Bath Preservation Trust is delighted to announce that the learning programmes at two of its museums – No.1 Royal Crescent and the Herschel Museum of Astronomy – have achieved the prestigious Sandford Award for their inspiring work with school children.
The Sandford Award is the quality mark for heritage learning and validation for heritage organisations that offer a formal learning programme which supports the relevant curriculum. Recognition is also given to informal learning such as family programmes and self-guided provision. The award provides a ‘kite mark’ recognised by schools and other education institutions across the United Kingdom.
Bath Preservation Trust’s Learning and Engagement team provides a range of workshops for schools exploring the lives, social attitudes and occupations of Georgian Society. At the Herschel Museum of Astronomy the extraordinary discoveries of William and Caroline Herschel are revealed. Both museums offer loan boxes and outreach workshops, to maximise accessibility.
A new mobile planetarium is also available to provide a fantastic immersive experience for students. Children’s trails and activities are available throughout the year, with special workshops during school holidays. A new programme of adult learning workshops has also been set up this year.
Ellie Giles, Learning and Engagement Officer, said, “We aim to offer an informative, immersive and fun experience for all children, tailoring the content of our workshops to support curriculum objectives and their work in class. We know that visits to museums help to embed learning in a way that cannot be achieved in the classroom and so we strive to create a memorable experience for children that will stay with them long after the visit itself.”
Patrizia Ribul, Director of Museums at Bath Preservation Trust, added, “We are thrilled that our learning programmes have been recognised by such a hallmark of excellence in heritage learning. This is the third Sandford Award for No.1 Royal Crescent and the second for the Herschel Museum of Astronomy. Not only does this achievement demonstrate the quality of our learning programmes, it is also a testament to the consistency and dedication of our Learning and Engagement team.”
For more information about Bath Preservation Trust’s learning programmes, visit https://www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk/learning-and-archives/learning-engagement/.