Lincolnshire Heritage Services loans boxes
Lincolnshire Heritage Services has improved its loans box service, taking elements of the museum out to even more people in schools and the wider community.
Agenda
- Enjoy and Achieve
- Widening opportunities
What did we do?
"We really enjoyed using the artefacts and consider them to be beneficial to teaching and learning."
- A teacher using the loans box
The early success of the Lincolnshire Heritage Services loans box service, initially providing schools with classroom resources and artefacts drawn from five local museums, encouraged staff to develop the boxes to increase and broaden their usage.
The team carried out a consultation with teachers and other museum staff running loans box schemes (including Reading Museum and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery) to share best practice for collections care, object selection and packaging and teacher and pupil resources.
The consultation resulted in the development of ‘an open museum’ rather than a series of loans boxes. A new booking system and improved materials for teachers and students, including guidance on the care and handling of artefacts, were developed. This new service was complemented by a programme of INSET training for teachers and promotional materials. As a result, the use of loans boxes increased by 34 per cent (to 10,366 users) in 2005 - 2006, far exceeding the original target of a 25 per cent increase.
Lincolnshire Heritage Services is also investigating a delivery service so that rural schools can access the boxes more easily and there are also plans to use the boxes to support early learning in partnership with SureStart and Nottingham City Museums.
What were the outcomes?
"The loans boxes helped to make the experience real for the children. "
- A teacher using the loans box
The loans boxes have been used to support all subjects of the National Curriculum, including science, design and technology, ICT, literacy, numeracy, art and drama as well as history.
Teachers using the boxes were delighted to see that pupils increased their knowledge of the topic and improved discussion and observation skills. Handling objects inspires pupils and increases their enjoyment their lessons more, leading to notable changes in behaviour, particularly increased enthusiasm for the subject and a greater expression of ideas.
Facts and figures
Participation
10,336 users in 2005 - 2006
Partner organisations
Stamford Museum, Grantham Museum, The Collection, Gainsborough Old Hall, Church Farm Museum, Reading Museum, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Lancaster Primary School, Louth Kidgate Primary School, Gainsborough, North County Primary School and Swinderby All Saints Primary School
Funding
Renaissance East Midlands
What you can do
Many museums across the East Midlands offer loans boxes or have open museums proving resources and support for schools and community groups. Contact your local museums service for more information.
Teachers in Lincolnshire can find out more about the open museum service and arrange to borrow a loans box by contacting:
Victoria Crump, Keeper – Visitor and Community Services (Social Inclusion and Access Unit), Lincolnshire County Council Heritage Services. Telephone: 01476 568 783 or email Victoria
or
Claire Jacques, Principal Keeper – Visitor and Community Services (Social Inclusion and Access), Lincolnshire Heritage Services, telephone: 01476 568783 or email Claire.
About the Teacher Zone
