A comprehensive resource section for A-level History teachers — built from 1,000+ episodes of expert modern history content and written by a former Pearson/Edexcel examiner. Select your exam board below.
Choose your exam board
AQA
Full coverage of all Component 1 and Component 2 options. Two AO3 Interpretation Packs live now (Russia 1H, Germany 2O). All 30 options linked.
Pearson Edexcel
Papers 1 and 3 fully mapped. Written by a former Edexcel examiner. All 31 options linked. Strong archive coverage for Russia (1E, 2C.2, 38.1), Germany (1G, 2D.2, 37.2) and the Cold War.
OCR
All 58 options across Components 1, 2 and 3 linked. Two Interpretation Packs live now (Russia Y318, Germany Y221). Packs target Component 3 Section B historical interpretations.
WJEC
For teachers in Wales. All units across Units 1–5 mapped. Strong archive coverage for Russia and Germany. Interpretation packs applicable to Unit 3 Thematic Study.
What makes these resources different
Examiner-verified accuracy
Every historian named is real. Every argument is faithfully represented. Nothing is published without Nick Shepley’s personal sign-off. Generic AI tools hallucinate historians and misattribute arguments. These resources don’t.
Written to mark scheme logic
Resources are built around what exam mark schemes actually reward: analytical argument, contextual evaluation, and evidenced judgement — not description or paraphrase.
1,000 episodes of depth
The Explaining History archive is 13 years deep. These resources draw on that depth — not an algorithm generating plausible-sounding content from thin sources.
About Nick Shepley
Nick Shepley is a former A-level History teacher, the author of A-level History textbooks published under the Pearson/Hodder imprint, and a former Pearson/Edexcel examiner. He has hosted the Explaining History podcast for 13 years, producing 1,000+ episodes of expert modern history content covering exactly the periods A-level specifications examine. These resources exist because he knows not just the history, but what actually gets marks.
Working with your students?
Point your class to the student side of Explaining History — board-matched course finders and history-specific study technique, free and with no sign-up. It supports your teaching; it does not replace it.
