The National Museum Accreditation Scheme (run by the Arts Council) sets nationally agreed standards for museums in the UK. There are currently just under 1,800 museums participating in the scheme, demonstrating their commitment to managing collections effectively for the enjoyment and benefit of users. The scheme is designed to show how a Museum manages and develops its collection for the enjoyment and benefit of the community. The scheme, which is renewable on a three-year basis, was established in 1988 has supported museums across the UK to focus on standards and identify areas for development. The scheme is regarded as one of the most innovative and effective developments in the museum sector. It has led the way in raising museum standards in the UK, and has been used as a model and source of inspiration for similar schemes overseas.
The scheme is administered by Arts Council England in partnership with CyMAL: Museum, Archives, Libraries Wales; Museums Galleries Scotland and the Northern Ireland Museum Council.
Accredited museums have a responsibility to keep their assessing organisation informed of any changes likely to impact on the museum's Accreditation status.
Updated Accreditation standard
People's expectations of museums have increased. Museums' reliance on volunteer support has also increased. Environmental and operational challenges continue to grow.
Accreditation has recently been developed to keep pace with the times, to help museums develop their resilience through effective forward planning, to balance aspects of collection management and to encourage all museums to be responsive to user needs and expectations.
The benefits of taking part in the Accreditation Scheme
Accreditation enables museums and governing bodies to assess their current performance, and it supports them in planning and developing their services. It helps with:
Performance
It is quality standard that serves as an authoritative benchmark for assessing performance, rewarding achievement and driving improvement.
Profile
It raises awareness and understanding of museums, building confidence and credibility both within the governing body and among the public.
People
It helps museums to improve their focus on meeting users' needs and interests and developing their workforce.
Partnerships
It helps museums to examine their services and to encourage joint working within and between organisations.
Planning
It helps with forward planning by formalising procedures and policies.
Patronage
It demonstrates that a museum has met a national standard, which strengthens applications for public and private funding and gives investors confidence in the organisation.
To contact the Accreditation Service email accreditation@artscouncil.org.uk.
You can use the accreditation to filter a search by selecting it in the Accreditations section of the Search List Filters.
Once home to the Lord Mayor of York, the building was long-forgotten and was scheduled for demolition until York Archaeological Trust restored it to its former glory, giving you the chance to experience what it would be like to live over five hundred years ago.
Schools
20 Maresfield Gardens in Hampstead was the home of Sigmund Freud and his family when they escaped the Nazi annexation of Austria in 1938. The centrepiece of the museum is Freud's library and study, preserved as it was in his lifetime. It contains his working library, his desk and the famous couch.
Education
This world-class collection of over 100 aircraft and aviation memorabilia offers a fun, educational day out for all ages. Fuel their imaginations and let them navigate their way through the history of the RAF and aviation.
Built in 1820, Winchester House on Southwark Bridge Road was home and workplace to London's chief fire officers between 1878 and 1937.
This building now houses one of the most comprehensive collections of firefighting equipment and memorabilia in the country.
The University of Hull Art Collection is a small but outstanding collection specialising in paintings, sculpture, drawings and prints produced in Britain 1890-1940.
Bexhill Museum offers something for everyone from local history and archaeology to fashion and Bexhill’s motor heritage.
The unique collections are housed in a distinctive building which combines a traditional Edwardian museum with a modern extension.
Bassetlaw Museum was created in 1983. Over the following years its collections have quickly grown due to generous donations by local people. The collections include local history, archaeology, decorative and fine art, agriculture, costume and textiles.
The Bell Pettigrew Museum is the University's zoology museum. It is a rare survival of a Victorian teaching museum, and wonderfully atmospheric.
The displays, which include examples of several extinct species, are arranged to allow the evolutionary and taxonomic relationships between animals to be clearly understood.
Schools
Alyth is a small rural Perthshire village overlooking the countryside of Strathmore. This is an area rich in farming, which is an inspiration and resource for the museum collection.
Enjoy a wealth of pictures and objects reflecting life as it was in and around Alyth.
A community museum housed in the stable block of an old coaching inn. Open during library times, the museum relates the story of Blackridge’s coaching and travelling past. An exhibition on the history of the village with objects donated by local people is regularly shown, interspersed with displays from West Lothian Council’s touring exhibition programme.
The Bennie Museum opened on 20th May 1989 as a museum of Bathgate’s history and life. It is run entirely by Volunteers under the management of a Charitable Trust.
It has been commended by the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions.
Come rain or shine, there's something for everyone at Almond Valley. We're open throughout the year and with many attractions under cover, there's plenty to see and do whatever the weather
There's so much for students to enjoy, and our play areas hold special appeal to those under ten years old. We'd recommend that you allow at least four hours for your visit.
The collection includes comprehensive family archives, a collection of old photographs, audio and video tapes, and material relating to local fishing. A room is dedicated to the Iron Age village at Bostadh.
A fascinating journey through time takes visitors from the prehistoric period up to the era of nuclear fission. Displays include costume, First World War memorabilia, town regalia and a remarkable collection of paintings depicting Annan and the Solway shore. Look out for a 4,000 year old Bronze Age burial urn, mummified baby crocodiles and the 110 year old piece of chocolate!
The Baird Institute lies in the centre of the town of Cumnock and was opened in March 1891 to provide leisure facilities for local people and included a museum, billiard room and reading rooms.
Signal Tower Museum is located near Arbroath’s picturesque and busy harbour, in a complex of buildings originally used as the shore station and family accommodation for the Bell Rock Lighthouse. Built in 1813, Signal Tower served the lighthouse until 1955.
Learn about the history of Banchory and its most famous son, musician and composer, J. Scott Skinner, the "Strathspey King".
In our permanent collection you will also see:
Discover the wealth of Peterhead's maritime history in one of Aberdeenshire's oldest museums. See models showing the development of Peterhead fishing boats and find out about:
Long famed for high quality Aberdeen-Angus cattle, the North East contains a quarter of Scotland’s arable land and consequently farming is an essential feature of rural life. The award-winning Aberdeenshire Farming Museum at Aden Country Park brings alive the story of this famous farming past in the unique semi-circular Aden Estate home farm.
Aberdeen Maritime Museum tells the story of the city's long relationship with the Sea. This award-winning museum is located on the historic Shiprow and incorporates Provost Ross's House, which was built in 1593. The Maritime Museum houses a unique collection covering shipbuilding, fast sailing ships, fishing and port history.
The majority of works are in the Pathfoot Building with sculpture on display all around the campus.
Sculpture Trail
Sculpture forms an important part of the University Art Collection.
It can be seen all around the scenic campus.
Kinneil Museum is located in the 17th century stable block of Kinneil House and acts as an interpretative centre for Kinneil Estate.
The exhibition 2,000 Years of History tells the story of the park from Roman times to the present day.
Antoninus Pius, St Serf, Mary, Queen of Scots and James Watt are among the many historical characters associated with the estate.
Callendar House dates from the 14th century. It is set in the nationally-important historic designed landscape of Callendar Park, which also contains a section of the Antonine Wall World Heritage Site.
The Bushcraft Company offer residential school trips with a difference, taking students into the wild and giving them real back-to-nature experiences they will never forget.
A 15-year-old boy fell 60ft over the edge of a cliff whilst on a geography school trip, miraculously only suffering minor injuries.