GEM champions excellence in heritage learning ISSN 1759-6378 Museums and Schools Working Together
A special edition sponsored by the Museums and Schools programme, funded by Arts Council England and the Department for Education. Special Edition What is Foreword Introduction to the Museums GEM? and Schools programme
GEM champions excellence in In 2012 I wrote an independent The programme is funded by the Introduction the target was for each participating the Pyramidion of Wedjahor from the heritage learning to improve the review for the government into Department for Education, and Cultural education for children and student to make three visits to a British Museum on display at Maidstone education, health and wellbeing cultural education which resulted enormous credit goes to them for young people remains a priority for museum in the first three years with Museum, and a portrait of Mo Mowlam of the general public. in the creation of Museums and their insight and long-term support. Arts Council England. Since 2012 the each partnership taking a bespoke from the National Portrait Gallery Schools. The programme is So far, the programme has engaged Museums and Schools programme approach. A great success of the exhibited at Kirkleatham Museum. GEM believes that involvement designed to provide opportunities with more than 150,000 young people, has been critical in delivering this and programme was more than 3,000 Arts Our learning tells us that using national with our rich and diverse heritage for school pupils to engage with far exceeding the original ambitious improving cultural education for Awards being delivered in the first objects in a local context is something is an enriching and transformational their local museums in areas which target of 90,000 pupils. It is also children. The programme which three years. Several national awards highly valued by both teachers and experience that provides distinctive currently have lower than average supported by national museums receives £1.2 million each year is have been linked to the programme pupils. This, and the strength of the new opportunities for learning. We aim levels of cultural engagement. across the country; their expertise and funded by the Department for to date including ss Great Britain relationships with teachers that have to make that learning accessible, objects are used to support regional Education (DfE) and offers high quality Trust’s Full Steam Ahead online game been developed in every region, will be relevant and enjoyable for all. Museums are a vital part of the museums in reaching young people. opportunities to pupils to engage with receiving two national digital awards the lasting legacy of this programme. GEM works with its members and cultural education ecology. As I both regional and national museums. and Clitheroe Castle receiving a collaboratively with other learning travel around the country visiting All children and young people, Each of the case studies in this special Sandford Award for Heritage Education. organisations across the UK and arts organisations and museums, wherever and whatever their start Following the success of the first three edition has been contributed by a internationally to: I hear stories and see first-hand what in life, should have the opportunity years in building new relationships Professional development regional partnership. Whilst all the • champion excellence in heritage a huge impact this programme is to have an arts and cultural education. between museums and schools, the Professional development opportunities partnerships had the same aim of learning and participation enabling having on children and young people. England’s world-class museums DfE funded an additional year in for teachers are provided within the building new relationships with schools, people to be inspired by, value and I’m delighted that hundreds and have an important part to play, by 2015–16. This has enabled more than programme. This is influencing teaching each took a different approach. The enjoy their and other’s heritage; thousands of young people continue providing a unique resource to 50 museums to be involved in the in the classroom by encouraging a case studies have been chosen to show • advocate the power of heritage to be captivated by collections and understand the challenges and programme and sustainable models more creative, cross-curricular or the range of approaches developed learning in transforming people’s the stories they represent. beauty of our varied past. for long-term delivery to be trialled. enquiry led approach and the use of and to share the widest possible set of lives to sector organisations, national In 2016–17 the DfE is continuing its primary source materials. An action insights from the programme. The Museums and Schools Darren Henley, OBE agencies, funders and government; support, with funding being used to learning set was created to enable all programme gives young people Chief Executive, Nikola Burdon • influence sector organisations to expand the reach of the programme of the regions to exchange ideas, and access to arts and culture, which is Arts Council England Relationship manager, museums, deliver excellent learning and yet further. to share things that don’t work too. a goal the Arts Council is constantly Arts Council England participation for their visitors; This group has continued through working towards, having recently The programme • promote and explain the benefits of the enthusiasm of the staff working launched the Cultural Education The programme consists of ten learning through heritage which is on the programme. Challenge. Visiting museums and partnerships in ten locations which inclusive, sustainable and respectful galleries – seeing the collections, have been classified as areas of high Partnerships and legacy of communities; talking to curators and putting their deprivation with levels of low cultural The programme has enabled museums • develop creative partnerships with school learning in context – has a engagement. Each partnership to develop deeper rooted and long- other organisations to share effective huge impact on young people. includes regional museums, a cluster term relationships with their local practice in heritage learning and of upward of 100 schools, a national schools. Regional museums have also participation; museum and the local Bridge embarked on better ways of working • research and pioneer innovation in organisation. The programme including sharing resources and the heritage learning and participation; encourages pupils out of the development of sessions. The • inspire and support the work of classroom and into museums to take partnerships between national and heritage learning practitioners; part in activities that are linked to regional museums have gone from • provide opportunities for the national curriculum and support strength to strength including skills practitioners to develop their classroom learning. Each partnership development and resources, leading practice through networking, has developed a way of working that to more loans of national objects and mentoring and learning together. suited the individual partners. Initially, joint events. Spotlight loans include
Special Edition: Museums and Schools – GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 3 Jamboree days Sue Miller Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire Cross Curricular
Jamboree days
