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- learning out of school
- making the most of museums
How Museums Can Help
Museums can help and support schools in a variety of ways.
- Schools can visit museums for led or self-guided tours and handling workshops.
- Museum staff can take museum collections out to schools.
- Loan materials from museum collections can go out to schools.
- Out of School Hours and pre-school groups can use museum resources.
- Schools can work with museum websites.
- Museums can display children's work and involve schools in exhibition design.
- Museums can put on exhibitions/displays in schools.
- Museums can offer support for homework projects.
The benefits for children include:
- handling real and high quality replica artefacts
- developing thinking skills, including problem solving, enquiry, observation, empathy, understanding
- the attainment of Generic Learning Outcomes such as knowledge and understanding; skills; activity, behaviour and progression; enjoyment, inspiration and creativity; attitudes and values
- social benefits, e.g., team work, meeting new adults
- the opportunity to participate actively as citizens and develop social skills with other people outside of the school environment
The benefits for teachers' professional development through:
- collaborative working, sharing responsibility with museum staff
- In Service Education for Teachers (INSET)
- input into initial teacher training
- active involvement in shaping use of museums
Useful websites
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Leicester University website for Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) publication Inspiration, Identity, Learning: the value of museums (PDF, 2.10Mb).
Leicester University website for Department for Education and Skills (DfES) publication Learning Through Culture: the DfES Museums and Galleries Education Programme (PDF, 1.20Mb).
Leicester University website for a report commissioned by Renaissance East of England and Museums, Libraries and Archives East of England Engage, Learn, Achieve: The impact of museum visits on the attainment of secondary pupils in the East of England November 2006-September 2007.