English · GCSE · Poetry
Checking Out Me History (John Agard)
Checking Out Me History (John Agard)Free5:30Heddy Score 3 of 7, below the standard
What you need to know
- Agard's poem protests a Eurocentric education that taught British history and nursery rhymes but left out Black figures.
- Its oral-poetry form, phonetic spelling and strong rhythm suggest a history that must be remembered and spoken.
- Rhymes build up to names such as Nanny de Maroon and Mary Seacole, and stanzas end on them for emphasis.
- Nursery-rhyme references make the taught version of history seem as childish and fictional as a fairy tale.
- The final line, 'I carving out me identity', puts the speaker himself last, showing his new sense of self.
In this clip
Runs 5:30, from 0:00 to 5:30 of the full video.
Heddy ScoreSeven checks every clip must pass before students see it: trusted, on the map, accurate, focused, accessible, safe, and proven by students.3/7, Below the standard
See the seven stars
- Trusted source · passed. The creator's own upload, live and playable here.
- On the map · not judged yet. A teacher watched it: it mainly teaches this map topic.
- Spec-true · not judged yet. Accurate, and right for the current UK specification.
- Focused · passed. One idea, short enough to watch in one go.
- Accessible · passed. Good captions, clear sound and pictures.
- Safe for children · not judged yet. Right for 11 to 16 year olds, with no sales pitch.
- Proven · not judged yet. Earned from our students: they learn from it, find it helpful and watch it to the end.
Our students
Not enough students yet
Our own students' answers. These are what move ★7 Proven.On YouTube
How the Heddy Score works144K views · 1.89K likes · Mr Bruff 465K subscribers
As reported by YouTube on 2026-11-02. Not part of the Heddy Score.Why we picked it
A quick but precise revision recap covering form, structure, intertextuality and the poem's message about identity.
Mr Bruff on YouTubechecked 2026-10-22
Plays from youtube-nocookie.com. No YouTube cookies until you press play.