Intended outcomes Actual outcomes Lessons learned Summary had a lengthy journey to get to • Schools value our sites as inspiration • AHL has gained a reputation for • Trial new workshops. We employed a Further information We devised jamborees to attract some of our sites, making transport for curriculum topics beyond history. providing professionally run and consultant to run our first jamboree costs a barrier. www.aviationheritage schools to visit our sites for • Schools will form new relationships informative workshops. We now have but this proved to be a costly mistake lincolnshire.com • Develop events that could work with each other. a waiting list of schools wanting to as many activities were not suitable. reasons other than the study of at any of our sites, whatever Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire the second world war (WW2). • Raised awareness of our smaller sites participate in them. Trialling new workshops is important their collections. will generate family follow up visits. • The sites have come to see the as sometimes they can be over is a partnership of museums The events were cross-curricular, • Reassure the staff and volunteers jamboree days as useful for ambitious. and aviation heritage sites in Intended outputs to help move teachers away at the sites that the jamborees promoting themselves, and leading • Be adaptable. Keeping up to date Lincolnshire. Of these sites, • Transferable sessions created so from thinking about heritage would promote the site without to return visits both from the schools with the national curriculum is 15 took part in the Museums and individual sites could take them up compromising its integrity. and the children with their families. imperative so that the workshops Schools project. These were: as only useful for history. and run them themselves. Approach • Many schools have subsequently are valuable and fresh. • Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Background • High participation rates. Jamboree days have specific themes. returned to visit other sites in the • Advertise early. Schools can then Visitor Centre • Cranwell Aviation Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire For our first event we commissioned Obstacles and issues partnership. change their topic timescales to Heritage Centre • Grantham (AHL) is a partnership of aviation Many of our sites were unknown enable them to come. Museum • Lincolnshire Aviation professional artists to create WW2 Actual outputs heritage sites, spread over a large quantities to most of the schools we • Involve the sites and their volunteers. Heritage Centre • Metheringham themed sessions. We have 115 children who have gained geographical area in Lincolnshire. approached initially. Schools tended This helps them to take ownership of Airfield Visitor Centre • Newark their Discover Arts Award from Our national mentor is RAF Cosford We piloted this at the Lincolnshire to just visit our three largest sites and the activity, and develop confidence Air Museum • RAF Digby Sector jamborees. Approximately another 300 Museum. Aviation Heritage Centre with weren’t aware of the smaller ones. We to run it. Operations Room Museum schools who had been supportive will gain theirs during our last three There are 12 sites running education were also not yet regarded as a • RAF Ingham Heritage Centre of us in the past. Six schools brought “celebration” jamborees, which we are Next steps sessions, each having its own “trusted provider” by schools. • RAF Scampton Heritage Centre 169 students to the day, and both running just before the end of the All the workshops we have created are fascinating history and collections • Museum of RAF Firefighting teachers and students gave us Lincolnshire’s geography was against project. This is our legacy to the to be documented and sent out to all which vary from the first world war • RAF Waddington Heritage Centre feedback on how to improve things. us. We decided that to develop as a children and the success of the project. our sites in order that they can take • RAF College Cranwell Heritage through to the cold war and beyond. “trusted provider” we needed to them on and run them by themselves, Our favourite comment came from a and Ethos Centre • Thorpe Camp Our partnership includes two This feedback helped develop our remove the transport cost barrier, thus continuing the work this project government inspector following a class’s Visitor Centre • Woodhall Spa large privately-run museums own ideas for activities and the so used some of our project funding has allowed us to do. return from one of our jamborees: Cottage Museum • Museum of plus a number of smaller volunteer- jamborees have gone from strength to help towards the schools’ transport to strength. Sue Miller Lincolnshire Life. run sites. costs. “[The children] were highly enthused Collections access officer, by trips and visits and this was Our national partner was RAF Challenge Our last jamboree will be As an added incentive, we have also Aviation Heritage Lincolnshire evident across the school from Cosford Museum under the • Attract primary schools now that “celebrations” and will include since used these jamborees to aid exceptional pieces of work depicting guidance of Sue Fitzsimmons. WW2 is no longer core to England’s art, creative writing, dance and media students in attaining their Discover or the highly emotive visit to a local curriculum for students aged workshops. The activities are led Bronze level Arts Award. 7 to 11. by professional artists, assisted by aviation heritage museum and pupils’ • Convince teachers that a cross- AHL staff. sense of awe when they watched a curricular event was worth investing Lancaster bomber from the second in, especially since many schools world war taxi along the runway.”
4 GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 – Special Edition: Museums and Schools Special Edition: Museums and Schools – GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 5 Designing learning programmes with teachers Gill Brailey Pennine Lancashire Museums Engaging Teachers
Designing learning keen to pay us to work with them. We now actively encourage teachers to work with us and advertise this in programmes with our schools brochures. Learning officers find this new approach really stimulating and have much more confidence in our learning offer. teachers Gill Brailey Heritage learning manager, Pennine Lancashire Museums
Intended outcomes Our capacity was a key issue and we Actual outputs Summary Approach • Closer teacher engagement enabling had to bring in two extra learning • 18 learning sessions developed Further information Pennine Lancashire Museums We emailed every primary school us to discover exactly what teachers officers when several teachers needed and trialled. headteacher across the east of Partners in Pennine worked with teachers to examine look for when visiting a museum. to work on their sessions during the • 13 sessions are now part our learning Lancashire Museums: Lancashire inviting a teacher to • Having learning sessions that same half-term. It took two academic offer; of the remaining five, each whether our learning offer spend a day with learning officers Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery, delivered what they wanted and teachers could have confidence in years to fully work up the 18 new has elements that have been visiting our museums. because they had been part of learning sessions. incorporated into existing sessions blackburnmuseum.org.uk needed. Given the opportunity creating them. to strengthen and refresh them. During the visits, teachers were asked Actual outcomes Clitheroe Castle, to really explore our collections • Strengthening our learning offer. to imagine what learning sessions • The proposal forms returned offered Lessons learned clitheroecastlemuseum@ and museums, would teachers • Creating a successful model for they would be inspired to create. At a range of really creative and Teachers don’t always know what is lancashire.gov.uk see something new that we the end of the visits, teachers were future engagement with teachers. inspiring ideas which ranged across available or possible at a museum. Many Gawthorpe Textiles Collection, could develop together? given proposal forms, inviting them Intended outputs the curriculum. of the teachers who took part in the to collaborate with us to develop [email protected] Background • At least one new learning session, • Teachers gained a much better development of sessions told us they new sessions at the museums. co-written by teachers and museum insight into how museums can had no idea of the wealth of resources Haworth Art Gallery, Pennine Lancashire Museums hyndburnbc.gov.uk/hag consists of ten museums and galleries We offered up to ten days’ paid cover learning officers, in each of the enhance teaching. available to them in museums. Pennine Lancashire venues. • Teachers actively promoted the scattered across the east of Lancashire. for teachers to design a new session, Teachers are more than keen to Helmshore Mills Textile Museum, • Completed sessions embedded into sessions in school, to colleagues All venues already had a learning offer, trial it with their class, evaluate the work collaboratively when given helmshoremuseum@ the Pennine Lancashire learning offer and at museum learning events. but the Museums and Schools trial and suggest changes. the opportunity. lancashire.gov.uk programme gave us the opportunity for all teachers to access. • Learning officers gained deeper Interested teachers submitted an insight into the needs of teachers. Some schools and teachers found this Queen Street Mill Textile Museum, to ask teachers what we were getting Obstacles and issues initial written proposal which included • A stronger learning offer has been such a rewarding process they didn’t [email protected] right (and wrong!) and then to Of the 273 schools contacted, only the museum they wanted to work developed across Pennine claim any of the supply money offered. collaborate to develop our offers. 