This area is for Heritage Education Trust news and events as well as information related to the field of heritage education. If you have anything you would like to submit for this board, please contact the Trust at het@boughtonhouse.org.uk or 01536 515731.
The National Presentation of the 2011 Sandford Awards for Heritage Education was held at Durham Cathedral on the 29th November 2011.
The National Presentation of the 2009 Sandford Awards for Heritage Education was held at Windsor Castle on the 15th February 2010.
In 2009 sixty one cultural sites throughout the UK were awarded the prestigious Sandford Award. The awards ceremony and celebration took place on the 15th February in St.George's Hall, Windsor Castle, which was also one of the winners of a Sandford Award for this year.
The awards were presented by His Royal Highness the Earl of Wessex KG KCVO. All the guests had an opportunity to meet Prince Edward, as well as meeting other professionals within the heritage education sector.The sites that won a Sandford Award ranged from urban centres such as the Manchester Jewish Museum and the Science Museum, London, to rural sites like Castell Henllys in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Jean Macintyre, Head of the Department of Culture and the Environment at Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln said "We are absolutely delighted to have the Earl of Wessex to present the Sandford Awards this year at such an excellent heritage establishment. The Award is growing each year with more and more sites realising the advantages of celebrating their excellent practice by achieving an award".
We are now busy collating applications for the 2010 Sandford Awards. It will be another exciting year, as we have some very interesting and varying sites to visit. For example, Down House (The home of Charles Darwin) in Kent, The Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds and Huntingtower Castle, Perth in Scotland.
The National Presentation of the 2008 Sandford Awards for Heritage Education was held at Hampton Court Palace, November 24th 2008.
The tradition of one of the current year's winners hosting the national Presentation of The Sandford Awards continued in 2008 when the event was held at Hampton Court Palace.
Representatives from the 43 Award winning sites and guests met in the new Clore Learning Centre at the Palace for coffee and Danish pastries.
Michael Day, Chief Executive of Historic Royal Palaces, our hosts for the day, welcomed the guests and invited them to tour the Palace or attend demonstrations and workshops highlighting the education work that are an integral part of the learning programme.
Presentation of the 2008 Sandford Awards for Heritage Education took place in The Garden Room
The Awards and the Chief Guest were introduced by Edward Harley, President of the Historic Houses Association,
one of the founding organisations of the Heritage Education Trust.
The Awards were given by The Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, KBE,
President of the National Trust for Scotland,
The Duke of Buccleuch congratulated the winners and spoke with great enthusiasm for the effort and dedication shown by all Sandford Award winning representatives of the historic environment over the years and for the services that they provide to schools.
The Duke was thanked by outgoing HET Chairman, Wilf Weeks, who also thanked him for the generous support that he and the Buccleuch family had given to the Trust over the last ten years that had enabled the Trust to continue with the Sandford Awards and move forwards to a viable and sustainable future.
John Hamer made presentations to the outgoing Chairman, Wilf Weeks, and retiring Chief Executive, Gareth Fitzpatrick, praising their contribution to the Trust and the way that they had steered the Trust to be more proactive and had grown the interest in and recognition of The Sandford Awards in the last decade.
Following lunch, Dr Tracy Borman, incoming Chief Executive of the Trust and Sandford Awards Manager at Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln introduced the University College's Principal, Professor Muriel Robinson, who spoke about the future home for The Sandford Awards and the relevance of them being administered by Bishop Grosseteste University College from 2009.
The day ended with the further opportunity for the guests to tour Hampton Court Palace and see more of their Education Programmes and staff in action
Representations 2009
Gareth Fitzpatrick, of the Heritage Education Trust, joins the teams from Mellor Archaeological Project and The Staircase House as they celebrate receiving two further Sandford Awards for Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council.
Picture left to right, Christine Chadwick - Sandford Award Judge, Amanda Phillipson - Formal Learning Manager Stockport Museums, Gareth Fitzpatrick – Heritage Education Trust, Marie Widger – Education and Learning Officer at Mellor Archaeology Project, Elaine Topping – Education and Learning Officer at Staircase House, Councillor Shan Alexander – Executive Member SMBC.
