Corinium Museum awarded the prestigious Sandford Award for excellence in heritage education
Corinium Museum staff are celebrating after being presented with the prestigious Sandford Award for excellence in heritage education for the third time.
Rebecca Shellenberger, Schools and Families Officer and Caroline Morris, Collections and Education Manager, attended a special ceremony on Monday 6 November at Hampton Court Palace. The award was presented by Tracy Borman, author and Joint Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces.
The Heritage Education Trust, based at Bishop Grosseteste University, administer the award which is assessed by a visiting judge. Lead Assessor, Hannah Keddie, visited the Corinium Museum earlier this year, observing school workshops, reviewing documents and inspecting resources.
Hannah Keddie, noted in her report: “It is easy to see why education visitors come from a wide catchment area to visit Corinium Museum. Unparalleled opportunities for students to engage with a world-class collection of prehistoric and Roman archaeology are well-developed, interactive and inspiring. Through real-life archaeological examples, object handling, puzzles, games, costumes and trails, students and teachers come away with an enhanced understanding of life in the past.
“Corinium Museum’s workshops programmes offer a broad range of curriculum-linked themes and topics that are firmly founded on the museum’s collections dating from the Stone Age to the 20th century. Resources used during the workshops observed (such as feely boxes, reconstructed burials, costumes, tombstone letter boards and games) bring Prehistory and the Roman period to life and offer an immersive experience for learners.”
David Stanley, Deputy Chief Executive of Cotswold District Council, said: “I would like to congratulate the Corinium Museum for being honoured with the Sandford Award for excellence in heritage education. This recognition underscores the museum's commitment to delivering high-quality educational experiences and preserving our cultural heritage."
Emma Stuart, Museum Director said; “The Corinium Museum team is thrilled to receive the award in recognition of the valuable education programme on offer. Receiving this award is testimony to the hard work and creative thinking by the museum team. This accolade will hopefully encourage more school teachers to bring their children to the museum for a truly valuable learning experience”
The award lasts for five years from the date of award and the certificate will be displayed in the museum foyer.
Contact Information
Cotswold District Council Communications Team
Notes to editors
Corinium Museum
The Corinium Museum is an award-winning museum based in Cirencester that tells the story of archaeology across the Cotswolds. The museum offers a vibrant education programme and welcomes around 5000 school pupils each year. School workshops cover the Stone Age to Iron Age, Romans and Anglo-Saxons and meet KS2 and KS3 curriculum requirements. School bookings can be made online. Freedom Leisure runs this facility on behalf of Cotswold District Council.
Heritage Education Trust – Home of the Sandford Award
Over 500 heritage sites and services across the British Isles have received the Sandford Award since the first awards were made in 1978. They include museums, galleries, castles, churches, historic houses, cottages, palaces, archaeological sites – even zoos. The Sandford Awards focus on formal, curriculum-aligned, heritage learning programmes that take place in the historic setting or natural environment and use the history and collections or natural resources to engage, inform and inspire visitors. Recognition is also given to informal learning such as family programmes and self-guided provision. The award is an opportunity for services large and small to shout loud and proud about their offer, while also reflecting on where they feel they could make improvements which would elevate their service even further. https://www.heritageeducationtrust.org/
Photo: Left to Right: Tracy Borman presents the Sandford Award to Caroline Morris and Rebecca Shellenberger from Corinium Museum. Photo credit: Chris Vaughan Photography.