Government to put local heritage at the heart of the curriculum
The Education Secretary, Michael Gove, is to announce this week that he wants schoolchildren to get to know their local heritage and how it relates to the ‘story of England’. English Heritage is to receive £2.7m over three years from the Department for Education for delivering the Heritage Schools initiative, under which ‘heritage brokers’, experts in heritage education, will be recruited to work with schools. Their role will be to ensure that teachers understand the opportunities and potential of their local historic environment for delivering an engaging curriculum as a core part of the school timetable. Mr Gove believes that visiting and studying the physical remains of ‘the rich, controversial and thrilling story of England’ will inspire pupils, parents and teachers to delve further into ‘our rich island story, give children have a sense of pride in their local area, engage parents in their children’s learning and involve communities in the life of the school.
The proposal is the result of an independent review of cultural education led by Darren Henley, the managing director of Classic FM, due to be published this week. Darren Henley said: ‘It is vital that the schools have teachers who recognise the importance of cultural education within their schools and have the training, experience and tools to teach it to a high level. The impact great teachers and great teaching can have on a child’s engagement with cultural education should never be underestimated. Every day in schools across the country, life-changing moments happen for children because of the intervention of a dedicated teacher.’
Our Fellow Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, said: ‘Outside every school there is a rich history. In the high street, the housing estate, the park, riverside and field, every town, city and village is full of places in which significant events have taken place. We want every child, their parents and teachers to enjoy and take pride in the heritage of their local area and to understand the part it played in the rich story of England. Our Heritage Schools initiative will bring history to life both in the classroom and out of it, weaving it into the life of the community and endowing present and future generations of children with a vivid understanding of the place in which they grew up.”
English Heritage also said that ‘heritage brokers’ would seek partnerships with local heritage organisations in delivering the Heritage Schools initiative; those organisations could include a local church, archive, after-school history club, local history or archaeology society, civic society or museum. The aim would be to build lasting relationships between these organisations and local schools.
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