LOCAL HISTORY CHARTER

A developing charter for local history, place, identity and belonging in schools.

Local History Hub is exploring the development of a new voluntary Local History Charter for schools.

The idea is simple: to create a shared set of principles that recognise the importance of helping children understand the places in which they live, the people and stories that have shaped them, and their own relationship with their community.

It could also give schools a way to make a visible commitment to local history, recognising its value and giving it a prominent place within the curriculum.

The Local History Charter is a working title. Before we develop it further, we want schools and partners to help shape it.

  • Local history belongs in every classroom.

    Children grow up in places shaped by people, history, geography, migration, culture, community and change.

    Learning about those places can help children understand how their community developed, encounter the experiences of people who came before them and make connections between local, national and global stories.

    It can also provide opportunities to explore bigger questions about place, identity and belonging.

    LOCAL HISTORY
    ↓
    KNOWLEDGE & CONNECTION TO PLACE
    ↓
    IDENTITY & BELONGING
    ↓
    ENGAGEMENT

    Local history already has a place within the curriculum. But we think there is an opportunity for schools to go further.

    A Charter could help schools signal that locally rooted learning isn't simply something they teach because the curriculum requires it. It is something they value because of what it can offer their pupils, their school and their wider community.

    Following the Curriculum and Assessment Review, we want to explore what that commitment could look like in practice.

  • Simple. Voluntary. Practical.

    We don't want to create another accreditation scheme, lengthy framework or additional workload for schools.

    Instead, we're exploring whether a short Local History Charter could provide schools with a set of shared principles and practical ways to put them into action.

    Schools could be supported with free resources including:

    Short staff meeting PowerPoints

    Practical curriculum ideas

    Simple reflection tools

    Free online CPD

    Examples from other schools

    Ideas for working with local heritage and community partners

    The Charter could provide a starting point rather than a checklist.

    Schools would be able to engage in ways that work for their pupils, curriculum and local context.

  • The Charter hasn't been written yet.

    We want the people who might use it to help us shape it.

    We're particularly interested in hearing from teachers, school leaders, heritage professionals and others working with children, local history and communities.

  • What does local history currently look like in schools?

    What helps children develop knowledge and connection to place?

    What gets in the way?

    And what would make a Local History Charter genuinely useful?

    Our short survey will help shape the principles, resources and next steps.

  • We're also bringing together a small Focus Group to explore the idea in more detail.

    The group will help us consider what the Charter should include, challenge our thinking and review some of the practical resources that could sit alongside it.

    We welcome applications from teachers, school leaders, heritage professionals and others with relevant experience or perspectives.

  • Listen first. Build together.

    We'll use responses to the survey and discussions with the Focus Group to decide what the Local History Charter should look like and how it could best support schools.

    We'll then develop and test an initial version alongside a small collection of free, practical resources.

    Our aim isn't to tell schools exactly how to teach local history.

    It's to make it easier for schools to give every child meaningful opportunities to understand their local area, connect with the stories around them and explore their own relationship with place, identity and belonging.

    Want to follow the Charter as it develops?

    Join the Local History Hub newsletter for updates, opportunities to contribute and news about the next stage of the project.