A £33,000 donation has boosted learning opportunities for the thousands of children who visit Chiltern Open Air Museum (COAM) every year.
For the first time, the youngsters now have access to a dedicated learning space after the funding paid for a brand new marquee to be installed in the museum’s grounds.
Jon Gibson, Learning Manager at COAM, explains: “Previously, we had to host school visits outdoors or in the museum exhibit buildings which, given their fragility and size, weren’t always suitable for activities and it also meant we had to close those buildings to other visitors.
“The learning theme is intrinsic in everything the museum does and now we have our own dedicated space it gives us more options to really plan our educational sessions in a way we couldn’t before.”
Jon Gibson
Learning Manager, Chiltern Open Air Museum
Grundon provided the grant for the marquee via the Landfill Communities Fund. Recently Marketing Manager, Annie Sessions, visited COAM together with Michelle Jones, Project Manager at Groundwork South, the community and environmental charity which distributes the landfill tax monies on behalf of Grundon.
“It was so exciting to see the marquee being used by local schoolchildren and to understand just how much this dedicated education space has made to the learning team,” said Annie.
“The marquee blends in really well and, because one side is transparent, the children can still look out and enjoy the natural light. It’s a great place for them to use all year round, the sides can be removed in the summer to enable safe outdoor learning while protecting them from the sun, and in the winter, it provides shelter from the cold or rain.”
Annie Sessions
Marketing Manager, Grundon
Michelle added: “We had such a fun day seeing how the hands-on learning really brings history to life for the children and were delighted to see their enthusiasm and how much they enjoyed themselves.”
The 45-acre COAM site, in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, is home to more than 35 carefully-restored historic buildings, including a Victorian schoolhouse, an Iron Age roundhouse and a World War I Nissen hut; and offers a raft of activities including heritage crafts, nature experiences and storytelling. The museum is also open to the public and attracts around 45,000 visitors a year.
With school activities designed to fit in with the National Curriculum, students range from Years 3-6 primary school pupils, as well as Years 7-9 secondary schools, together with pupils from Special Educational Needs (SEND) schools and Pupil Referral Units (PRUs).
Themed days focus on different historical eras, including the Stone Age, Anglo-Saxons and Victorians, together with more recent events such as the last two World Wars. Jon says it is a very hands-on approach and typically, youngsters may enjoy digging in archaeology lessons before trying their hand at cloth making and toolmaking.
He adds: “We host around 120 students a day and, together with our new flat wheelchair friendly path, the marquee now provides an accessible space for all. By colour-coding the inside into zones, children can easily find their home for the day and, as well as learning, we use the marquee for lunchtimes and to shelter if the weather is against us.”
The learning team works with schools across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxon, Hampshire, Surrey and 15 western and central London boroughs, with around 220 schools visiting annually to take part in its award-winning* learning programme.
With the new marquee now in place, the number of youngsters visiting is expected to rise by around 1,500 a year and Jon says the additional space will also be of particular benefit to the 1,000 SEND children who attend COAM on free educational visits funded by its learning outreach programme.
Outside of term times, the marquee is home to family events such as ‘Terrific Tuesday’ during the school holidays and seasonal activities including Hallowe’en. It also hosts a free wellbeing programme for older, vulnerable people and provides space for musical and craft events.
*Multiple Sandford Awards for excellence in heritage learning provision.