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.
The Auld Kirk Museum is located on one of the oldest sites in Kirkintilloch.
The museum houses a rich collection of objects of local, national and international significance, interpreted in an innovative, exciting and educational way for visitors of all ages and abilities.
Malmesbury’s pretty old; archaeological digs have shown there was a Neolithic fort here around 2,500 BC so people have lived here for four and a half thousand years! So Malmesbury may be the oldest town in the country.
It claims as well to be the oldest borough as King Alfred (you know, the king that burnt the cakes) granted a charter to the town in 880 AD.
Astley Hall is a museum and art gallery housed within a Grade I listed historic house. The Hall is set within the beautiful surroundings of Astley Park which include historic woodland, a lake, a fully renovated Victorian walled garden alongside clean and modern facilities for visitors to enjoy.
Aston Hall and Park are hugely popular with family audiences and have a full programme of events, activities and trails throughout the season.
Admission charges apply to the Hall only. Gardens, grounds and visitor facilities are free to all vistors. There is free admission to the entire site on the first Sunday in every month during the open season.
In the heart of the village of Astley Green stands Astley Green Colliery Museum which, but for the foresight of Lancashire County Council and several leading figures within the community, would have suffered the same fate as the other collieries in the area, total demolition. It was the uniqueness of the 3,300 hp twin tandem compound steam winding engine that brought the demolition to a halt.
Astley Cheetham Art Gallery in Stalybridge was built as a gift to the town by John Frederick Cheetham and his wife Beatrice Astley in 1901. The gallery originally opened as a lecture theatre and then the space was turned into a gallery to house the Astley Cheetham Art Collection, bequeathed in 1932. This collection has grown with gifts and donations throughout the twentieth century and is one o
The Ashwell Village Museum contains all manner of wondrous curiosities relating to the village of Ashwell, Hertfordshire.
The Ashmolean Museum is packed full of archaeology and art works from all over the world. Families can discover mummies in ancient Egypt, find coins from ancient Greece, and travel through time to find modern paintings, statues and more.
Housed in a 17th century Grade II listed building, the museum is located close to Ashford town centre and features exhibits associated with Ashford's history.
The Zouche and Hastings Gallery retells the history of Ashby de la Zouch from ancient times up to the present day.
Ashby Museum is commemorating the Fallen of the area during the Great War in a sobering exhibition in the Loudoun Gallery.
In 1285 by a Charter of Edward 1st Ashburton became a Stannary Town - one of four in Devon.
Tin Mining has played a great part in the development of the town as has the Woollen Industry.
Ash Museum is in the Cemetery Chapel, Ash Cemetery, Ash Church Road, Ash. We are open 3rd Sunday each month 2.00pm - 4.30pm.
This hand pulled funeral bier, which continued in use until c.1977, forms a central exhibit in the museum.
Arundel Museum is more than a museum – it’s an experience!
The Museum is almost exclusively run by volunteers who have a passion for the history of the town and its people.
The Exhibits have been arranged to tell the story of this historic town, from the first pre-Roman settlements to the present day.
Welcome to the Army Medical Services Museum
The four collections of the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC), Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC), Royal Army Dental Corps (RADC) and Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps (QARANC) are held at the AMS Museum in Keogh Barracks, Mytchett in Surrey.
Explore the life of Beatrix Potter one of the most iconic and influential figures of the Lake District at the Armitt Museum.
Armagh Public Library, the oldest library in Northern Ireland, was founded in 1771 by Archbishop Richard Robinson as part of his plans to establish a university and to improve the city of Armagh. Built to the design of Thomas Cooley, the building has housed both the Library and the Library Keeper's residence from the start.
The oldest county museum in Ireland is set in Armagh's beautiful Georgian tree lined Mall. Its collections capture centuries of stories relating to the people who lived, worked and had connections with this famous city and historic county.
Arbeia Roman Fort once guarded the entrance to the River Tyne. The excavated remains, stunning reconstructions and finds discovered at the site combine to give a unique insight into life in Roman Britain.
Find out about the part played by this beautiful medieval house in the story of one of England’s most famous kings, Henry VIII. Other highlights include the authentically furnished kitchen and the garden which uses traditional plants and Tudor planting schemes.
Education
Discover where the young William Shakespeare courted his future bride Anne Hathaway at her picturesque family home.
The Andrew Logan Museum of Sculpture is the only museum in Europe dedicated to a living artist. Andrew had always dreamed of opening a museum to share with the world his unique approach to life and art.
The museum is a former town house c1750, visited by Jane Austen.
Andover from prehistoric times to the present day. Enjoy an exciting programme of temporary exhibitions, including art, craft, photography, history and more... visit the museum and then relax in our coffee shop.
School visits to Andover Museum
Set in a handsome Tudor house with 21st century displays, this museum tells the remarkable story of Thetford and the Brecks. Discover rich collections alongside audio guides, films and animations.
Meet local people from Thetford’s past, from the revolutionary philosopher Thomas Paine to the Sikh hero Maharajah Duleep Singh and from rabbit warreners to railway workers.
The Ancient High House is one of the finest Tudor buildings in the country. Once dominating the skyline of Stafford, it is the largest remaining timber framed town house in England.
Amersham Museum is an award winning museum located in a 15th century building in the heart of old Amersham. It is a hidden gem with a collection spanning 2,000 years of local history.
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.