About the Sandford Awards

The Sandford Award is an independently judged, quality assured assessment of education programmes at heritage sites, museums, archives and collections across the British Isles.

More than 350 sites - including historic houses, museums, galleries, places of worship, gardens, landscapes and collections – have received an Award since the scheme began in 1978.  They include Hampton Court Palace, Brunel’s ss Great Britain in Bristol, Fota Wildlife Park in Eire, Edinburgh Castle, and Big Pit - the National Mining Museum of Wales.  To download a list of 2011 Sandford Award winners select the link to the Word file or the PDF.

The 2012 Sandford Award winners have now been announced.  A full list is provided in the Word document below.  The Presentation Ceremony was held on 28 November 2012 at Blenheim Palace, which was among the winners.

The 2013 Sandford Award application round has now closed.  The 2014 application round will open in early December this year.  To be added to our mailing list or for further information, please email: tracy.borman@bishopg.ac.uk

The Sandford Award represents a broad spectrum of heritage sector partners who recognise the importance of the continuing programme of quality assessment that they provide.  We are delighted to announce that Historic Royal Palaces has become our principal funder, with a new partnership agreement beginning in 2013.  The Historic Houses Association also supports our work.   The National Trust, The National Trust for Scotland, Historic Scotland, The Royal Armouries and National Museums in England, Wales and Ireland all submit their properties for assessment, alongside local authorities, independent trusts and private owners. 

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.  The Awards are made annually and are non competitive.

Benefits for entrants

The Sandford Award provides:

• A ‘kite mark’ for high quality education provision which is recognised by schools and other education institutions across the United Kingdom
• The opportunity to use your award to attract new visitors
• A detailed consultancy report as part of the expert judging process, which you can use to effect positive change in your organisation
• The opportunity to attend an award ceremony and workshop to share good practice and learn from other practitioners
• National recognition among the heritage sector of the personal contribution of you and your staff, which will help to motivate the whole site to develop its good practice further

Who manages the Award?

The Sandford Award is managed by the Heritage Education Trust in partnership with Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln.  The Trust is the only body in existence able to provide independent quality assurance to historic properties and collections which run education programmes.  Bishop Grosseteste has its own record of excellence in this field and offers a unique graduate and post graduate course in Heritage Education.  Together, these two institutions subsidise the cost of entry to the Sandford Awards five-fold in order to cover the cost of the assessment, the reporting process and the presentation ceremony.

Who we are

Tracy Borman, Sandford Coordinator and Chief Executive of the Heritage Education Trust

Jean MacIntyre, Head of Innovation, Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln

John Hamer OBE, Chairman, Heritage Education Trust

Heritage Education Trust Directors

Sue Bennett

Sheila Brock

Gareth Fitzpatrick MBE

John Hamer OBE

Jean MacIntyre

Susanna Smart

Sandford Award Judges

Susie Batchelor

Tracy Borman

Christine Chadwick

Adam Clarke

Robin Clutterbuck

Irene Davies

Judy Davies

Gareth Fitzpatrick

Chris Green

Towse Harrison

Don Henson

Julian Humphrys

Deborah Jarman

Judi Jones

Bill Leedham

Marion MacAuley

Jean MacIntyre

Julia Murray

Amanda Phillipson

Susanna Smart

Nina Sprigge

Eric Steed

Emma Webb

Karen Wiseman

Sandford Award Volunteers

Betty Brown

Roseanne Lawton

The Wallace Collection (2008 Sandford Award winner)

Education session at Staircase House (2008 Sandford Award winner)

Summer school at Harewood House (2008 Sandford Award winner)