New Appointment: Sarah Hartsmith Joins as Director of Curriculum Design

We’re delighted to welcome Sarah Hartsmith to the Local History Hub Strategic Board as our new Director of Curriculum Design.

Sarah is a nationally respected history educator, currently serving as a History Subject Development Lead at Teach First. She brings a wealth of experience as a Head of History in secondary schools and is widely recognised for her leadership in local history education. Sarah authored the chapter on local history in What is History Teaching, Now? and regularly speaks at national events on embedding place-based history meaningfully within the curriculum.

Her appointment comes at a crucial time for Local History Hub, as we strengthen our curriculum offer and consolidate our network of school-based hubs across the UK. With a Masters in local history and deep expertise in curriculum design, Sarah will play a pivotal role in shaping our work with schools.

In her first year, Sarah will provide strategic oversight for our curriculum work. This includes supporting the development of Our Homes, Our Stories—our flagship primary resource launching in September 2026—as well as advising on how each hub can build its own location-specific progression ladder. She will also contribute to longer-term thinking around CPD and the potential for future support in secondary schools.

We’re thrilled to have Sarah on board and excited about the curriculum leadership she will bring as we continue to grow Local History Hub into a truly national movement.

[Find out more about our Strategic Board here.]

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New Appointment: Liberty Melly Joins Local History Hub as Director of Inclusive Heritage Practice

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New Appointment: Gareth Clayton Joins as Director of Strategy