ABSTRACT
In the UK, the introduction of a National Curriculum for 5- to 16-year-olds in 1989, with its emphasis on the direct use by pupils of a range of sources of evidence, was a vital turning point — museums and heritage sites were seen as a readily accessible means of delivery. Those sites that have demonstrated their relevance to specific National Curriculum study units have witnessed a massive increase in schools use. The role museums can play in structured educational use has been formally recognised by UK central government. Museums must meet these needs through the provision of high quality education resource packs as an essential tool in helping teachers to plan for a visit and for use on site. The research in London noted above went beyond children's responses to their museum visits to explore their views about museums in general, and of their role.