28 schools responded, just over 10% Ribchester Roman Museum, with, an outline of the session and Lancashire Museums. (although colleagues in marketing Next steps ribchesterromanmuseum.org We were supported throughout the curriculum links. • We now have a successful model for told us this level of return is seen This has been such a positive way this project by national partner the future engagement with teachers. Towneley Hall Art Gallery and Teachers and museum learning as acceptable). of working that we have been able to V&A and our Bridge organisation, • Teachers identified links between Museum, towneleyhall@ officers then worked together for half successfully offer session development Curious Minds. After the museum visits we received collections and curriculum that burnley.gov.uk a term developing their new sessions. (without cover costs) to other schools. 23 completed proposal forms of which we would never have thought about, Challenge Teachers who have engaged have Turton Tower, turtontower@ 18 were then taken forward, selected including textiles and geography, Would teachers work with museum cited personal development as a blackburn.gov.uk using the following criteria: a cotton mill and literacy and a castle learning officers to create new significant incentive. and art. Having a teacher make Whitaker Museum + Art Gallery, learning opportunities that linked to • Use of venue/collections. the links gave us the confidence to Teachers have also recommended [email protected] the national curriculum? • Links to the national curriculum know the sessions would be useful joint working to their colleagues. (including adaptations to 2014 All learning provision can be found Would any learning sessions created to schools. We now receive a higher number of curriculum changes). at learningwithplm.org.uk be strong enough to become part of requests from schools for joint work, • Gaps/developments in our our long-term learning offer? which has included approaches from current provision. schools with external funding who are
6 GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 – Special Edition: Museums and Schools Special Edition: Museums and Schools – GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 7 Archaeological science at Flag Fen Sue Okubadejo, Rachel Gilham and Annette Shelford Vivacity Heritage & Culture and Natural History Museum Secondary Schools
Intended outcomes Teachers are excited about the opportunities for high quality secondary Archaeological science learning at Flag Fen. Teachers see the curriculum relevance of science in a heritage setting and its ability to excite and inspire science at secondary students. Intended outputs To demonstrate that a heritage site can successfully deliver secondary Flag Fen sessions. To deliver to 50 STEM students aged 11 to 12 a pilot session consisting of: • A practical simulated archaeological dig applying scientific method. Summary Challenge • A practical activity investigating the We worked closely with To produce a curriculum-linked, water chemistry at Flag Fen, relating Thomas Deacon Academy skill-building activity that stretches this to the preservation of artefacts. One teacher commented: • Ensure access to the site fitted around Next steps the students’ understanding of existing bookings. Continue to build on the relationship (TDA), Peterborough, to develop To prepare: “As a teacher it’s all too easy to forget science in a real world context. We with our partner school and evaluate • Pre and post-visit activity ideas. the excitement and value of real We realised that the session offer has to and pilot a science programme wanted them to develop and apply their next archaeological science • Lesson plans and resources. world investigations in science – be less delivery staff heavy, for example for students aged 12 to 14 skills, including problem solving and session in spring 2016. investigating the preservation teamwork while investigating the • A clear post-pilot strategy for so much of what we do in school pre- and post-session input cannot rely archaeology and vulnerability of the adaptation for other schools. is artificial. The students are really on heritage staff visiting the school; the Ongoing reflection, refining and of the internationally important buzzing and motivated after their school understood this, but we could adaptation of the session, particularly Flag Fen site. For sustainability we To obtain evaluations from teachers archaeological site – Flag Fen. visit to Flag Fen ... It’s amazing that have set a difficult precedent. in relation to those aged 14 to 18. focused on ensuring that the content and students. this is available locally, and has This will be aided by a Royal Society Background would also be appealing and We learned that each session needs Obstacles and issues reminded us why it’s so important to of Chemistry visit bringing older The partnership between Vivacity relevant to other schools, and to be longer as students needed Museum staff changeover and school get out of the classroom for science.” students to Flag Fen in summer 2016. Heritage & Culture (Flag Fen, adaptable to students aged 14 to 18. more time to properly analyse and restructuring led to a rather fragmented Peterborough Museum, Longthorpe Actual outputs draw conclusions from their results, Sue Okubadejo and Rachel Gilham Approach development process, which made Tower) and the Natural History We delivered all our intended outputs especially from the water science Education programme developers, Keen to use the unique Flag Fen site maintaining the momentum of the Museum (NHM) aimed to increase and now have the resources and plans session. They were keen to not only Vivacity Heritage & Culture to develop our secondary offer, we project challenging. Weather could have secondary school museum visits for a whole day’s activity on site, plus excavate and record artefacts in the made contact with an approachable, been an issue, but we were determined Annette Shelford and inject more science into pre- and post-visit activities that could dig but also analyse them, learning innovative local school science to go ahead regardless. National programme developer, Peterborough’s learning offer. be delivered by teachers in school. how they inform about the past. department. Through discussion we Real World Science, Natural History Actual outcomes TDA combine the teaching of science, learned that the department was Museum-led secondary visits across As a result of five students aged Museum Evaluation revealed students and technology, engineering and keen for its students to develop skills our sites have nearly tripled. 16 to 17 also attending the session teachers felt they left with a deeper mathematics (STEM) and, with them, in team working, problem solving we learned that support from older understanding of: Lessons learned Further information we were keen to ensure we developed and data handling and the session students can be beneficial for all. a programme that met STEM was developed accordingly and in • The science of archaeology. This project has demonstrated that a sue.okubadejo@vivacity- objectives and the national curriculum partnership with the school. • How scientific techniques are heritage site can successfully deliver We approached Camlab (a scientific peterborough.com requirements. applied to find, interpret and secondary science sessions. The equipment supplier) for advice when preserve our heritage. development time was insufficient buying the necessary equipment and [email protected] By raising our profile in the secondary • The role of science in solving real to fully realise this ambitious new learned that asking for help may lead www.vivacity-peterborough.com/ sector, we hoped to increase the world problems. programme. to unexpected and valuable support. museums-and-heritage number of secondary visits across our • The site’s value. A representative from Camlab spent We needed more time to: sites (Flag Fen, Peterborough Museum the pilot day at Flag Fen supporting www.nhm.ac.uk Many expressed a wish to return. • Fully translate the scientific research and Longthorpe Tower). students in the use of the equipment. into age appropriate activities. Students gained an insight into various Technical staff on site can be a valuable scientific careers, through speaking • Ensure that all new materials were in and sustainable source of career with our conservation technician. place and tested. information and inspiration for students.
