Working with schools: Where do we go next?

Since 2022, our focus at the National Trust for Scotland has been on understanding more about our schools audiences. We want to know who is engaging with us, the impact of our work, and what teachers want from us in this post-covid, climate-emergency era. We have properties and places throughout Scotland and have the capability to reach school pupils in every local authority area. Our current challenge is how we do this in a way that is sustainable, targeted and widens our reach in line with our 10-year corporate strategy, Nature, Beauty and Heritage for Everyone. We also want to ensure we’re working in partnership with others to expand our collective work with schools. This session will highlight the results of this initial work, with a focus on those that may be useful to others in the sector. In sharing some of our key findings, we want others in the sector to be empowered to make decisions about their current and future work with schools. We’ll also highlight areas we’re looking to develop in the future and would love to work with others in taking them forward.
Presented by: Sarah Cowie, Senior Heritage Learning Advisor at National Trust for Scotland. Sarah has worked in the sector since 2004 in a range of institutions including charities, independent museums, local authorities, and national organisations. She has worked with a variety of audiences and currently leads learning at the National Trust for Scotland, with a particular focus on schools. Sarah is also a Trustee for the Group for Education in Museums and recently gained her AMA. Interests include making museums and heritage sites accessible, developing digital learning, evaluating impact, and bringing organisations together.