Schools across England which previously could not afford to travel to the country’s greatest historic sites can now do so, thanks to a new scheme made possible by donations to English Heritage (EH).
EH writes
From Stonehenge to Hadrian’s Wall, admission to the 400 plus sites in the National Heritage Collection has always been free for schools but for some, the cost of hiring a coach was a significant obstacle. Now, the English Heritage History Bus scheme will go a long way to removing that barrier.
The new free school bus scheme is open to non-fee paying English primary and secondary schools. More than 10,000 schools are eligible to apply and 30,000 children will benefit from the scheme this year. The scheme is expected to cover the cost of approximately 7,500 coaches per year.
English Heritage Chief Executive, Simon Thurley, said: ‘People are more likely to visit historic sites if they first visited them as a child. The sites in the National Heritage Collection are free to all schools but the cost of actually getting to them is beyond the reach of many. Our History Bus scheme changes all that and it means that more teachers and children can get out of their classrooms and visit the places where history was made.’
Children can get out of their classrooms and visit the places where history was made.
The English Heritage free school bus scheme is funded by donations and legacies received by the English Heritage Foundation which helps to raise money for the properties and collections in English Heritage’s care and to enhance the public’s enjoyment and understanding of them. Any donations and bequests made to the Foundation go directly to support and enhance our National Collection of historic sites.
James Twining, Chair of the English Heritage Foundation, said: ‘The Foundation is committed to nurturing a passion for heritage and making English Heritage sites accessible to a wider range of visitors. Our free school bus scheme is an important step in helping us achieve this aim and we wish to thank our donors whose generosity has made this possible.’
To book a free education visit to an English Heritage site and avail of the free school bus scheme, please contact English Heritage Education on 0870 3330606 or at bookeducation@english-heritage.org.uk
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Huffington Post Article: LINK