8 GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 – Special Edition: Museums and Schools Special Edition: Museums and Schools – GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 9 Creative collaboration: Building relationships with secondary schools Francis Ranford and Nicky McIntosh Culture Coventry Secondary Schools
Creative collaboration: Building relationships with secondary schools
Intended outcomes The artist-led projects were easier to Actual outputs Activity needs to demonstrate Summary with secondary schools; their visitor • In-depth dialogue with teachers to recruit to; they offered bespoke For students: learning outcomes linked to the Culture Coventry Trust have figures for secondary schools being explore our issues with engagement. opportunities and included funding for • Second world war performance national curriculum, emphasising skills been working with the V&A higher than those from primary • Increased awareness of how museum travel. It was hard to get commitment project. and technique development. schools. NMAG were invited to collections can enrich learning for larger groups, or additional paid • Design “transport for the future” and Nuneaton Museum and Artists are able to deliver something benefit from the learning and develop across the curriculum. sessions. This limited impact on the project. Art Gallery (NMAG), to increase that teachers can’t. programmes and activity to engage • To use local intelligences to build wider school and made it difficult to • Design Coventry Pavilions for engagement with local more schools. appropriate key stage packages. sustain relationships. a “Festival of Coventry”. Next steps secondary schools. • To increase the number of visits from • Print-making to commemorate As word of mouth and face to face Challenge Actual outcomes secondary schools to Culture the first world war. contact are the best ways to engage Background To increase engagement with • In-depth engagement: nine schools, Coventry museums. • Zine project with Laura Oldfield Ford. teachers, we recommend the Culture Coventry Trust manages four secondary schools through 123 students and eight artists’ • Animation project to support development of a teacher network, cultural sites, including the Herbert continuing professional Intended outputs projects. primary to secondary school focused around CPD and linked to Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry development (CPD) events and Each year of activity included a • Feedback demonstrated the value transition. collections and exhibitions, and how Transport Museum, Lunt Roman Fort creative programming linked to quarterly, targeted, artist-led project of working with artists to students’ • History of Coventry Monopoly they might be used in developing skills and the History Centre (City Archive). our collections and exhibitions. linked to the creative programme, aspirations. project working with Monica Petzal. and knowledge. The trust attracts over 270 primary resulting in a showcase event and • Dialogue with teachers to explore Approach • Dance interpretation project with schools each year, and typically attached to an informal CPD evening issues with engagement. Francis Ranford Taking inspiration from V&A’s Birmingham Royal Ballet. struggles to attract secondary schools Designlab programme and teacher for teachers. • Teachers showed increased Director of learning & engagement, to its venues. Conversely, our national awareness and enthusiasm for using For teachers: Culture Coventry Sanctuary events, we ran a number Obstacles and issues partner in the project, the V&A, has an museum collections. • Animation techniques with of artist-led projects for students It was difficult to attract teachers using Nicky McIntosh excellent ability to attract and engage • Despite expressing interest, there Gemma Amos. and CPD events for teachers. written promotion alone. Direct contact Schools project manager, has been no marked increase in • Exploring conflict through toys and word of mouth were more Culture Coventry visits from secondary schools and games, led by V&A Museum successful, but time consuming. beyond the projects. of Childhood. “Relaxed” evening CPD events were the • Museum staff and teachers gained Further information Lessons learned best way to engage, removing the need CPD opportunities by working with Relaxed CPD events run in the evening Nicky McIntosh, Museums and for cover. Teachers found the events high profile artists. are easier for teachers to manage as Schools project manager from interesting, but difficult to translate to • V&A added intelligence about they avoid the cost of getting cover. November 2015; nicky.mcintosh@ their own programme. Each school secondary schools and culturecoventry.com reflected their own setting, making it demonstrated to teachers that Direct contact and word of mouth are difficult to develop a solution that would students can gain similar benefits the best way of getting information Cara Williams, schools attract large numbers. In addition, visiting local museums as visiting out to the right teachers. programme manager, V&A; teachers were inspired with lots of ideas, nationals. [email protected] Travel costs are the biggest blocker but then needed to convince their to getting schools to your sites and Matthew Johnson, museum school leadership team of the value venues as coaches are very expensive outreach officer, Nuneaton Museum to learning progression. and not cost effective for short local and Art Gallery; matthew.johnson@ journeys. nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk
10 GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 – Special Edition: Museums and Schools Special Edition: Museums and Schools – GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 11 Discover in a Day Rosalind Meredith and Vicky Rhodes Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery Arts Award
Discover in a Day
Intended outcomes We made several things explicit Support and advice from Artswork • Talk to your Bridge and contact local Summary Challenge We intended Arts Award to become to teachers: ensured we kept close links to the heritage sites that offer Arts Award. Discover in a Day was developed The challenge was to raise awareness integral to our schools offer, giving an • Links to the curriculum. criteria whilst supporting teachers in • Use a popular theme in your location to highlight Arts Award to of Arts Award, delivering 400 awards opportunity for curriculum coverage • Opportunities to try out techniques achieving their required outcomes. or base on an art-themed workshop over the project’s lifetime. We also via a series of workshops. We wanted not always available in school. already in place – you may find you teachers and to show how it We also began supporting three other needed to create a sustainable offer Discover in a Day to cover several • Specialist knowledge. already cover many of the elements complements the curriculum. heritage centres in Kent in developing for beyond the end of funding. topics that linked directly with our • Accredited awards linked to for the Discover level. their Discover in a Day offers. It aimed to highlight ways of Arts Award Discover in a Day was galleries and artists/specialists. the Qualifications and Credit • Make curriculum links for teachers. linking heritage and arts with developed to not require additional Through discussions with schools Framework (QCF). • Talk to teachers about art forms they Actual outputs opportunities for children to try in-school input. and Artswork, it focused on areas • Costs could be subsidised by the are not able to do in school. We now have a series of Discover in identified as challenging for schools museum during the project whilst • Build links with drama groups, out new and different art forms Approach a Day packages on offer to schools, to cover without specialist knowledge. teachers became more confident in prop makers, re-enactment groups. and have access to experts and We wanted teachers and children linked to the curriculum, focusing on linking it to their curriculum needs. • Do the Arts Award training! examples. to have access to high quality Intended outputs dinosaurs, first world war and Japanese • Be aware of the time needed to experiences, using the museum and We intended that children could Over the lifetime of the project some printing. We developed links with, and Background moderate. art gallery as a basis for trying out achieve Discover level within a day, issues were raised: used the skills of, specialist re-enactors, Maidstone Museum, houses 13 • Create a fun package – so you different art forms from those they having had input from “experts” in the • Teacher input was initially minimal prop makers and drama groups. galleries and over 600,000 fine art have as much fun as the children! were familiar with. We offered access trying out, finding out and the sharing – teachers didn’t feel they had and historic artefacts, within an Lessons learned to artists and specialists giving of different skills. Opportunities were ownership of the Arts Award their Rosalind Meredith Elizabethan mansion in Maidstone • Raising awareness of Arts Award in children a unique opportunity included for children to learn more children were achieving and wanted Learning officer, Maidstone Museum town centre. general through twilight teacher outside of the classroom. A themed