Applications are now open for the 2017 Sandford Awards, the UK’s most prestigious awards recognising high-quality heritage education.

Jointly managed by Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln and the Heritage Education Trust, the Sandford Awards are an independently judged, quality assured assessment of educational programmes across heritage sites, museums, archives and collections across the British Isles.

Almost 500 sites have received the non-competitive award since the scheme began back in 1978, including King Richard III Visitor Centre in Leicestershire, Harewood House in West Yorkshire, Durham Cathedral and Benjamin Franklin House in London.

Applications for the 2017 award open today (Monday 5th December 2016) and remain open until Friday 17th February 2017.

The award offers a ‘kite mark’ for high-quality education provided and is recognised by schools and other educational institutions across the UK.

The sites will be judged on numerous criteria and judges will visit each site. They will assess how well sites use educational programmes to engage and inform their visitors and will also consider the attention to detail in management and administration during all aspects of their visit.

For the winners, there is an opportunity to attend an awards ceremony later on in the year.

The award is valid for five years, after which all award-holding sites are required to apply for a full reappraisal of their educational programmes.

Each application costs £200 and forms are available for download from the Sandford Award website: http://www.sandfordaward.org/

Follow on Twitter www.twitter.com/sandfordaward or like on Facebook www.facebook.com/sandfordaward to get live updates and news running up to the awards:

Notes to editors

• The Sandford Awards were established in 1978 by Lord Sandford to encourage those responsible for running historic houses and guide their educational endeavours by monitoring standards.
• The awards were originally administered by The Council for Environmental Education. To develop the awards more fully, the Heritage Education Trust was established in 1983 and now runs the scheme in collaboration with Bishop Grosseteste University.
• Bishop Grosseteste University was established in January 1862 and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2012.
• It is an independent higher education institution based in Lincoln which awards its own degrees at foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate level.
• It changed its name from Bishop Grosseteste University College to Bishop Grosseteste University in November 2012.
• BGU has over 2,300 students, including undergraduate, postgraduate and research, with over 280 students at collaborative partners across Lincolnshire.
• In 2015 BGU was the second highest ranked university in the UK for employability with almost 99% of leavers in work or study six months after graduating (2013/14 DLHE).
• In 2016 BGU was 2nd highest ranked public university in England for student satisfaction, with 92% of students ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with their overall student experience (NSS, 2016)
• To learn more about Bishop Grosseteste University visit www.bishopg.ac.uk

For more information on the Sandford Awards please contact:
Jayne Ellis
Sandford Award Administrator
Telephone 01522 583695
jayne.ellis@bishopg.ac.uk

For media information please contact:
Jez Ashberry
Shooting Star
01522 528540
07780 735071
jez@weareshootingstar.co.uk
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