Eighth Sanford win for Tatton

Tatton Park has, yet again, been awarded the Sandford Award for excellence at the London Transport Museum. This year saw the largest number of award recipients including Chatsworth House and the National Maritime Museum. Laura Armitage, Tatton Park Learning and Visitor Services Manager and Councillor George Walton, Chairman Tatton Park Board were delighted to accept the award.

The Sandford Award is an independently judged, quality assured assessment of education programmes at heritage sites, museums, archives and collections across the British Isles. The historic estate in rural Cheshire East is one of a small number of UK heritage attractions to receive this prestigious award in 2015. The award is jointly managed by Bishop Grosseteste University College, Lincoln and the Heritage Education Trust.

The award’s assessors commented “Tatton Park has been a very attractive school visit location for many years. The staff continue to update their provision for schools regularly and ensure that they keep up to date with the National Curriculum. There is a wide variety of appropriate visits available for school groups of all ages and for many subjects that can be covered by a school visit there.  It is definitely to be recommended.”

 Over 15,000 pupils per year come on a school education visit to Tatton. The estate’s range of existing historic buildings and its rich archaeological evidence left by earlier inhabitants enable pupils to really engage with history through a varied programme of education sessions for different Key Stages from foundation to A-Level. Based in the parkland, old hall, mansion and the 1940s working farm they include living history programmes (for example Anglo Saxon, Victorian and Tudor); site tours around the historic properties; themed study tours for younger visitors (for example. Cinderella, Old Macdonald and Beatrix Potter); activity based hands-on history days (for example. Medieval and Viking), environmental days with the Rangers team and literature sessions for secondary schools. Tatton’s education team were externally observed and assessed for eligibility for the award.

Laura Armitage, Learning and Visitor Services Manager commented “We are absolutely delighted with this accolade as we continue to develop and provide an outstanding choice of learning experiences. We are blessed with an immense historic and natural resource at Tatton which enables us to respond creatively and positively to opportunities for people to learn here. It’s a real team effort and schools can look forward to a new range of learning opportunities for 2016/17.”

Councillor George Walton, chairman Tatton Park Board commented “I was extremely pleased indeed to represent the Tatton Park Board at this prestigious awards event. It is good to see the hard work and dedication of our Education Team at Tatton being deservedly recognised and rewarded in this way.”

For full information about Tatton’s programme of learning activities visit www.tattonpark.org.uk or call the education department on 01625 374428.