about us as an arts organisation. opportunities to build cross-curricular and Bentlif Art Gallery events and school cluster meetings Our national partner, the British Discover in a Day was created based We also wanted to strengthen our links back in school. highlighted our offer further. Vicky Rhodes Museum, supported our programme on the first world war, linked with relationship with local schools via • Costs after the project had finished. • Giving teachers ownership resulted Learning assistant, Maidstone development throughout the project. upcoming anniversaries, and using the support of Artswork. • Availability of offer beyond March 2016. re-enactors, prop makers and in a higher quality experience and the Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery Artswork, Bridge organisation for drama groups. Obstacles and issues Actual outcomes development of further curriculum the south-east, had already worked With the support of Artswork, we We exceeded our target with 380 Arts links. Teachers want options for Further information with us. This project strengthened worked on raising awareness of Arts Awards achieved. creative ways to cover the curriculum. those links. Award to schools. We offered twilight • There are opportunities for schools [email protected] Throughout the project, we evolved events for teachers to find out more and the museum to work together to Artswork offered Arts Award advisor Discover in a Day, following teacher museumeducation@maidstone. about Arts Award and what it involved. embed Arts Award into school’s long training and support in creating our advice, to give more ownership of gov.uk We also held an information day for term plans. offer, as well as links with schools. the award and flexibility to link the headteachers with input from both www.artswork.org.uk We already offered a Japanese Arts curriculum. It was always our intention Next steps Artswork and ourselves to promote Award Discover focused on our for teachers to have ownership of We plan to continue to offer Arts www.artsaward.org.uk the awards. Japanese collection. Discover in a Day. Instead of all Award at all levels but focusing on elements being completed in the Discover in a Day for primary children. museum, schools were given pre- Our top tips for developing a Discover and post-workshop activities. in a Day offer:
12 GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 – Special Edition: Museums and Schools Special Edition: Museums and Schools – GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 13 Setting sail for secondary school Sarah Elder ss Great Britain Trust Transition
Setting sail for secondary school
Intended outcomes Summary Throughout, we drew upon the • Strengthen relationships with Over three consecutive experience and innovative Bristol’s 22 secondary and six summers, the ss Great Britain engagement approaches of our special schools. national partner, the Science • Reach new family audiences. Trust hosted free celebration Museum London. events for young Bristolians • Help alleviate anxieties held by students and families about starting about to start secondary school. Challenge Transition from primary to secondary at a new school. Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s school is an important, but often historic steam ship provided a Intended outputs daunting, step in every child’s • A series of summer evening events. spectacular setting for students education. Could our events help • Participation from all invited schools. and their families to meet and support students through this Actual outcomes Actual outputs Next steps talk with new classmates, transition? Obstacles and issues • We established sustained • 14 events, held over three summers, Through working with engaged teachers As we were reliant on school staff to relationships with many participating with over 2,000 attendees. to develop our secondary education potentially easing some of Traditionally, secondary students promote the events to their new schools. Some are beginning to • Relationships built with 20 schools. programmes, we continue to strengthen have comprised a small proportion the common anxieties that students, not all schools engaged with embed these events into their relationships with participating schools. of our visitors. Would this approach Lessons learned accompany the transition from us every year and some never did. transition programmes and recognise help build relationships with Heritage sites can be ideal venues This project has developed our primary to secondary school. us as a provider of valuable transition participating schools? Events held in early August were poorly for fun, inclusive and effective understanding of primary to secondary activities. attended. When we timed the events programming around transition. school transition and helped shape the We worked closely with Approach • Participating schools now plan more to coincide with the final week of the By making the most of our unique direction of our education programmes. Bristol’s secondary and special The events provided opportunities frequent curriculum-aligned trips to summer holidays, attendance rose location and designing a loosely We now hope to embed an annual for future classmates and their Brunel’s ss Great Britain. schools to promote families’ dramatically. We found that the events structured programme full of “ice transition offer into our core programme. families to explore the ship after- • The events showcased Brunel’s ss participation in the events, generally had more relevance for breakers” suitable for the whole hours, take part in collaborative Great Britain to diverse family Sarah Elder building stronger relationships families as the approaching start of family, we were able to facilitate games and art challenges, and climb audiences. Families and schools Museums and Schools project officer, with local schools in the process. term intensified excitement or concerns conversations between attendees. the ship’s rigging. about changing schools. reported positive experiences visiting ss Great Britain Trust the ship, taking part in activities and Working closely with schools was Background Through collaboration with key staff Originally, we organised one event per meeting new classmates. essential for effective promotion, Our Museums and Schools project responsible for transition at each Further information aimed to support Bristol students school. This approach evolved into but also enabled us to attract a more school, we were able to promote “Every parent and child I spoke to was in their transition from primary to fewer “multi-school” events as more diverse audience to the ship. Many [email protected] the events and distribute invitations absolutely buzzing at what they could secondary school by: schools began to participate. With up to attendees were first-time visitors. to families in induction packs, at do and see. It was great that so many Rachel Roberts, head of education, • Establishing the ship as a familiar nine schools invited to a “multi-school” parent information evenings and of our new students turned up, and Determining when schools start ss Great Britain Trust, learning environment, where young event, we were aware that families with new student “taster” days. even better to see that, thanks to the organising and delivering their [email protected] people could have positive and children joining the same school may location and your generosity, new transition programmes was crucial to inspiring cultural experiences. We aimed to enrich, not compete not be able to easily identify each other. Organisations involved in the Bristol friendships were being formed and successfully promoting the events. • Providing a varied programme, with, each school’s transition On arrival, we provided each family Museums and Schools partnership: any fears about starting next week including summer family events. programme. School staff attendance member with a colour coded sticker; As regular annual fixtures, participating ss Great Britain Trust, Science have been dispelled.” • Encouraging Bristol schools to was optional, though strongly a simple yet effective solution. schools became familiar with the Museum London and, from 2015, the Royal West of England Academy. consider Brunel’s ss Great Britain encouraged. As our potential audience far exceeded (Head of 11 to 12 year olds, concept, helping the events to grow Supported by Real Ideas and its collections as a valuable event capacity, we encouraged families Bristol secondary school) into vibrant, well attended celebrations Organisation (South West Bridge). local learning resource. to book places before attending. of starting secondary school. Photographer: Adam Gasson
14 GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 – Special Edition: Museums and Schools Special Edition: Museums and Schools – GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 15 Building a sustainable learning service May Catt Barnsley Museums Service Sustainability
Building a sustainable learning service
