Speaker call out for CPD series for teachers and local cultural organisations

North East Museums and the Local History Hub are collaborating to launch a new local history training series as part of North East Museum’s CreatED Primary Education CPD programme.

Are you a primary subject specialist, could you share your knowledge and experience of teaching your subject? Are you a historian, or do you work with schools in a heritage or cultural setting? Can you share your skills in enquiry led teaching?

North East Museums and the Local History Hub are seeking speakers to deliver short micro presentations, approximately 5-8 minute in length, as part of this online training series in the latter part of the 2026/27 academic year.

The series aims to:

• Broaden local history beyond a Romans-dominated narrative
• Improve confidence in using primary sources
• Promote enquiry-led approaches
• Connect local history to identity, belonging, and pride
• Strengthen school–heritage collaboration
• Support inclusive practice, particularly for SEND learners.

We are looking for contributions that are practical, concise, and classroom relevant.

Format for talks:

• Length: 5–8 minutes (maximum)
• Style: Short, focused input (not a lecture or full presentation)
• Approach: Show, don’t tell – concrete examples are key
• You may use slides if helpful (maximum 3–5 slides) or speak informally.

Please aim to include:

1. A concrete example

• A resource, object, place, story, or activity
• Ideally something teachers could adapt for classroom use

 2. Classroom relevance

• How this could be used with primary pupils
• Suggested age range (KS1 / Lower KS2 / Upper KS2)

 3. A practical takeaway

• A strategy, question type, or simple activity
• Something teachers can try immediately

 4. Accessibility / SEND consideration

• How this could be adapted or made inclusive
• For example scaffolding, visual supports, sensory approaches.

Session 1: Broadening the Story of the North East

Focus: Moving beyond dominant Roman narratives

We’d love you to:

• Highlight lesser-told local histories (e.g. industrial, community, social)
• Share stories that reflect diverse experiences
• Offer ways to connect these histories to pupils’ lives.

Prompt to guide you: “What story of the North East should every pupil hear—and how can educators bring it to life?”

Session 2: Using Primary Sources with Confidence

Focus: Making sources accessible and meaningful

We’d love you to:

• Share a specific source (object, image, oral history, archive item)
• Model how pupils might engage with it
• Show how interpretation can be scaffolded.

Prompt to guide you: “How can we help all pupils, including those with SEND, engage confidently with historical sources?”

Session 3: Enquiry, Identity & Meaningful Connections

Focus: Enquiry-led learning and belonging

We’d love you to:

• Share a strong enquiry question or sequence
• Show how local history links to identity and pride
• Highlight partnership opportunities with schools.

Prompt to guide you: “How can local history enquiries help pupils understand where they come from—and where they belong?”

• Sessions will be online from 3.45 – 4.45pm (1 hour)
• Dates: January, March and June 2027
• You will be part of a short sequence of speakers (maximum 3 per session)
• A digital stage manager will manage timings and transitions and tech rehearsals.

To propose a session please send the following information:

1. Who you are and how we can get in touch with you
2. The theme of your proposed session and what our audience will learn from it and where it will fit in our proposed sessions
3. An outline of the content
4. How you will actively engage our audience
5. Any costs/fees.

Proposals are to be submitted to North East Museums to Charlotte Dack by 5pm on Wednesday 30 September 2026.

If you have any questions about the conference or submitting a proposal, please email us to arrange a call.