Banner image courtesy of English Heritage Education
About us
The Heritage Education Trust is a national charity and the only organisation providing independent quality assurance for heritage sites across the UK, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man through our flagship programme, the Sandford Award. The Trust has stewarded the Sandford Award for decades; our story is one of continuity and adaptation, rooted in a belief that heritage matters and that learning is at the heart of public engagement.
The Heritage Education Trust administers the Sandford Award in partnership with Lincoln Bishop University.
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About the Sandford Award
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Current Award holders
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2025 Award recipients
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How to enter
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Meet the Assessors
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Case studies and videos
Partner with us
We are looking for organisations who want to share our commitment to education, culture, and social impact to help expand the reach and sustainability of the Sandford Award, one of the UK’s most established benchmarks for high-quality in learning outside the classroom.
Volunteer with us
Help recognise and champion the very best heritage learning programmes across the UK and beyond.
“For almost 50 years, the Sandford Award has recognised a huge variety of education programmes at hundreds of heritage sites across the British Isles. We are looking forward to building on this success in the years to come by continuing to broaden the reach of the scheme and celebrating many more heritage education heroes.”
– Tracy Borman, OBE, Chief Executive, Heritage Education Trust
Contact us
Get in touch to find out more about the Sandford Award, volunteer assessor opportunities, or ways to support our work. Whether you're ready to apply, exploring a partnership, or simply have a question, we would be delighted to hear from you.