Intended outcomes Over one fifth of children who grow Our partnerships have helped us to Next steps Summary Challenge We wanted to make a strong case up in Barnsley do so in poverty, with build ongoing relationships which From March 2016 we will be trading as Since our learning services are How could we adapt to survive and internally for our work, to show that a further 20% of local households will continue beyond project end. We a business unit and will need to bring not core funded we used develop our commercial acumen, it mattered and could trade as a just “one step away” from it. We are are developing a joint teachers’ panel in 100% of our costs. Our results and creating new and more cost efficient business unit. These are developing committed to local people and local with Yorkshire Sculpture Park created outputs will then be reviewed on Museums and Schools funding ways of delivering services? to lay foundations for and create quickly within local authorities under schools, so we don’t want to put around potential shared opportunities an annual basis to determine our Approach increasing financial pressure. They ourselves financially out of reach of for outdoor learning. ongoing success. a self-sustaining business unit can reduce costs, generate income, those that matter to us, so fundraising We commissioned a business plan As well as building on our school May Catt that we hope will safeguard the improve efficiency and become more or public subsidy remains critical. from Heritage Learning Hull, to bookings and family programmes Learning manager, future funding for our museum explore how best to redefine commercial through the development “Income plays a vital role in we have started to supply learning- Barnsley Museums Service ourselves. This included an analysis of products for a wider market. learning service. How and why determining educational investment, based consultancy services to other of our charges so that we could did we take this approach? Intended outputs rich children…get more education organisations. We are using the properly cover our costs, making Further information Background We identified Yorkshire Sculpture even if they are not particularly experience that we have built up over our learning programmes fit for [email protected], Barnsley Arts, Museums and Park and Heritage Learning in Hull talented, and talented poor children the last four years through the Museums purpose. 07795 305833 Archives Service, part of Barnsley as organisations which, although may be deprived of an education. and Schools programme to contribute Metropolitan District Council, is Thanks to the Museums and Schools different in profile, run within similar So leaving it purely to the market to the learning provision of others, Heritage Learning Hull, responsible for five sites, with over programme, we were also able to social and economic environments will not allow every child, wherever taking it forward in a sustainable way. www.heritage-learning.com and operationally are at least a few she comes from, to be educated a million visitors a year. develop 19 new primary school Lessons learned years ahead of us. Therefore, what according to her ability.” Banerjee, A V and Duflo, E (2012), sessions across our five sites and We found that our advocacy The Museums and Schools could we learn from their offer and Public Poor Economics: A Radical build a strong year-round family (Bannerjee & Duflo p81) document worked better than touting programme partnered us with ways of working? Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global programme. around a fully formed business plan. CapeUK and the Wallace Collection Actual outcomes Poverty. Affairs, New York. Obstacles and issues Having a real document which people and we worked with Yorkshire The business plan helped us to make We found changing mindsets difficult, could pass on to others worked Jarvis, D (November 2015), Child Sculpture Park during the fourth the case within the council when our both our own and others. Knowing that better than anything we might have Poverty in Barnsley Central (draft) year of the project. service was being reviewed as part you have to bring in your own salary, distributed digitally. of a bigger restructure and we were Local Authority Trading Companies: Before the Museums and Schools and that time is money, means having a allowed to create a business unit for Since I also work freelance, I’ve been A Policy in Practice Briefing (10 programme, education work had lean mindset. We started to think more Barnsley Museums Learning. able to bring some of the things I’ve December 2015), LGiU. been supported by the Heritage keenly about opportunity cost: saying learnt to the business unit, such as Lottery Fund but once completed yes to one thing meant having to say no Actual outputs This Is What We Do, https://issuu.com/ calculating true costs and using an was reduced to a Victorian themed to another. Meetings became shorter, To help make our case, we produced barnsleymuseums/docs/barnsley_ app like Easy Hours to analyse how session at Cannon Hall for primary systems quicker and being adept at an advocacy document, This is What museums_-_this_is_what_we_ schools, providing just enough we really spend our time at work. selling our services essential. We Do, to inform local stakeholders www.museumsassociation.org/ income to cover costs. We knew this about our work. This got us round the museum-practice/freelancers-and- could happen again, so how could Yet how do our local constituents fit table of decision makers, by giving consultants/15092014-things-i-know- we keep going once the Museums within this shift in perspective? something clear and tangible to our now-that-i-wish-i-had-known-then and Schools funding finished? colleagues who were advocating on our behalf.
16 GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 – Special Edition: Museums and Schools Special Edition: Museums and Schools – GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 17 Making a Mark in the Tees Valley Jenny Phillips Captain Cook Birthplace Museum Sustaining Relationships
Intended outcomes • Teachers and children become more familiar with the Making a Making a Mark programme and Tees Valley museums. • Teachers have a deeper understanding of how museums and their resources can support Mark in the classroom learning. Intended outputs • For teachers to use museums, their staff and resources more frequently Tees Valley and effectively for sustained periods. • To build upon this every year. Obstacles and issues We wanted to build relationships with teachers outside school visits, but • 89% of teachers rated sessions as Lessons learned for teachers. We will actively promote Summary Challenge high quality. When asked why, the Planning and liaison with teachers is the online resources created in Could we raise awareness of local identifying relevant teacher meetings, Eight Tees Valley museums and getting invited and having the time majority cited staff expertise, subject essential for successful visits and to partnership with the NPG to encourage galleries worked in partnership museums amongst schools and knowledge, age appropriate content gain professional respect. Additional and support teachers to use their local establish a high quality, relevant offer were all significant challenges. We with the National Portrait offered our own continuing and engaging tasks as key. outreach and CPD promotes longer- heritage as part of the curriculum. that schools would continue to use term relationships with teachers. As Most Tees Valley museums have Gallery (NPG), to develop professional development (CPD) “We used local museums to when we introduced charging? a result, teachers are more willing to applied for the 2016 Sandford Award, a set of curriculum-based training for teachers with variable investigate the creative arts. It has Approach travel and fund visits that they feel are and we are planning to host a GEM attendance. been fantastic to create a partnership programmes for schools called We identified five quality principles to genuinely valuable. North-East networking event to share with the museum and the children Making a Mark (MaM). guide our planning. As well as being In MaM’s final year we introduced our experience in more depth. charging for sessions but didn’t want gained such a lot from their visits.” Museums must be able to understand curriculum relevant, our sessions the way schools are interpreting and Jenny Phillips To meet the Museums and teachers to revert to “one-off” visits. (Teacher of 6 to 7 year olds) would incorporate learning that was delivering the curriculum. Working Education officer, Captain Cook Schools programme’s ambition creative, active, independent, We tried a range of ideas including of building longer-term more sessions for teachers to choose Actual outputs with curriculum leaders and providers Birthplace Museum enquiry-based and collaborative. We have created an engaging, diverse, is a highly effective way to do this. relationships with schools we between, outreach, loans boxes, We created an “identity-based online resources and teacher CPD. well planned, and organised schools’ Emphasising local people and stories Further information decided it was important: approach” to developing sessions. offer across the region. It has been has enabled us to offer a unique and Actual outcomes The Tees Valley museums comprise: • For museum visits to be We looked for people with local identified as core to curriculum needs relevant offer that fits in with local connections to bring our stories to By working together as a partnership and some teachers have adapted their history and curriculum providers such Kirkleatham Museum, Cleveland regarded as