Middlesbrough Museums In Your Classroom sees real museum objects brought to life in the town’s schools in a drive to improve reading and writing skills.
The project – developed by Middlesbrough Museums and supported by the National Literacy Trust in Middlesbrough - aims to support the development of reading, writing and storytelling skills through fun and creative sessions, with a focus on assisting those with low confidence in reading and writing.
Museum artefacts are used to tell stories of Middlesbrough’s past, helping students to make meaningful connections with the objects and discover how the town’s history has helped shape the area they call home.
This week Year 6 students at Beech Grove Primary School used a treasure trove of objects from World War Two as inspiration for their own creative projects.
They used an array of pieces – from gas masks to ration books - to create posters and written works which were then showcased at a special event in the school on Tuesday (June 24).
Special guests – including parents and Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke, Deputy Mayor Philippa Storey and Director of Public Health for South Tees Mark Adams – heard first-hand from the young people about what they had learned and how they had chosen to display their creations.
Chloe Leeson, Senior Learning Officer at Middlesbrough Museums, said: “We’ve had a fantastic time working with the students of Beech Grove Primary School, and it was so inspiring to see their collective works at Tuesday’s showcase.
“Following the success of this pilot programme, we’re hoping secure funding to allow us to roll the programme out to more schools in Middlesbrough.
“We want to give every child in our town the opportunity to connect with our local history, while also developing literacy skills that will support them throughout their life.”
Beech Grove Deputy Headteacher Catherine Steel-Brewster said: “The Literacy Loans Project has had an enormous impact on the learning and personal development of our Year 6 children,” she said.
“We were astounded at the level of creativity and engagement the children displayed when creating their animations and artwork all inspired by artefacts that we were able to handle.
“More importantly, the opportunity to regularly visit the Dorman Museum has been invaluable; many of our children have never had the opportunity to visit a museum outside school before.
“They are now talking about taking their parents at the weekend and have even looked into other museums they could visit.
In this way, the project has and will have, a true influence on not only current learning but future learning and in doing so it has opened up a world of culture and curiosity not accessible previously.”
Deputy Mayor and Executive member for Education & Culture Philippa Storey said: “Our museums are an amazing resource right here on our doorstep, but these extraordinary artefacts take on a whole new life thanks to the Middlesbrough Museums In Your Classroom project.
“It’s been wonderful to see how inspired the young people clearly are, and these experiences will help not just their reading and literacy but will boost their creativity and confidence as well.
“Our comparatively low literacy levels can lead to long-term social and health challenges, but fantastic initiatives like this can make a real and lasting difference for young people in Middlesbrough and beyond.”
• Middlesbrough Museums In Your Classroom is supported the National Literacy Trust.
For more information on Middlesbrough Museums’ educational offer, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
