Shuttleworth Trust near Biggleswade wins top award for educational experience for children

The Shuttleworth Trust is celebrating after winning The Sandford Award for Heritage Education 2023.

The Shuttleworth Collection and Swiss Garden have long been popular destinations for school trips.

In its praise, the awards team said: “A visit to the Shuttleworth Trust takes pupils back into the past in exciting and stimulating ways not possible in a school classroom.

"In the Collection they come face to face with working veteran aircraft and vehicles, including a 1940s passenger plane they can actually enter. “Weather permitting, an open-topped bus takes them for a ride – a ‘wow’ experience.

"In the Swiss Garden they explore many vibrant living things and learn about growing plants, some of which they can pot up and take back to school.

"Teachers can choose from a wide range of different engaging activities to get the best possible experience for their class to fulfil their learning objectives. Throughout, the knowledgeable Shuttleworth staff guide the pupils, answering their questions to enhance their learning and inspire their imaginations.”

The Sandford Award for Heritage Education is the only nationally recognised quality mark for heritage learning and provides independent assurance for heritage sites and services.

It’s been running since 1978 and is managed by the Heritage Education Trust in partnership with Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln.

The Shuttleworth Collection and Swiss Garden were visited by two groups, one from Bedfordshire and the other from Hertfordshire.

During the assessment, numerous sessions were conducted, including one focused on the 1934 England to Australia MacRobertson air race, another where children had the opportunity to board a 1946 Avro C 19 Anson as part of the Shuttleworth Airways session, allowing them to compare air travel throughout different eras.

There were also activities related to plant identification within the Swiss Garden.

Shuttleworth Trust learning co-ordinator Matthew Studdert-Kennedy said: “We are delighted to receive the award which recognises the dedicated work of our education team to provide an exceptional learning experience for our visitors.

"Shuttleworth prides itself on the variety of historical stories we have to tell that both entertain and educate the next generation.

"We would like to thank the hard work of all our volunteers and staff for showcasing the wonderful exhibits, and for making every visitors’ experience entertaining.”

The Shuttleworth Trust was set up to honour the life and legacy of Richard Ormonde Shuttleworth, a keen aviator, racing driver and horse racer, who was tragically killed in 1940 during a night training exercise for the RAF.

His mother Dorothy set up the Trust to commemorate Richard’s passion for all things mechanical, and today has developed into a fully equipped network of educational resources to keep history alive for the young, teaching them best practices in engineering, agriculture, horticulture and zoology.

The Shuttleworth Trust connects people and skills, and the air show season is designed to celebrate the unique expertise of maintaining and operating Richard’s collection of aircraft and vehicles. Staff and volunteers use skills which have been passed down in an unbroken tradition from pioneers of their field in order to keep these skills alive for many years to come.