an essential part life and, where possible, to link to the over four years, MaM reached over 230 plans to fit it. as Cornerstones. Ironstone Mining Museum, Dorman of a curriculum topic. NPG collection. We worked closely schools and well over 16,000 students; Museum, Captain Cook Birthplace “The session was well planned for and Partnership working across Tees Valley • To build teacher confidence in with teacher “buddies” to plan new definitely raising awareness. Museum, Middlesbrough Institute resourced, and matched well with the museums has shared the workload sessions, especially in the light of the • 79% of our teachers felt that sessions of Modern Art, Preston Park the relevance of our sessions. new curriculum. The staff leading the of developing sustained teacher 2014 curriculum changes in England. had increased students’ awareness Museum, Head of Steam – Background of their local heritage. session were very knowledgeable.” connections and creating an offer Darlington Railway Museum, Equipped with relevant teacher- that is attractive to schools. MaM enables students to explore their friendly language, we promoted our • Children have made return visits to (Teacher of 8 to 9 year olds) and the Hartlepool Museum culture and heritage through active, museums with their families. Next steps and Art Gallery. offer through school staff, cluster Other outputs include: enquiry-based and creative learning • We have found that working with The partnership will continue to work group and network meetings, as well • Teacher events: the most successful The National Portrait Gallery was sessions in local museums. Schools teachers on three visits meant they together through collaborative as traditional mailings. of which was a joint event supporting the national partner for Making a were encouraged to commit to three spoke to us more about the sessions working with outside partners planning for a new school year. Mark, and Jo Graham, Learning sessions, all designed to incrementally and schools have continued to book including Teesside University and • Resources: resource boxes, Unlimited, was the learning advisor build students’ knowledge and sessions with charging introduced. Cornerstones. We are exploring taking promotional videos and a curriculum for the partnership. experience. These sessions were • 90% of teachers stated that they an active part in our Local Cultural map of topics covered across Tees initially free with the intention of would recommend a museum visit to Education Partnerships, organised www.npg.org.uk/whatson/ Valley museums. introducing charging once the others. Word of mouth is an effective by our local Bridge, as a way to meet makingamark/home.php • A website detailing the MaM offer programmes were established. promoter of MaM’s offer when and work closely with more teachers. and providing teacher resources teachers move schools. We have already set dates to host hosted by the NPG. curriculum planning support events
18 GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 – Special Edition: Museums and Schools Special Edition: Museums and Schools – GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 19 Stories from the Sea Colin Stott Norfolk Museums Service Creative Writing
Stories from
• The literacy focus also gave us scope to use areas of our collections the Sea and displays that we had not previously been able to use for history focused events. • We have used the methodology employed in our literacy events to shape our other events which now also feature strong narrative structures with conflicts between characters and problems for the Intended outcomes The coastal location of TTM limited One of the recurring comments we children to solve. Summary Consultation with local teachers We wanted children to be inspired to the number of schools that could have received from teachers about the The Stories from the Sea project identified literacy as an area of the Next steps use their imaginations to create fantastic reach us within a reasonable journey events is that they are very engaging We are currently developing a new supports the development of curriculum where we could expand stories and to feel that TTM was a place time. Although the museum is set – especially for boys who say they our existing programme to provide literacy event in partnership with the children’s literacy by inspiring where they could embark on imaginary in a large town the surrounding “don’t like writing”. RNLI Henry Blogg Museum in Cromer them with additional support. adventures into the past. We aimed to countryside is sparsely populated the young writers of tomorrow “The work they have been producing that focuses on the dramatic rescue Challenge convince teachers that we could provide with few large schools. These factors to explore our local and national is some of the best we’ve ever seen. of a ship carrying refugees escaping • How could we most effectively creative approaches to supporting presented a challenge when seeking I think that because they were able from the Spanish Civil War in 1938. maritime past through world- support literacy teaching? literacy teaching and to encourage to achieve our visit targets. to visit the [museum] … it really gave class museum collections, • How could we inspire children schools to get into the habit of making The project has enabled us to develop A requirement of our funding was to them a tactile sense of what life was (especially boys) to engage with repeat visits to the museum. We also much stronger relationships with local intriguing stories and register individual students and for like. I don’t think they would have got writing in creative ways? hoped to be able to demonstrate a link schools and has provided us with new unforgettable characters. schools to commit to bringing them that any other way.” between our new events and student ways to work with them to develop three times during the project. This did Background Approach attainment in literacy. (Head of 7 to 11 year olds) future events. The project was first developed at We framed the project around deter some schools from signing up. Intended outputs Actual outputs We are actively working with the Time and Tide Museum (TTM) in inspiration for writing rather than Although we originally hoped to be We planned to develop three new The literacy events were all piloted colleagues at the National Maritime Great Yarmouth in partnership with technical literacy skills. By providing able to demonstrate a causal link with events in Great Yarmouth and one in successfully and are firmly established Museum on plans to continue our colleagues at the National Maritime exciting and immersive experiences student attainment it proved to be too Cromer supported by four writers in as part of our core learning offer. partnership into the future. Museum. This year we have also we aimed to give children the difficult to gather enough statistical residence. We looked for topics with The writers brought new ideas to been working with the Royal National motivation and imaginative ideas evidence from schools to provide a Colin Stott exciting themes and engaging the project and provided a strong Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) – Henry to create their own stories back in conclusive data set. Learning manager, Norfolk Blogg Museum in Cromer. the classroom. characters and chose “Pirates”, additional incentive to persuade Museums Service “Explorers” and “Shipwrecks”. We also Actual outcomes schools to take part. The online TTM is run by Norfolk Museums aimed to use collections at the partner An evaluation report published in learning resources are being accessed Service and is located in an area of museums to create a high-quality September 2015 demonstrated that by large numbers of people and Further information socio-economic deprivation with digital learning toolkit to provide the project has resulted in very positive teachers report that they are very lower than average levels of Stories from the Sea digital learning additional inspiration and support outcomes for the students. There had useful. We also created a professionally toolkit can be accessed at: educational attainment and cultural materials for classroom teaching. been a significant increase in children’s printed anthology of work created by engagement. engagement with writing and confidence students and writers on the project. www.rmg.co.uk/work-services/ Obstacles and issues in creating their own stories. Teachers what-we-do/learning-partnerships/ There is a large migrant population Some schools were initially sceptical Lessons learned reported that it was now much easier to stories-from-the-sea in the town and local schools often about our ability to deliver events • The focus on inspiration for writing get students to write and that there had have large numbers of ESOL (English that were not principally focused on provided a strong hook for teachers For copies of the project anthology been a marked improvement in writing for speakers of other languages) history topics. by providing new ways to support and full evaluation report contact: skills overall. This was particularly evident students. them to tackle an identified local [email protected] with boys who had taken part in the need to improve literacy attainment. project. TTM has developed much stronger links with local schools that are now visiting more regularly.