(Photograph kindly provided by Ann Hearle)
The 2007 National Presentation Ceremony was held at one of the winning properties - The Royal Air Force Museum at Cosford in Shropshire on Monday 12th November. The Chief Guest, who presented the Awards to the winners was Carole Souter, Director of The Heritage Lottery Fund.
The event started with a formal welcome by the Operations Manager at the Museum, Guests were then invited to tour the site with the education staff and interpreters to see some of the education work offered to visiting schools - including making gas mask boxes and rockets!
Following a buffet lunch The Presentation of the Awards took place in 'The Bunker' beneath the newly opened multimillion pound 'National Cold War Exhibition', which is in a stunning building within the Museum complex. see: RAF Cosford website
The Chief Guest was introduced by HET Chairman Wilf Weeks.
The 2007 Winners
photo Crown Copyright, 2007, DCAE Cosford, Photography by Cpl Jamie Quigley
Sue Fitzsimmons recives the Award on behalf of The Royal Air Force Museum at Cosford.
photo Crown Copyright, 2007, DCAE Cosford, Photography by Cpl Jamie Quigley
The presentation of the 2006 Sandford Awards Ceremony for Heritage Education was held at Edinburgh Castle on Monday 20th November 2006 and were presented by Kathleen Dalyell, OBE
The winners of the Sandford Awards represent the varied historical and cultural inheritance of the British Isles. This rich vein of heritage recognises these centres of quality heritage education from across Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Museums and historic houses, galleries, parks, gardens, a tidal mill and 8 castles are all represented within in this cornucopia of educational excellence.The Heritage Education Trust, administrator of the Award scheme, which recognises quality education in, and concerning, the historic environment, is pleased to reward the commitment to learning in sites throughout the country in this year's Sandford Awards.2006 saw a record number of Awards given in one year. In addition to Awards to The National Trust, The Historic Royal Palaces, members of The Historic Houses Association , National and Local Museums, they included the first ever Sandford Awards made to Historic Scotland and English Heritage properties. The formal Presentation of the 2006 Sandford Awards for Heritage Education took place at
Edinburgh Castle
on November 20th 2006,
10.30am to 3.30pm
Mr Craig Fletcher, Education Officer, Edinburgh Castle receiving the Award from Kathleen Dalyell
photo Crown Copyright, 2006, Historic Scotland images
Castles survive the 'assault'
by Heritage Education Trust Judges to give national heritage bodies their first ever Sandford Awards.
Within the 2006 Sandford Awards for Heritage Education were the first ever Awards made to properties from both English Heritage and Historic Scotland. Following recent reviews and overhauls of their respective services offered to visiting schools, the stewards of their respective national heritage independently applied for assessment under the Sandford Award scheme. English Heritage was recognised for their heritage education services at Dover Castle and Kenilworth Castle, whilst Historic Scotland received Awards for Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle.
Dr Tracy Borman, Learning Director (centre) joins, Kate Whitworth, Education Manager (Midlands) - Kenilworth Castle, and Mr Michael Newman - Horwell, Education Manager (South East) - Dover Castle, to celebrate the first ever Sandford Awards for Heritage Education gained by English Heritage
Sue Mitchell, Education Manager, (centre) joins Kirsten Wood and Kaye Finlay from Stirling Castle & Craig Fletcher from Edinburgh Castle as the first ever Sandford Awards are presented to Historic Scotland sites
Mrs Jackie Allen, Learning and Interpretation Officer, accepts the Sandford Award for Heritage Education for Wightwick Manor, one of the eleven Awards gained by the National Trust in 2006
The Presentation Ceremony for 2005 Winners
was held at Big Pit: National Mining Museum of Wales,
on Tuesday 22nd November 2005
The Awards were presented by David Lammy, MP, Minister for Culture, DCMS
Sharon Ford, Education Officer, receiving the award on behalf of Big Pit
Photographs courtesy of the National Museum, Wales
The Presentation Ceremony for 2004 Winners
was held at the Thackray Museum, Leeds
on Monday 22nd November 2004
The Awards were presented by
Ann Green, Chairman of Trustees, Royal Armouries, shown below with all the winners and HET Director Wilf Weeks.
