The Museum of London and Museum in Docklands offer a range of interactive, multi-sensory, National Curriculum linked sessions for special and hospital schools. The programme has been running for four years, and in the last two years we have introduced packages combining museum visits and outreach.

For details see www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/learning/schools/SEN

We would like to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of three aspects of the programme in order to inform our planning for the academic year 2008-9.

We wish to commission a consultant to evaluate the:

1. usefulness of teachers’ support materials, specifically pre-visit, gallery/classroom activities and follow-up materials, and how these might be developed (eg web based resources)
2. appropriateness and appeal of our SEN backpacks for self-directed gallery visits, and how these might be developed
3. impact on pupils of combined museum visit and outreach packages, as opposed to stand alone single visits our outreach sessions, the extent to which these are meeting the needs of pupils and teachers, and how they might be developed.

The evaluator will write a report and present the findings to Learning department staff.

Methodology

We envisage a teacher focus group to explore points 1 and 2 above, and interviews (in person or by telephone) with 6-8 teachers and session observations in relation to point 3. However, we invite and are open to other suggestions. We can help with recruiting teachers for focus groups and identifying teachers for interviews etc.

Timescale

The work must be completed by end of March 2008.

Budget

The fee for this work, including all expenses and the cost of any incentives is £3,000 excluding VAT.

Next steps

Please submit a brief proposal providing:

• your credentials for carrying out this work
• examples of relevant previous work
• an outline of how you would approach the work, in particular what methodology you would use and what you would need from the Museum of London
• an indicative timetable
• contact details of two referees.

Proposals should be e-mailed to [log in to unmask] by 5pm on

2 January 2008.

Further information

If you have any questions please contact Frazer Swift, Head of Learning, on 020 78145771 or at

the e-mail address above.