20 GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 – Special Edition: Museums and Schools Special Edition: Museums and Schools – GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 21 Encouraging school engagement Tali Krikler, Frances Jeens and Mark Watson Jewish Museum London and Valence House ProgrammingCreative
Encouraging school engagement
Intended outcomes Summary Challenge To engage 47,700 school student visits With new high targets for Whilst maintaining the baseline over the lifetime of the project whilst school visits, Valence House number of school visits, both increasingly diversifying the audience museums needed to find new ways base for both museums. It was and the Jewish Museum looked of reaching out to schools with an Actual outcomes Objects in Focus, the digital resource Next steps for creative, innovative ways to essential to ensure that both sites innovative and responsive offer that were seen as a local resource. Together, the total number of visits to created for the project, was shortlisted The Jewish Museum is planning to reach schools within targeted would enable a dramatic increase all sites is projected to be 47,170. This for a Museums and Heritage Award. continue to work with external partners inner London boroughs to in school visits of over 50%. For Intended outputs included diversifying our audience The site is now embedded as part of where relevant. Valence House will engage in the project. the Jewish Museum this needed The Jewish Museum aimed to pilot base. During the first three years of the our offer and continues to evolve, and continue to look for opportunities to the idea of working with two external Developing partnerships to be rooted within a non-statutory project, the Jewish Museum increased to date has had 19,125 visits. create workshops responding to the curricular subject, religious non-museum partners. The Jewish engagement from schools in the local needs of teachers and the curriculum. Following extensive discussions with non-museum sector education. For Valence House the Museum also needed to create a digital borough by over 200%. Our visiting with class teachers, Valence House Tali Krikler organisations and designing challenge became the changes resource for pre- and post-visit support. schools are now 70% state schools. created a new pre-history workshop Head of informal learning, introduced by the 2014 curriculum. Both Valence House and the Jewish a pre-history workshop proved Valence House needed to develop in three months, designing creative Jewish Museum London Museum have now exceeded annual successful ways to build Approach a new workshop for teachers resources including giant board school visit targets. Frances Jeens relationships with schools. In order to secure three workshop investigating pre-history. games. The demand for this session Head of formal learning, visits the Jewish Museum piloted Actual outputs has outstripped all other in popularity. Background Obstacles and issues Jewish Museum London The Jewish Museum is a small the idea of working with external The main obstacle facing the Jewish At the Jewish Museum, partnerships Almost 40% of bookings in the last independent museum. The number partners. The visit directly followed Museum was maintaining external with external organisations proved quarter of 2015 were for this session. Mark Watson the school’s third workshop in the appealing. Linking to a temporary Heritage interpretation officer, of school visits to the museum relations across multiple sites whilst Lessons learned museum. Valence House developed exhibition, Four Four Jew: Football, Valence House in the year before the project ensuring a consistent and high-quality • That partnerships outside the school workshops focusing on Fans and Faith the learning team was 8,000. learning offer. A further issue was museum really supported the Jewish pre-history, enabling them to respond approached the community team designing, developing and delivering Museum to widen the offer and Further information Valence House, a council-run to curriculum changes whilst using at Arsenal Football Club to explore a micro-website on a very limited respond to teachers’ needs. museum welcomed 2,400 school existing displays and artefacts. possibilities. Visits to Arsenal were [email protected] budget with little experience. The • With a clear vision, determination visits in 2011–12. mutually beneficial, supporting the team researched digital offers within and careful planning it is possible to [email protected] club’s community engagement Both museums underwent extensive the museum sector and explored create a well-used, responsive digital programme. Visits to the synagogue [email protected] remodelling in the two years digital tools such as Google Cultural resource on a small budget. enabled deeper engagement with preceding the start of the project. Institute’s zoom function tool. • Investigating the gaps where teachers [email protected] the subject. Having had a hands-on, did not feel confident in teaching new Imperial War Museum London The main obstacle Valence House multi-sensory experience in the www.jewishmuseum.org.uk/ curriculum subjects and seeing what worked with both museums as our encountered was that teachers were museum, students then saw the objects-in-focus Valence House could provide proved national partner. unsure about what they needed from objects in context. the museum. The lack of time to to be a successful way forward. A New Direction supported this create and pilot the session also Teachers were most grateful when project’s Arts Award delivery. Bruce proved difficult. they were supported through difficult Castle Museum joined the project parts of the curriculum. in Year 4.
22 GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 – Special Edition: Museums and Schools Special Edition: Museums and Schools – GEM CASE STUDIES Vol.16 2016 23 Editors GEM Case Studies is Designed by Jo Graham, Case Studies 18 published twice a Steers McGillan Eves Gill Brailey and Copy date: year by GEM but all 01225 465546 Sarah Elder 16 September 2016 opinions expressed GEM Publication: remain those of the Cover: 54 Balmoral Road 30 November 2016 named authors. Setting sail for Gillingham, Kent secondary school. ME7 4PG © GEM 2016 Photographer: Adam Gasson casestudies@ gem.org.uk
A large print version is available on request. Please contact the GEM office. Index Vol.16 2016
4 Jamboree days 14 Setting sail for secondary Sue Miller school Sarah Elder 6 Designing learning programmes with teachers 16 Building a sustainable Gill Brailey learning service May Catt 8 Archaeological science at Flag Fen 18 Making a Mark in the Sue Okubadejo, Rachel Gilham Tees Valley and Annette Shelford Jenny Phillips 10 Creative collaboration: 20 Stories from the Sea Building relationships with Colin Stott secondary schools 22 Encouraging school Francis Ranford and engagement Nicky McIntosh Tali Krikler, Frances Jeens 12 Discover in a Day and Mark Watson Rosalind Meredith and Vicky Rhodes