DJS Research Culture, Heritage & Leisure team appointed to evaluate Historic England’s Heritage Schools programme

21st August 2025 13:19

We're thrilled to announce that DJS Research has been successfully appointed to evaluate Historic England's Heritage Schools programme after a competitive pitch process. This appointment will see our experienced Culture, Heritage & Leisure team carry out a detailed, multifaceted evaluation of this incredibly important, DCMS funded, programme which is designed to help children and young people gain a deeper understanding of their local heritage.

Led by Associate Director Vicky Mullis, who specialises in both cultural and public sector research, the project team at DJS Research will work closely with Historic England to evolve the current mode of evaluation, which has been in place for the last decade. With the programme’s expansion beyond schools to include support and training for youth leaders, made possible by funding secured from the Department of Culture Media & Sport from April, research moving forward must capture the full breadth of its service provision and audiences.

Building on strong foundations, DJS Research has crafted a bespoke research solution that reflects the Heritage Schools programme’s broadening remit. It will balance continuity with the introduction of new, innovative methodologies, to deliver the flexibility required to respond to future developments and generate new depths of valuable, actionable insight to support continuous improvement.

With over two decades of experience working with cultural institutions and government-funded organisations, the project team at DJS Research are excited about applying their passion and expertise to the evaluation of the Heritage Schools programme. Lead Vicky Mullis will work alongside Senior Research Manager Michael Astakhov, (quant expert) and Senior Research Manager Holly Collins (qual specialist) with the full support of the wider operations team.

Speaking about this new exciting appointment for DJS Research, Vicky remarks upon her team’s keenness to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in…

“We’re hugely proud to be leading the evaluation of such a meaningful programme which helps adults support children and young people to gain a deeper understanding of their local heritage and encourages a stronger sense of place, identity and community. We’re looking forward to working closely with the team at Historic England and introducing new methods that will generate actionable insights.” 

For more information about Historic England’s Heritage Schools programme, funded by the DCMS, visit https://historicengland.org.uk/education/schools-resources/heritage-schools/

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