Our story

Heritage Education Trust is a charity and currently the only body in existence providing independent quality assurance to heritage sites and collections that run formal education programmes. Recognition is made through the annual Sandford Awards. Here is a brief timeline of our story:

Pre 1977: the number of school groups making educational visits to heritage sites increases and heritage education provision expands

1977: The Council for Environmental Education establishes a working party under the leadership of Lord Sandford to encourage high quality in heritage learning, mainly focused on historic houses

1978: The Sandford Award Scheme launches, and the first six awards are made

1982: Heritage Education Trust is set up to take over the running of the Sandford Awards and develop the concept of heritage education. Founder members were Lord Montagu, of English Heritage, Lord Sandford and Commander Michael Saunders Watson, of Historic Houses (formerly, the Historic Houses Association)

1994: the remit of the Sandford Award scheme is widened to include industrial heritage, religious buildings, museums and galleries

The Sandford Award criteria continues to provide a benchmark for determining quality in heritage learning.

Banner image: 2024 Sandford Award winners