ESTA is pleased to support a charity based at Worcester University who have developed a fossil resource box for primary and special schools.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire Earth Heritage Trust started the project in 2022 with the aim of producing 5 boxes for each of the two counties and the project has grown so they now deliver boxes to schools across the UK.

Each box contains space for 30 fossils as well as a series of laminated sheets to assist teachers in using them as an educational resource.

• To date they have delivered 80 boxes to a range of educational establishments across the UK.
• Added an SEN specific box containing a smaller number of larger more tactile fossils at the request of an SEN school for children with multiple and complex learning difficulties
• Welsh language versions of both the standard box and SEN have been developed with a Welsh Language teacher and with English on one side and Welsh on the other
• Working with the Royal Blind college to add QR codes on the fossil descriptions allowing partially sighted students to have the text read to them via their mobile phones and they are planning another project to develop a Braille version of the SEN box again working with the Blind college
• Donated by collectors across the UK the fossils come from a variety of different locations and geological epochs
• All the fossils are common UK fossils to make the project as sustainable as possible
• The box is delivered to schools for them to keep with the cost of £40 either being met by a sponsor or funded through the charities own fundraising

If you know of a primary school that would like a box, details of the box are on the project website here earthheritagetrust.org/fossils