 150 people came and really did seem to take something away from it is just great!…

Thanks again, it was a great day’  Toby Green.

For those students and members who could not attend David Rawlings managed to film all three lectures and these should be appearing on the website soon.  Toby Green has also sent us his PowerPoint which is a real up to date resource for teachers and students.