Incorporating local history and heritage into school trips

by PlanMySchoolTrip
published 13 July 2026

2 mins read

You've covered topics about temples built by the Maya, and the lives of Egyptian Pharaohs, but what about the history closer to home? Using a school trip to explore your local area's history and heritage gives pupils a wonderful opportunity to connect with their community's past while adding to their understanding of the history curriculum. Local trips can be every bit as impactful as distant travels, often providing relevant, accessible, and meaningful heritage experiences that some pupils may even have a personal connection to.

In this article we discuss the benefits, as well as a few practical tips for incorporating local history and heritage into your school trip planning.

A local history study is part of the history curriculum at KS1 and KS2. This could include visiting museums or historic sites, bringing history to life beyond textbooks. Looking at events, people or places close to your school helps your students understand links between their local area, the wider region, and even the nation or countries beyond. Every school will have different experiences to draw on, some may be able to tap into a richer vein of local history than others, but even the smallest community can hold historical surprises that could really inspire your class.

Why focus on local history and heritage?

• Relevance: Pupils gain a stronger sense of identity and place by learning about their local area's history and culture. By understanding where they come from, they gain a sense of pride and belonging. Relevance and personal connections always makes learning more meaningful and engaging, encouraging pupils to appreciate their surroundings and their place in the world. This in turn can inspire them to contribute positively to their community, perhaps wanting to be part of preserving heritage for future generations
• Accessibility: Staying local means your trip requires less travel time. The cost will also be reduced, making them easier to organise and more inclusive for all pupils
• Community Engagement: Depending on your topic, pupils may meet local historians or community leaders, deepening connections with their surroundings

Ideas for local history and heritage trips

• Historic Buildings and Landmarks: Perfect places to visit may include castles, churches or cathedrals, stately homes or houses with a significant heritage connection, even bridges or windmills. You can explore architectural styles or their links to historical events
• Museums and Heritage Centres: Many towns have museums dedicated to local history, industry, or culture. They exist to share information with their visitors, so will often have interactive exhibits and easy to understand display text for pupils
• Walking Tours: In larger towns and cities, guided walks can highlight significant sites and tell stories of the area's past. Oral history has always been a way of linking people with the past, and hearing stories about the local landscape is an incredibly valuable way to learn about local history
• Cultural Festivals: Do some research about any events on the local calendar. Attending local festivals or fairs could be a good way to introduce pupils to traditions and community celebrations that often have strong links to the past
• Archives and Libraries: Most local libraries have a local history section. During a visit you could explore historical documents, maps, and photographs that tell the story of the area. The children will learn historical facts but also valuable research skills

Planning tips

Here are a few more ways you can add value to your local history visit, and make the experience more meaningful for your students.

• Link the trip to curriculum topics, such as history, geography, or social studies, to reinforce learning objectives
• Make the experience fun. History can be a dry subject, especially for younger age groups
• Prepare pupils with background information and activities to maximise engagement during the trip
• Encourage pupils to ask questions and take notes to reflect on later
• Involve local experts or guides to provide authentic insights and storytelling
• Follow up with creative projects like presentations, reports, or artwork based on the trip