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Bedford Museum tells the story of North Bedfordshire from earliest times. Its displays include the region's geology, wildlife and habitats as well as Bedford's origins as a Saxon town, its varied industries and Victorian life.

The adjacent Cecil Higgins Art Gallery houses one of the best collections of fine and decorative arts from the 18th - 20th centuries, including watercolours and prints of international reputation, ceramics, glass, silver, textiles and lace.

Major refurbishment of the site is currently underway and the Art Gallery is closed to visitors at present. However, the Education Service runs a full programme of activity sessions for schools and other groups in the museum and around the historic site of Castle Mound, drawing on a wide range of collections. It also offers a popular outreach service.

The Education Service has worked with the University of Bedfordshire Primary BEd course in the following ways:

• Running sessions on site on the value of museum learning and the many ways the Education Service can support teachers
• Acting as partner for an assessed module where students used museum artefacts as a catalyst for creating a film
• Hosting student placements for a module on Multi-agency Perspectives on Primary Education

We have also worked with the Pilgrim Partnership on hosting two-week placements for SCITT students who delivered a museum session to pupils both on site and in school. This partnership is being developed as part of a TDA funded Museum Placement Project.

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