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Rumble Museum
The Rumble Museum is a unique and integral aspect of Cheney School. As the only Arts Council accredited museum located throughout a busy and diverse school, it provides opportunities for museum learning and artefact handling across every year group and faculty.
From curriculum lessons designed to incorporate collections, to museum councils where students get involved in the varied and stimulating day-to-day challenges of running a museum, and from large scale festivals for the wider community to weekly breakfast talks for individual year groups, the museum provides a wealth of activity for the curious.
Dr Lorna Robinson, Rumble Museum founder and director, can be contacted with any questions, ideas and offers of artefacts.
Mr David Gimson is Museum Lead, and works closely with the museum director on projects and planning.
They can be contacted through the school contact form here.
Ms Sophie Quantrell is our Museum Assistant, and runs the 8* and Up Museum Council.
Why have a Museum in a School?
Holding a coin which has been held by someone over two thousand years ago, or exploring artefacts from cultures which are very different to one’s own, can lead to a journey of discovery that is transformative. Objects present far fewer barriers of access than texts, and therefore can create a very open atmosphere of exploration and engagement in lessons.
Visiting museums has been shown to be so beneficial to an individual’s well-being that visits can be prescribed by doctors. The beneficial effects of museum learning for students has been well-documented through a number of recent studies.
Having striking displays and interesting collections around school corridors, classrooms and large spaces also cultivates a spirit of inquiry and creativity, with opportunities for learning and discussion around every corner.
Curriculum Opportunities
Many of our collections have been fully incorporated into curriculum courses, enabling students to explore objects as part of their lessons.
In Year Eight, students are able to explore our Suffrage Collection as part of their History lessons. Students choosing History GCSE learn about History of Medicine using our Medicine collection, which features objects from Greek and Roman medicine right up to modern day.
Students choosing Latin in Year Eight explore Bronze Age Minoan and Mycenaean artefacts, as well as fifth century BC Greek items and local Roman objects as well.
Our World War One and Two items are used in History lessons for all students, and our Natural History collections are used as part of Science lessons throughout the school.
Our Victorian era Printing Press is used in Art lessons.
Extra-Curricular Opportunities
As well as these curriculum offerings, there are plenty of opportunities for students to get more closely involved in the Rumble Museum at Cheney:
Museum Councils
We have two active Museum Councils in Year Eight and Nine, and a Museum Council for our 8* and Up classes. Students meet weekly to take part in curation, developing displays, and running events both at Cheney and in other local museums. External events include our exhibitions at the Weston Library as part of Open Doors, and our annual gallery at the Ashmolean’s Late Night event in November.
At Cheney, Museum Council students have created a Tree Trail and Rumble Tube Map showing where all our collections can be found across the school, amongst other exciting and creative projects.
Sixth Form students regularly volunteer to support museum activities in a range of ways, from curating displays to assisting with the Museum Councils.
Museum Project
In Year Nine, students can choose to take part in the Museum Project. Meeting weekly after school on a Tuesday, students explore a range of museums and collections, before choosing to explore an aspect of museums as an individual project in Term Three. Students receive mentoring from staff and professionals, culminating in creating an artefact or writing a 2000 word essay. They then present their work to staff, parents, museum professionals and visitors at a presentation evening in June or July. Their projects are entered for the AQA Higher Project Qualification, equivalent to half a GCSE.
Creative Writing
The Creative Writing Club meets every Thursday lunchtime, and works closely with the Rumble Museum themes and collections, exploring them in their writing, which is also displayed at the Ashmolean Late Night event in November.
