Museum School Loans

The Museum School Loans service is made up of an impressive range of archives including the Victorians, Egyptians, natural history, The Second World War, Romans, geology and toys.

Loan Boxes - Ancient Greece

Printable Resources

Many of our school loan boxes now feature QR codes. Simply scan them with your device to access a range of printable resources designed to complement your loan box and enrich your classroom activities. See Example Resources.

Museums Resource Centre

All loans are collected or returned to our Museum Resource Centre (not the museum on Brand Street):

Museums Resource Centre,
Burymead Road, Hitchin, Herts SG5 1RT

Tel: 01462 474585

Email: museum.education@north-herts.gov.uk

Bring history to your classroom

Spark curiosity and deepen learning with our engaging School Loan Service. We offer an impressive range of museum objects and archives that bring history, science, and culture directly into your classroom.

Accessing Our Loan Boxes

Our Loan Boxes are included as part of your Museum Education Service subscription. Subscribing schools may choose up to 10 loans per term from our catalogue.

Borrowing Guidelines

Maximum Loans: Subscribers can borrow a maximum of 2 boxes per subject at any one time.
Loan Period: Each loan is for a two-week period.
Collection & Return: Schools are solely responsible for collecting and returning the loan boxes on time. Collections and returns are by arrangement on a Monday or Wednesday between 3pm – 5pm at our Museum Resource Centre, Burymead.

How to Place Your Order

Browse our full range of items below. You can also view our Loans Catalogue online or print it out.
Complete and submit our Loan Box Request Form (available below) to the Museum Learning Officer.

Museum Loans Service Terms & Conditions

Museum Education Service

Subscribers to the Museum Education Service can receive up to 10 loan boxes per term, along with access to our workshop sessions.

Loan Boxes

Below are some examples of our available Loan Boxes.

There are several boxes in each category.

Anatomy

Help your class learn about the human body with fascinating models and life-sized replicas. Our models are ideal for health, science, and PSHE. The models available to loan include skeletons and organ models.

Ancient Greece

Study replica pottery, architecture, and objects with our Ancient Greece loans boxes. Each box is filled with illustrations and models to help pupils explore Ancient Greek life. WOW loans include sculpture and a Greek house diorama.

Castles

Help pupils investigate life in and around castles of the past. The boxes feature objects to examine how castles were built, defended, and lived in. They include a Motte and Bailey building set, a Tower of London model, and hands-on objects. WOW loans include a large-scale Motte and Bailey model and a full armour set.

Geology

There are 4 boxes available to loan. Each contains a number of manageable samples of minerals and fossils, including belemnites, devil's toenails, and shark's teeth. The boxes also contain Top Trumps card games, 3D effect posters, DVDs, and a fossil identification book.

Mayans & Aztecs

Explore the rich cultures of the Mayans and Aztecs from daily life to complex belief systems. Examine a detailed model of an Aztec god, learn about domestic life with a model stove and cooking pot or ponder the symbolism of an Aztec mask of three ages.

Natural History

Perfect for science or art lessons, our natural history specimen boxes allow for unique close-up study of mammals, birds, insects, sea life and amphibians. Pick up to 10 specimens for Secondary art or science study.

Stone Age to Bronze Age

Travel back in time with our Stone Age to Bronze Age loans box. The boxes offer a hands-on exploration of history with real stone tools (up to 40,000 years old!), models of Stonehenge, and replicas of prehistoric art. A Stonehenge scale model is also available to loan.

The Egyptians

Delve into mummification, gods, and hieroglyphs with our selection of Egyptian boxes. Choose from boxes focused on writing or religion, packed with detailed replicas and objects for hands-on discovery.

The Great Fire of London

Bring drama and disaster into your classroom with our Great Fire of London boxes. Illustrate the events with the opportunity to get hands-on with history. The boxes include a plague doctor mask, quill writing materials, and original fire insurance badges.

The Romans

Our Roman boxes offer a wide range of topics to supplement your teaching. Your class can handle real Roman artefacts, try on a toga, and explore domestic life with replica models. Detailed villa dioramas are also available to loan.

The Saxons & Vikings

Step into early medieval life with gilded Sutton Hoo replicas, Viking treasures, and helmets to try on. Each box includes a WOW object or wearable artefact.

The Tudors

Our Tudor loan boxes cover key topics of explorers, domestic life, the Tudor court, and the theatre. Artefacts include watering pots, maps, and small-scale models of the Mary Rose and Golden Hind. We also have a large model of a Tudor theatre and real armour available to loan.

The Victorians

Transport your class to Victorian Britain with artefacts to explore how people lived, worked, and played during the era of steam and empire. The boxes include original objects like garment samples, hot water bottles, and irons.

Toys

Spark curiosity about how children have played across generations. Our toy boxes are perfect for 'old and new' comparison activities and also discussing materials and their different qualities. The boxes include toys from the past 100 years – from Japanese dolls to football annuals. We also have separate WOW loans available, like an original 'Sooty' xylophone and dolls.

World War Two

Experience the Second World War through the eyes of a child evacuee. These boxes encourage empathy, imagination, and historical understanding. The boxes include evacuees' suitcases, ration sample models, and personal stories.

Wow Loans

Our WOW loans are a selection of large-scale, eye-catching objects designed to bring history and learning to life. From detailed castle models, to historical toys, full size armour, and scaled replicas of iconic monuments, these special loans create unforgettable teaching moments.

Loan Box Request

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