Blenheim secures heritage education award for historic houses, writes PETER CANN

The Blenheim Palace Education Service has won the Sandford Award for historic houses for the sixth time. Presented by the Heritage Education Trust, the award cited "the excellence of its education service and facilities and for outstanding contribution in the field of heritage education".

The trust lays down demanding criteria on how historic houses should be used for education.

Named after Lord Sandford (Department of the Environment), one of the original promoters nearly 40 years ago, the award is assessed by judges every five years.

Blenheim had previously won in 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997 and 2002.

John Forster, head of education at Blenheim, said: "The standards are demanding so it is very satisfying to receive the award again not just for the education staff but particularly as an acknowledgement of the skill and commitment of the many staff at Blenheim who contribute to the provision of such a quality experience for our large number of education visitors, some 36,000 this year."

The Duke of Marlborough is a keen supporter of the awards and provides encouragement for local schools with his own Annual Heritage Education Prizes.

Blenheim Palace, Park and Gardens are a huge resource for pre-school children to university students. The palace, together with the gardens, the Pleasure Gardens, including the Maze and Butterfly House, the park and woodland, offer study opportunities for the national curriculum in many subjects, as well as for general interest and leisure visits.

A big attraction for schools is how a national curriculum visit can be combined with leisure time.

The Blenheim Education service, now in its 26th year, is led by an experienced former head teacher. More information about the service and the palace is available on the www.blenheimpalace.com website.