The image below is of the previous ceremony at the Wallace Collection
Representations
In addition to the main annual presentation ceremony of the Sandford Awards, properties can also have individual presentations. These are valuable opportunities for local publicity and to enable the award recipiant to give all staff on site due recognition.
Recent examples of this include:
Gareth Fitzpatrick presenting the Award to the staff of Corfe Castle
Knebworth House,Gareth Fitzpatrick is shown below presenting the award to Jo Birch, Administrator and her staff
The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester
On the left:Gareth Fitzpatrick is shown below presenting the award to staff at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, observed by a Dinosaur!
On the right Gareth with the staff of Carew Castle representing them with their award.
Representation of Individual Awards
The Heritage Education Trust recognises that Awards are given in recognition of team effort, both within an education service and as a site as a whole. With this in mind it offers to visit a winning property, after the national presentation, to undertake a "Representation of the Award" at a local level to celebrate it with the team or to afford local publicity.
Some recent representations:
Gareth Fitzpatrick Chief Executive of the HET makes a Representation of The Sandford Award for Heritage Education to Louise West, Education Officer, and her colleagues at The Jane Austen’s House Museum, March 2008
Gareth Fitzpatrick Chief Executive of the HET makes a Representation of The Sandford Award for Heritage Education to Jane Austen’s House Museum in partnership with Chawton House Library March 2008
Gareth Fitzpatrick Chief Executive of the HET makes a Representation of The Sandford Award for Heritage Education to Sarah Parry, Education Officer, and her colleagues at The Chawton House Library, March 2008
Gareth Fitzpatrick, Chief Executive The Heritage Education Trust, represents The Sandford Award for Heritage Education to Susan Walker, Education Officer, on behalf of the team, in the archives at The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
Gareth Fitzpatrick, Chief Executive, represents The Sandford Award for Heritage Education to the education team at Carew Castle, Pembrokeshire National Park, with Phil Bennett - Archaeology and Heritage Manager and Helen Davies - Administrator.
“Heritage Education Trust Chief Executive Gareth Fitzpatrick helps to celebrate The Sandford Award for Heritage Education 2006 with Juliet Alexander, Education Officer at Knebworth House with colleagues including Lord Cobbold and Trustees of the Knebworth House Education and Preservation Trust”
Gareth Fitzpatrick opens the "Hands on History" Exhibition at HM Tower of London, October 2004. The exhibition celebrate 30 years of education service at The Tower - also pictured is Irene Davies, Operations Manager, HM Tower of London. The Royal Armouries at The Tower has been recognised under the Sandford Awards for Heritage Education in 1978, 1986, 1991, 1996, and 2001.
If you wish to nominate a site or collection or to enter a property for the 2009 Awards, please use the link below to download an application form or contact:
The Heritage Education Trust,
Bishop Grosseteste University College,
Lincoln, LN1 3DY
Telephone: 01522 527347
e-mail: sandford@bishopg.ac.uk
and an application form will be dispatched, via e-mail (Word format)
To assist applicants a sample completed Application Form from 2008 is available for reference; please note that some of the wording on the Application Form for 2009 has been revised following recent evaluation responses.
To assist potential applicants a copy of a full Report on a 2008 Sandford Award winning property is available for reference. All Reports are individually written to reflect the nature of the applying property and the school visit that was shadowed; they may contain differing levels of comments and recommendations.
View sample Report Form from 2008
Heritage Education Trust Chairman: John Hamer
Chief Executive: Dr Tracy Borman
The Heritage Education Trust, Bishop Grosseteste University College, Lincoln, LN1 3DY
Telephone:+44 (0)1522 527347
e-mail: sandford@bishopg.ac.uk The Heritage Education Trust is a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee Registered in England No. 2080758 Charity Commision Registration Number: 297311
Registered Office: Walnut Tree House, The Pound, Bromham, Chippenham, Wiltshire
