This History teacher video introduces the use of hot seating as a powerful strategy to develop inquiry skills through questioning. In this drama-based technique, a teacher or pupil adopts the role of a historical figure while others pose questions to explore their experiences, beliefs, and significance. The video explains how this technique supports children’s understanding of different perspectives and encourages the use of open-ended questions to elicit detailed responses. It also demonstrates how hot seating can be integrated into a range of topics, such as exploring the lives of Tudor child apprentices.

Teachers are supported with practical guidance for modelling and scaffolding question writing, including using question starters like “how,” “why,” and “describe.” Children are encouraged to think critically about the kind of information they want to discover and how to structure questions to gain deeper insights. Hot seating develops pupils’ empathy, their ability to interpret historical sources, and their understanding of the significance of historical individuals. By practising this technique in a safe and structured way, children build confidence in speaking, listening, and historical thinking.