Some schools will prefer to manage a visit to the museum themselves but many others will opt for a visit led by a member of the museum staff.
Renaissance North West have undertaken a research project called Creative Spaces which explores the ways in which young children experience the space of the museum or gallery and the effect this has on their learning. The Creative Spaces report points out that:
- children gain more knowledge in a led session
- children are more motivated, enjoy themselves more and remember more about the museum in a self-managed visit (they might also gain more knowledge if they have good supporting resources).
Whichever type of visit is chosen it is important that teachers are able to access as much information as possible about the museum and its collections to enable their pupils and students to make the most of their time at the museum.
Pre-visit materials ideally available on your website can assist teachers with their planning whether they are leading the visit themselves or attending a led session and online resources and information can also be used for research by children, using IT which is also an important part of the way in which children access knowledge and information.
Brighton Museum provides a Quick and Easy Guide for Teachers which outlines the led sessions available and also provides material online for teachers planning a self-led visit such as the Planning Your Visit Guide for Key Stage 3 Art Teachers.
Downloads:
- Brighton Teachers Guide (PDF 2.73 MB).
- Brighton Planning Your Visit Guide (PDF 569 Kb).
Websites:
- Brighton Museums Resources for Teachers.
- Renaissance North West’s Creative Spaces report.
