The Schools Department is dedicated to providing opportunities to promote students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through curriculum based programmes with a special emphasis on Christian faith.
The overall aims of the department are to:
- Offer a professional service to schools, churches and the community through high quality resources, learning opportunities and liaison.
- Work with teachers, advisors and other professionals towards a common goal of excellence in Religious Education and throughout the whole curriculum
- Promote pilgrimage, for all, to the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.
- Develop Walsingham as an exciting, valuable educational resource for all
Along with the Learning Outside the Classroom Badge, The Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham is the recipient of a second prestigious Sandford Award for Excellence in Heritage Education. The Sandford Award Administrator wrote to the Department as follows:
"I am delighted to inform you that The Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham has won another Sandford Award. Congratulations! Our judge, Jenny Newhouse was very impressed by the learning programmes on offer at the site and felt that they were worthy of commendation by the scheme. This was ratified by the Heritage Education Trust Directors."
The award is granted for the excellent provision of children and young people's educational visits which is deemed to be making an outstanding contribution to Heritage Education. Quotes from the judges' report included:
"The flourish of candle lighting and the awe-inspiring Sprinkling at the end of the day explained to the children the 'specialness' that made people travel on pilgrimage".
"The Shrine is an extraordinarily atmospheric resource . . . it is steeped in history and significance".
The Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham's Schools' Programme is recognised as offering an outstanding educational experience at a national level. Holding the award means that visiting schools can be assured that a tailored schools visit to Walsingham will be of the highest-quality. For further information about the different schools' programmes available please click below.
We have a range of teacher resources including 3 videos, teacher resource booklets and information booklets to supplement your visit, or to support your teaching. Please see below.
