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St John’s House in Warwick has helped the county’s heritage education team win a Sandford Award, a national quality mark for learning at museums, archives and historic sites. Warwickshire County Council announced the award on 20 October 2026. It lasts for five years.
The award goes to Warwickshire Heritage Learning, the team that runs school workshops at St John’s House and the other Heritage and Culture Warwickshire sites. It puts the Warwick museum on the same list as places such as Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, Bletchley Park and the National Archives.
What the assessors saw at St John’s House
An independent assessor read the team’s application and then visited St John’s House to watch a school trip. Pupils there use the house’s Victorian schoolroom and kitchen, handle real historic objects, and take part in drama and storytelling built around Warwickshire’s own history, drawing on the collections of Warwickshire Museum and the County Record Office.
The lead assessor, David Walker, said children get “a busy and enjoyable day of activities” there, and praised the team for linking local stories to people and events in the national history curriculum.
The Sandford Award looks at the whole of a school’s experience, from the first enquiry to the visit itself. That includes the information sent to teachers, health and safety planning, and help for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, such as videos that show children what to expect before they arrive.
For teachers and families
- Schools: workshops for Key Stages 1 to 3, a loan box service and a network for teachers are on the Warwickshire Heritage Learning site, with booking details and prices.
- Home educators: the same site has a section for home-educating families.
- This half-term: St John’s House becomes a haunted house from 29 to 31 October. See our story and Halloween in Warwick.
More things to see in the town are in our guide to things to do in Warwick.
