STAFF at Cirencester’s Corinium Museum are celebrating after winning a prestigious award recognising their excellence in heritage education.

Earlier this week, staff from the museum attended a special ceremony in Bath to receive the Sandford Award, an independently judged, quality assured assessment of education programmes at museums across the nation.

The Corinium Museum welcomes more than 8,000 school children each year, educating them on Cirencester’s place as one of the most important sites in Roman Britain.

Emma Stuart, learning development officer at Corinium Museum, said: “We are immensely proud to have achieved such a prestigious award.

“It reflects on the hard work and dedication that staff put into their jobs.

“Having a third party assessment, though nerve wracking, highlights that the service we are providing is meeting best practice.

“Receiving the Sandford Award for Heritage Education reinforces expectations for visiting schools, who can expect an excellent and immersive experience for their pupils here at the Corinium Museum.”

Eric Steed, who judged the Corinium Museum on behalf of the Heritage Education Trust and Bishop Grossteste University who administer the award, said: “The displays are of a very high quality, the locally excavated Roman mosaics and tombstones are of international importance and are displayed to perfection.

“Adults and schoolchildren alike readily enhance their knowledge and understanding of Cirencester’s past and gain the opportunity to enjoy very worthwhile experiences."