Blenheim Palace has received the prestigious Sandford Award for Heritage Education for the ninth consecutive time. Judges described the Oxfordshire UNESCO World Heritage Site as a ‘treasure trove for an educational day out’ and commended its wide-ranging education programme. The Sandford Award is an independently judged, quality assured assessment of education programmes at heritage sites, museums, archives and collections across the British Isles.
Dr Michael Maddison, Lead Assessor said, “As one of the great houses of this country, Blenheim Palace is a treasure trove for an educational day out.
“As they learn about Sir Winston Churchill, tour the splendid palace, and explore the park, pupils and students come to know much more about this key individual from our past and learn about the wonders of this eighteenth century palace and its surrounding estate.
“Pupils, students and teachers are clear that a day at Blenheim, including participation in the well-organised and delivered workshops, successfully and interactively enables Blenheim to live up to its learning ambition of focusing upon education, engagement and entertainment”, he added.
Earlier this year, Blenheim Palace launched a series of new interactive educational workshops aimed at bringing learning to life for five to 14-year-olds. Covering history, English, maths, art and geography they utilise the Palace’s rich heritage to provide an inspiring setting for interactive learning. The five new workshops are designed specifically for Key Stages one to three and feature handsets for history, maths and art, historical artefacts and a series of challenges for students to solve with rewards on offer.
Boun Norton, Education Officer said, “At Blenheim we are committed to sharing our amazing story with visitors of all ages in an engaging, inclusive and enthusiastic way.”
“We’re delighted to have been recognised by this prestigious award and pleased by the positive feedback our new education programme is receiving from students and teachers alike.”
Over 500 sites – including historic houses, museums, galleries, places of worship, gardens, landscapes and collections – have received an award since the scheme began in 1978. The awards focus on formal, curriculum-linked education opportunities offered to schools by heritage sites, although recognition is also made of informal learning such as family programmes.
Click here to learn more about the Sandford Award.
