Museums and Galleries Education Programme (phase 2)
The £1 million second phase of the programme (MGEP2) ran from October 2002 to March 2004, building on the success of the initial programme. The DfES wanted to bring museums, galleries and schools together to develop innovative and exciting ways of delivering the National Curriculum. Funding was aimed at ensuring that more pupils between the ages of 5 and 16 benefited from access to the resources of museums and galleries and that these resources are used to support classroom-based learning. Projects were funded which used the collections of museums and galleries to contribute towards raising pupils' standards of achievement by supporting an enriched curriculum.
MGEP2 has involved 118 projects in 130 museums and galleries — forming new partnerships and developing new audiences across all regions of England. At least 20,000 school pupils have been involved in projects funded as part of the programme. MGEP2 was delivered through the regional Museum, Library and Archive Councils and Engage's ArtFULL contemporary visual art grants programme.
This second phase has been the subject of a comprehensive two-year evaluation by the Centre for Education and Industry at the University of Warwick. Researchers have examined the impact of MGEP2 on all those involved in the programme, and have measured the success of the projects against learning outcomes for pupils and teachers. The learning outcomes for pupils include: fulfilment and satisfaction from achievement; increased self-confidence and self-esteem; increased cultural understanding and respect and tolerance of others. Warwick's final evaluation report, an Executive Summary of the final report and case studies of the regional MGEP2 projects are available to download.
Examples of MGEP2 projects
Reticulum at the Museum of Antiquities, University of
Newcastle
This innovative project led to the Museum of Antiquities being
nominated as a finalist for the Gulbenkian Prize for Museum of the Year 2004.
Reticulum engaged pupils' interest in the past
through use of objects and IT. It aimed to enhance pupils' understanding of
life in the North of England during the Roman and Iron Age periods. The project
involved the production of teacher resource packs which were sent out to every
primary school in Northumberland. Museum staff worked with schools, in both the
museum and the classroom, giving children the opportunity to handle artefacts
and explore historical themes and ideas.
The North West Citizenship Initiative
This project involved Key Stage 3 and 4 pupils from secondary schools
in the North West of England, two archives and four museums. It aimed to
develop resources to enhance the teaching of citizenship. Year 10 pupils and
teachers from Trinity High School in Hulme worked with the People's History
Museum, Manchester, to develop a citizenship resource pack. This was based on
the museum's collections and linked to one of their 'Living
History' performances.
Wonderful Things!: London's museums and schools working together
across the curriculum
Between them the 22 Wonderful Things! projects covered every
National Curriculum key stage and subject, and involved 1800 pupils in 37
London schools working with 27 museums and galleries. A publication celebrating
the success of the projects, providing individual case studies and guidance for
those interested in undertaking similar projects can be downloaded from the London's Museums, Archives and Libraries
website.
Wonderful Pictures at Dulwich Picture Gallery, London
Wonderful Pictures was a partnership between the
Dulwich Picture Gallery and Bessemer Grange Primary School in
Southwark. Fifty-two Year 5 pupils worked with staff from the gallery to
create and curate their own exhibition inspired by the Gallery's portrait
collection. A teacher from the school commented that 'the positive
change in attitudes to learning, level of involvement and quality of work seen
during this cross-curriculum project has been amazing. It is clear to us that
creativity in the curriculum is the key to learning.'
Published: 03 January 2007
