Weald & Downland Living Museum achieves recognition for high quality educational visits
The Weald & Downland Living Museum, Singleton Chichester, has achieved national recognition for its educational visits and has been awarded the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge.
The LOtC Quality Badge is the only scheme that recognises quality of learning and effectiveness of risk management and is awarded by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom.
Dena Watson, Learning & Community Engagement Officer at the Weald & Downland Living Museum said: Being awarded the LOtC Quality Badge is a fantastic achievement for all the staff here as it shows that we offer young people high quality learning experiences, bringing learning to life and helping them to achieve their potential. We are thrilled to get official recognition for our efforts, and we look forward to welcoming even more children and young people to our museum.
At the Weald & Downland Living Museum, learning sits at the very heart of the organisations mission. More than a collection of historic buildings, the Museum is a place where history is experienced first-hand, where children and adults alike can step inside the past, handle traditional materials, and connect with the skills and stories that shaped rural life.
Through curriculum-linked school visits, Home Education workshops and specialist courses, the learning programme brings heritage to life in a way that is immersive, inclusive and deeply engaging. By encouraging curiosity, creativity and practical exploration, the Museum provides meaningful educational experiences that extend far beyond the classroom and foster a lifelong appreciation of history, craft and the natural environment.
Clare de Bathe, Director of the Weald & Downland Living Museum, said: Learning is central to everything we do. We believe history should be experienced, not simply observed, and our learning programme allows people of all ages to explore, question and discover in a truly hands-on way. By connecting visitors with traditional skills, historic buildings and the stories of ordinary rural lives, we help ensure that this heritage remains relevant, accessible and inspiring for future generations.
The Museum's learning programme supports EYFS through to Key Stage 5 and beyond through interactive workshops designed to meet national curriculum objectives across a wide range of subjects from the Saxon period to the Victorians. When creating school workshops their aim is always to offer memorable, hands-on experiences which can't be replicated back in the classroom. It is through these workshops that the 1000's of young people that they welcome every year can gain a unique understanding of their place in history, heritage and the environment. Learning isn't just a passive experience at the museum, it is a shared discovery which they hope lives on long in the minds of the pupils after each school trip is over.
Dr Anne Hunt, Chief Executive of CLOtC said: Educational visits are among the most memorable experiences in a childs school life. The LOtC Quality Badge offers teachers the reassurance that the venue is providing high quality educational experiences and have the appropriate risk management structures in place, meaning less paperwork for schools and peace of mind for teachers. I congratulate the Weald & Downland Living Museum on being awarded the LOtC Quality Badge.
Held by some of the leading providers of educational visits, the LOtC Quality Badge is endorsed by the Department for Education and the Outdoor Education Advisers Panel Cymru recommends schools use awarded providers for their educational visit or trips.
For more information about the LOtC Quality Badge visit www.lotcqualitybadge.org.uk and to find out more about the learning programme at the Museum visit www.wealddown.co.uk
Images: Pupils from Great Ballard School Learning outside the classroom at the Museum
