Access & Learning (Education) Development Strategy
Vision
The Museum will be an exciting place to visit, with a continuous programme of learning activities and initiatives for communicating with visitors. The Museum will offer high quality learning experiences based on its collections that:
- Attract and engage a broad range of people, irrespective of age, gender, culture or social background
- Enable people to learn at their own pace and level, and in a variety of different ways
- Inspire, motivate and interest people in the history and modern relevance of the Royal Air Force, the use of airpower, and aviation generally
The Access & Learning Department aims to:
- Make education a key function of the Museum
- Make appropriate parts of the collection accessible to as wide an audience as possible
- Enhance the visitors’ understanding and appreciation of the collection and help them toenjoy their visit to the Museum
- Identify and remove barriers to learning in the Museum
- Use the Museum’s collections and resources to educate all visitors
- Supplement and support the teaching of the National Curriculum where it has links with the Museum’s collections
- Be aware of current regional and national developments in education
- Work with the Museum’s curatorial departments to achieve the highest standards of interpretation of the collections
- Work and liaise with other professionals involved in education provision to ensure the maintenance of high standards
- Continue to provide and improve the learning experience for all visitors
Audience
The Museum defines its audiences as being all those who have access to the collections, the information they contain and/or to the expertise of its staff. We also include those who access our collections via electronic means. Visitors to the Museum cover the whole spectrum of age, ability, and interest level. All visitors are part of the education audience as each one should be able tolearn something either directly or indirectly.
There is a recognised wish on the part of the Museum to provide for the specialist needs of some individuals or groups. These could be visitors with disabilities – physical, sensory or learning, non-English speaking or members of ethnic or religious minorities.
Materials produced to support the formal learning opportunities on offer at the museum can all be adapted to reflect the wide range of abilities and interests of visitors.
The Museum offers pre-booked guided tours for all visitors and adapted tours are available for those with a sensory impairment. Access for those with mobility impairment does vary between sites and it is advisable to check with the individual site as to what amenities are available.