Inspiring the Next Generation of Heritage Professionals

Inspiring young people to consider careers in the heritage sector continues to be an important focus of the National Paralympic Heritage Trust's education programme. The Mini Museum Project provided a creative and engaging opportunity for local Buckinghamshire students to experience museums from a different angle, while encouraging them to see heritage spaces not only as a place to visit, but as potential future employers.

Led by experienced artist Jessica Hartshorn, the project gave students from six Buckinghamshire SEND schools a unique opportunity to step behind the scenes of museum life. Through interviews with museum professionals and visits to six partner museums, they explored the diverse range of roles involved in creating engaging visitor experiences, from curation and collections care to accessibility and exhibition design.

Each school was partnered with a local museum, where students were encouraged to adopt one of the featured museum roles before designing and creating their own mini-museum gallery. Inspired by the stories, collections and character of their partner museum, every group developed a unique Mini Museum that reflected both their creativity and their growing understanding of the heritage sector. More importantly, it helped break down barriers by giving young people the confidence to imagine themselves working within the heritage sector.

Take a look at the completed Mini Museums below:

Rise Space College and Milton's Cottage

Pebble Brook School and the National Paralympic Heritage Trust

The Pace Centre and the Roald Dahl Museum

Heritage House School and Chesham Museum

Stony Dean School and Amersham Museum

Slated Row School and Milton Keynes Museum

The project culminated in a joyful celebration as all six mini-museums came together in a shared exhibition. Students proudly shared their work with teachers, museum professionals and supporters, and we were delighted to welcome Leona from the Rothschild Foundation, who officially opened the exhibition with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Building on Three Years of Learning

The Mini Museum Project marked the culmination of three years of partnership between Buckinghamshire SEND schools and museums through our Sensory Explorations project. The programme aimed to create enriching, inclusive cultural experiences for young people with SEND while strengthening connections between schools, museums and local communities.

The Mini Museum Project, enabled 49 young people from six schools to apply their learning, by creating their own exhibitions while exploring careers in the heritage sector.

School partners shared: 

“The structure of the project, with students taking on different museum jobs really helped them to understand what those roles involved”.

"Loved it, everything was tailored perfectly for the learners and it was wonderful to see the results in their final project […] learners would continue to benefit from initiatives like this."

“We have one pupil who is looking at work experience at a local museum.”

Impact

The project benefited museums as well as students. Young people's feedback helped partners to develop more inclusive offers and opportunities, share their learning with other museums, and build lasting relationships with local SEND schools.

"As a small museum, it's useful for us to have opportunities to participate in collaborative projects with other museums, and find out more about how they are working with and supporting SEND schools." (Bucks partner museum)

"NPHT has enabled us to re-build a dormant link with our partner SEND school which we hope to continue to foster." (Bucks partner museum)

Schools now have stronger relationships with local museums, while museums are better equipped to provide inclusive opportunities for young people with SEND.

"We have really enjoyed working with our partner school and have offered to continue the partnership, which they have said they would very much like to do. They told us that the students were inspired by the Museum and by meeting staff from across different teams. Several students mentioned that they would like to work in museum learning or marketing in the future." (Bucks partner museum)

“Following participation in the Mini Museum project, we are now actively developing a workplace integration and social development programme for young people which will be informed in-part by lessons from participation with this.” (Bucks partner museum)

Evaluation showed that:

• 100% of participating museums felt more connected to their SEND partner school and reported developing more inclusive practice.
• All museum partners want to continue working with NPHT, and four out of five would like to continue working with their SEND partner school.
• Five of the six schools provided feedback; all reported stronger relationships with their local museum and wanted to continue the partnership.
• 100% of schools said the programme had increased students' interest in careers in museums and heritage, with two young people already seeking work experience placements.

The Mini Museum Project demonstrates what can happen when creativity, partnership and inclusion come together. Over three years, the Sensory Explorations project has helped young people develop skills and confidence, strengthened museum practice and created new pathways into the heritage sector.

While this project has come to a close, the learning continues. We are embedding what we've learned across our learning programme and have already applied it to work with six new partner SEND schools and museums across Hampshire and East London. We also look forward to building on our partnerships with Buckinghamshire schools and museums, creating new opportunities that make heritage more accessible and inclusive for everyone.

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The Mini Museum Project was funded by the Rothschild Foundation, and the Garfield Weston Foundation.