Our story

Heritage Education Trust is a registered 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: Lord Sandford was a peer in government during the 1970s in the departments of environment and education. He founded the Sandford Award with Lord Montagu of Beaulieu (representing English Heritage) and Commander Saunders Watson (representing Historic Houses Association- who later led the group which designed the History National Curriculum for England). Initially the focus of the award scheme was on historic houses.

1978: The Sandford Award is established 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.

1994: the scope of the Sandford Award was expanded to include industrial heritage, museums and galleries.

Further expansion has taken place since then and awards have been given to zoos, archaeological reconstructions, collections, archives and historic ships. The Sandford Award criteria continues to provide a framework for success and a quality mark for heritage learning.

Banner image: 2024 Sandford Award winners