A woman and child walking along a paved street in Liverpool and looking at a map, with buildings and people in the background — 'We Need to Walk About Empire': A walking tour and a range of learning resources, revealing Liverpool's links with the British Empire. © Historic England

'We Need to Walk About Empire': A walking tour and a range of learning resources, revealing Liverpool's links with the British Empire. © Historic England

Case Study: Exploring Contested Histories with Primary School Pupils

Published 19 June 2025

On this page

What is this case study about?
What are the key points?
What was the project about?
What were the objectives?
What were the outcomes?
Who did we work with?
Lessons learned
Further reading

What is this case study about?

This case study examines 'We Need to Walk About Empire': a Heritage Schools project in which the work of an academic historian was recontextualised to create a walking tour and a range of learning resources. Aimed at primary school pupils, the tour and its associated resources explore what Liverpool's buildings reveal about the city's links with the British Empire.

The development process involved many stakeholders, including History students and Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students, ITE lecturers and historians from Liverpool Hope and Liverpool John Moores Universities, as well as current primary school teachers. The team also consulted widely, involving the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool and experts in the field of inclusion and diversity. The trail and the resources are online and are suitable for Key Stage 2 pupils and above.

In this case study, we aim to share our insights from the project regarding the positive reaction it has received from the primary teaching community, who have welcomed and valued the support that the resources provide. We will also share the challenges we faced in making materials related to diverse and contested histories accessible to young people. We hope this case study will be useful for academics and professionals in the museums and heritage sector who wish to engage school-aged children with knowledge and resources on these important topics.

What are the key points?

There is a real demand from teachers for support in bringing diverse and contested histories into educational settings. Teachers recognise that such content enriches students' understanding and fosters critical thinking about the past. However, many avoid such topics due to a lack of age-appropriate resources and concerns over their own level of knowledge, as well as the appropriateness of language and tone
Working in partnership with a range of different stakeholders, and consulting with many others, though time-consuming, was incredibly worthwhile. It ensured that the finished products were:
- Thoroughly researched and based on rigorous and current academic knowledge
- Relevant, accessible and set within an appropriate context
- Fully appreciative of the impact that the topic might have on teachers and pupils, depending on their background and experiences, and offering guidance regarding language, tone and support in the classroom
- Trauma-informed
Academic historians are a valuable, yet often untapped, resource for primary school learning. Their wealth of knowledge can bring a deeper level of understanding, enabling teachers in the classroom to support young people's learning. Working with academics ensures that history learning is current and evidence-based.
It is crucial to draw on the knowledge and expertise of practising teachers in the key stage to skillfully recontextualise the academic work of the historian, ensuring that it is age-appropriate and set within the framework of phase-appropriate curriculum and lesson planning
Creating an online StoryMap, as well as a physical walking tour, enabled the resources to reach a wider audience, providing interactive learning experiences that engaged students with diverse and inclusive histories

What was the project about?

Historic England's Heritage Schools programme facilitated a project in which the work of an academic historian was recontextualised to create a history walking tour and a range of learning resources, exploring what Liverpool's buildings reveal about the city's links with the British Empire.

What were the objectives?

To recognise complex academic historical research and turn it into accessible and engaging formats for young audiences
To support and give confidence to teachers in teaching contested topics in the history classroom
To highlight the significance of including diverse and contested histories in educational settings, recognising that such content enriches students’ understanding of the past

What were the outcomes?

The finished resources are featured on the education pages of the Historic England website. They are designed for Key Stage 2 pupils and above.

They consist of:

A walking tour, titled 'We Need to Walk About Empire', allowing pupils to visit 7 key sites on Liverpool's waterfront and to explore what these buildings reveal about the city's links with the British Empire
A 'We Need to Walk About Empire StoryMap' to be used to recap the trail with pupils, back in the classroom, or to 'walk' the trail virtually if pupils are unable to do so in person

In addition to the trail itself, it was important to provide a few supporting resources:

An 'Information for Teachers' document. This provides the rationale for the project and highlights the importance and seriousness of the topic to be explored. We highlight that the information in the resource may have a different impact on teachers and pupils depending on their links with the African diaspora, countries that were once part of the British Empire, and/or their experiences of past or ongoing oppression or trauma. We recommend a trauma-informed approach when teaching this subject and direct teachers to several supporting resources
A pre-trail PowerPoint, to set the trail in the context of empire and the British Empire in particular
Post-trail PowerPoints, to allow pupils to recap and reflect on their learning from the trail and to encourage deeper exploration of the people, events and themes covered.

Who did we work with?

This trail and resources were the result of a collaboration between Historic England's Heritage Schools programme, the History and Teacher Education departments at Liverpool Hope University, and the Teacher Education department at Liverpool John Moores University. The information for the resource was taken from the academic research of Dr Jody Crutchley, Lecturer in Modern History at Liverpool Hope University.

Several primary school teachers and representatives from the International Slavery Museum Liverpool were involved in trialling and editing the resources. Historic England's Inclusion and Diversity team, along with Adam Vasco, Director of EDI at the University of Wolverhampton, offered valuable advice and guidance.

Working with a wide range of stakeholders was invaluable. It ensured that the resources were not only academically rigorous but also suitable for the classroom and the age phase of the pupils who would be learning from them, taking into account the serious nature of many of the themes discussed.

A stylised map graphic showing various buildings and a historic walking tour around Liverpool

Lessons learned

Collaborate from the outset. The level of collaboration grew as the project progressed, and we gradually realised the importance of input from a wider range of stakeholders. It would have saved time had we more closely considered the possible stakeholders before beginning the project and involved them from an earlier stage. If we did the project again, we would take a more co-creative approach from the outset
Consult with experts on diversity and inclusion. Although we were very aware of the sensitive nature of the topics and themes we would be covering in the resources, we began the project quite naïvely, unaware of the implications this might have for a learning resource. Input from experts in the field of diversity and inclusion was invaluable in providing advice and guidance on language, tone, and impact
Context is key. The trail on its own would not have provided teachers or students with the required level of knowledge and understanding to make the resource worthwhile. The supporting resources are crucial in providing context and ensuring reflection and meaningful learning
Realistic timescales. The main challenge we faced was a lack of time for all those involved in the project. Teachers, academics and university students are all incredibly busy, and this project was undertaken in addition to normal workloads. As a result, the finished product took far longer than we planned!
Factor in the cost of teachers' time. Offering to pay for cover and travel costs was helpful to free up teachers to attend planning sessions and evaluate resources