As the founders of Local History Month, the Historical Association has long recognised the power of local history and championed its place on the curriculum. Local history grounds us in our own communities, fosters a sense of identity and belonging, and brings to life the often-overlooked stories of ordinary people, bridging the gap between personal experience and broader national or world events, between the abstract and the tangible.

The Francis review of November 2025 also recognised the importance of local stories in the curriculum:

The National Curriculum already offers teachers scope to create inclusive learning experiences by weaving together topics and themes and drawing on case studies and exemplars. Often what is needed is greater exemplification and access to high-quality resources that support this work - including local exemplification that brings the curriculum to life.

(Francis report, p.33)

In history…

This (exemplification) should include analysis of a wide and diverse range of sources, including, where appropriate, a focus on local history to help students engage better with their local contexts.

We recommend that the Government:

• Adjusts the History Programmes of Study to:

Support the wider teaching of History’s inherent diversity, including through the analysis of a wide range of sources and, where appropriate, local history.

(Francis report, p.86)

The government response accepted this recommendation, indicating that:

we will be clearer about which content in the programme of study is non-statutory to provide more clarity for teachers on flexibility and optionality, including how local history and contexts can be studied to teach history through where children and young people live.

(Government response to Curriculum Review, November 2025, p.32)

Resources to support local history

Below you will find collated resources to support local history in your school. 

New Novice or Nervous: Local history – This 2017 article aimed at new teachers, explores the value of local history.

Students’ local history stories – Our Great Debate competition always has a local focus. These entries from 2024 and 2025 can provide fascinating local stories to draw from. (The Great Debate question for 2027 will be: Can your local environment help us to understand national and global histories?) 

Right up my street: the knowledge needed to plan a local history enquiry – In this 2018 article, Katharine Burn and Jason Todd explore the notion of local history being able to be taught any time, any place, anywhere, by designing their own local history enquiry about a forgotten corner of Oxford.

Community engagement in local history – In this 2012 article,  Lynda Abbott and Richard Grayson, offer a fascinating example of collaboration between school and university, focused on the development of a community archive.

Move Me On 169: Planning a local history enquiry – In this edition of Move Me On, the problem page for history mentors, one trainee is struggling to plan an effective local history enquiry and her mentor needs guidance to support her.

Building local history into the curriculum – In this 2021 article, Neil Bates and Robert Bowry demonstrate how local history can build curriculum coherence as a golden thread.

Local History Teacher Fellowship – In 2021-22 the HA ran a local history Teacher Fellowship Programme, in partnership with the British Association for Local History. You can view participants’ outcome resources here.

Using oral history to enhance a local history partnership – In this 2021 article, Eliza West and Emily Toettcher explain how a partnership between school and museum has evolved into a four-year enquiry into local history. The article focuses on the successful introduction of an oral history element in the GCSE syllabus and how the investigation into ‘remembered’ history helps students to appreciate the complexities of truth and perspective. 

Thinking about local history - Step by step local study – In this 2013 article, Martin Spafford explores how to carry out a local history enquiry on your own doorstep.

Using local history to illuminate the complexities of interpretation with Year 8 – In this 2025 article, Jack Harris uses the local built environment and source material from the local museum to explore and explain the different ways in which a local ‘hero’ had been interpreted and remembered over time.

Beyond the bolt-on: placing local history at the heart of a diverse and decolonial curriculum – In this 2025 article, Fred Oxby recounts how he and his department became more convinced of the power of local history. Oxby urges colleagues to think about the local stories that need to be showcased in their curricula and illustrates – with reference to several local examples – the power of planning backwards from them.

Lenses, mirrors and bridges: one department’s holistic approach to diversifying and decolonising local history – In this 2024 article, Jack brown unpacks the decisions his department made as they sought not merely to make their curriculum more representative of the diversity of the local community and its history, but also to engage critically with the legacies of colonialism.

Triumphs Show 170: making a place for fieldwork in history lessons – In this Triumphs Show, the case is made for fieldwork in history.

Exploring the importance of local visits in developing wider narratives of change and continuity – In this 2019 article, the Tudor religious rollercoaster is explored at local level.

Year 7 explore the story of a London street – In this 2013 article, Amy Hughes and Heather De Silva report a teaching unit through which they aimed to help Year 7 pupils make history come alive by exploring the history of a local street and the people who lived in it using census materials, the physical environment, maps, old photographs and many other resources. 

Exploring big overviews through local depth – In this 2015 article, Kath Goudie and Rachel Foster demonstrate how they explored big overviews using local depth.

Local Significant Individuals – Originally developed by the HA’s primary committee, this regional crowd-sourced and curated listing of regional significant individuals may provide a way into local history through an individual’s story.

Lastly – local is not just about teaching, it’s also about teachers. Don’t forget to check out our guidance on building your own local history teacher networks.