A prestigious award in the heritage sector, the Sandford Award has celebrated and promoted high quality in heritage education since 1978. The Awards focus on formal, curriculum-linked education opportunities offered to schools by heritage sites and services. The awards last for five years and are made annually.
The World Rugby Museum's achievement follows the museum's success as Best Sporting Venue at the 2018/19 School Travel Awards and successful online School of Ruck initiative which supported thousands of home learners and families during spring 2020.
Sandford Award lead judge, Christopher B. Green noted
"The World Rugby Museum in the South Stand of the world famous Twickenham Stadium is a hugely significant heritage spectacle. A visit to the Museum for any rugby enthusiast should be an absolute joy; for those without an existing interest then the education programmes cannot fail to stir a fascination in the game's historical and an in-depth appreciation of the social and emotional engagement with the game that has gripped people over the centuries. Whether English traditions or wider international stories are the appeal, a visit to the Museum with its Stadium Tour is not to be missed."
A school visit to the World Rugby Museum typically includes a behind-the-scenes tour of Twickenham Stadium, access to the highly interactive World Rugby Museum and a free, hands-on educational session from our learning programme. Schools can choose from a range of workshops where pupils can become detectives on a Murder Mystery literacy tour, put their business skills to the test in 'Design Me a Stadium', assess players' fitness skills and build training programmes in 'Rugby in Motion' or dress-up in England kits throughout the ages for 'Rugby Strips and Textiles' to see how science and the game has evolved over time.
Museum Education and Outreach Officer Ben Venus stated that:
"The team are delighted to have won a Sandford Award. Our education programme has gone from strength-to-strength and we continually strive to positively impact the lives of young people. We thrive on providing exceptional learning visits and can't wait to welcome back schools in a Covid-secure environment in 2021."
