Heritage education and engagement
We develop and evaluate a range of formal and informal learning resources, programmes and packages. This includes:
- Researching, creating and designing self-led and facilitated learning packages
- Writing engaging education content
- Developing stories and characters
- Developing and delivering workshops and volunteer training
- Devising and evaluating family learning
- Producing themed/handling boxes
- Developing education related heritage interpretation
- Advising on, testing, evaluating and reporting on existing education programmes
Case studies
Here is a sample of some of the formal and informal educational resources Ruth has developed.
Caring for God’s Acre
Our role was to draft and write the text for a formal online Churchyard and Burial Ground Education Pack for Early Years and Primary School children. This included:
- Devising risk assessment and practical information for teachers and other leaders preparing for school visits
- Advising on illustrations and design
- Supporting the Caring for God’s Acre team to evaluate and test the resource
- Review and update resources to reflect the updated Welsh Curriculum
The resources are hosted on the Time Education Supplementary (TES) and Caring for God’s Acre (CfGA) websites – caringforgodsacre.org.uk/resources/education-pack.
“I would like to thank you for the excellent work that you have done for me in drawing up the content and detailed text of our new education pack. It has been great to work with such a thoughtful and professional person, able to run with our ideas and work flexibly to ensure that the pack both reflects the ethos of our charity but is also a useful resource. Everyone in the organisation is delighted with the finished product and we have been receiving praise for it since it went live. I would definitely wish to work with you gain and would recommend your work to others.”
Harriet Carty, National Project Manager, CfGA
St Augustine & Pugin Centre
The brief was to research, create and design self-led and volunteer facilitated learning packages for visiting schools and linked to the National Curriculum. We developed several themed and accessible handling object boxes with interpretation, lesson plans and immersive activities for schools. Fun family trails with ‘Explorer Bags’, maps and activities were devised and the activities and handling objects were linked to on-site interpretation, collections and exhibitions.
Pugin Centre volunteers were also given training to deliver the learning programmes and manage bookings. The resources are hosted online – augustine-pugin.org.uk/schools.
“The resources are vibrant, very well presented and exceptionally well thought out and researched. They offer such varied scope for schools to use the site in many different and exciting ways and at different levels. Well done and thanks for involving us in such a wonderful project. I’m looking forward to booking a session!”
Mr Letts, Headteacher
Surrey in the Great War: A County Remembers
On behalf of Surrey Heritage and Surrey County Council we researched, developed, designed and evaluated high quality online learning resources for pupils in Key Stages 2 and 4 that were linked to the National Curriculum and relevant GCSE exam boards. The Surrey Heritage Centre archives were researched and utilised to find relevant source material. The learning resource activities have enabled pupils to engage with the First World War and its impact through local stories, and understand Surrey’s role in the conflict.
“We hired Ruthie for the role of Educational Consultant to the project because of her enthusiasm, thoroughness and breadth of knowledge. She was utterly professional in carrying out her work for us, working to deadlines and to the agreed time schedule. We are so pleased with the high quality of the KS2 and KS4 learning resources that she has produced for us, and the detail and activities included in them. Ruthie was easy to work with and adaptable, and always willing to make changes where necessary to suit our requirements. We are excited to make them available for schools to use, and wouldn’t hesitate in recommending her as a freelance consultant.
Imogen Middleton, Project Officer, Surrey in the Great War: A County Remembers.
Lune Aqueduct Restoration Project learning resources
The Canal and River Trust commissioned us to write, devise and design downloadable education resources for pupils in Key Stage 2 and source handling items for a story sack to be used along the towpath and a boating families curiosity box for use in the classroom. Lesson plans were created to accompany the resources with curriculum links. ‘Leader notes’ to support volunteers deliver on-site were produced to accompany the formal learning activity trail and linked to the handling objects.
We appointed Ruthie Boys to deliver a schools resource package for use on the canal in Lancaster. Ruthie has delivered the work to an extremely high standard, within budget and within the stipulated timescale. I found it easy to work with Ruthie, as she communicated the progress on the work in a timely, clear manner. Ruthie had a clear understanding of the brief from the outset and came to us with some excellent initial designs. These designs were developed and resulted in a story sack and curiosity box that will be of great use in the education sessions we put on. In summary we would have no hesitation in appointing Ruthie to work on a Canal and River Trust project again in the future.
David Hennessey, Lune Aquaduct Project Officer
Pembroke Castle Trust Education Pack and Information Pack development
Our work included:
- Research, design and create an online learning package for visiting Primary Schools and linked to the Welsh Curriculum.
- Centre the resources around the people who lived in the castle over hundreds of years.
- Link activities to on-site interpretation, collections and exhibitions.
- Include activity sheets, worksheets, timelines, maps, curriculum planning, learning trails.