Highly coveted national heritage award goes to Preston Park Museum and Grounds

Preston Park Museum and Grounds has secured a national award which recognises the high quality of its educational programme for schools.

The independently judged Sandford Award assesses education programmes at heritage sites, museums, archives and collections across the United Kingdom.  

Preston Park Museum and Grounds previously won the Heritage Education Trust's award in 2018.

Judges, who reassessed the museum in July, were very impressed with the learning programme at the council-owned museum saying that it "provides a high quality, local history focused offer, which has been designed specifically to meet the curriculum needs of its audience. The team at Preston Park are dedicated to ensuring that all students have a positive learning experience with excellent learning outcomes."

The judges also praised the style and breadth of the museum's learning programme, which includes a wide range of workshops from the history of the Anglo-Saxons to life in Victorian schools.  

"The team deliver in an engaging and enthusiastic way to schools and really ensures that those visiting have the opportunity to understand the broad history of their area, and the diverse voices of the past and present."

Councillor Steve Nelson, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Health, Leisure and Culture, said: "We're very proud of the learning programme at Preston Park Museum and Grounds and delighted it has once again received national recognition. 

"Each year the dedicated team engages with around 8,000 children through its school learning programme and they are passionate about providing pupils with an exciting and memorable experience.

"We're delighted their hard work has been recognised and look forward to them continuing to inspire the next generation through the Borough's maritime, industrial and social history."

The Sandford Award scheme is the only nationally recognised quality mark for heritage learning and provides independent assurance for heritage sites.

Other award winners include The Royal Armouries Museum, St Paul's Cathedral, National Coal Mining Museum for England and Housesteads Roman Fort Hadrian's Wall English Heritage.

For more information about the museum, visit Preston Park Museum and Ground's website.

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