Learning Outreach Development Lead (freelance opportunity) - Kirklees Museums & Galleries

Kirklees Council; Kirklees; On-site; GBP 5,100 - 6,900; Part time

Job summary

Kirklees Museums & Galleries invites an experienced learning and engagement professional to shape the future outreach offer under the Museums on the Move initiative. This freelance role will build on curriculum mapping, audience research and partnerships to develop recommendations for a schools-focused outreach programme across Kirklees.

This commission is funded by Arts Council England and administered through Museum Development North.

Qualifications

• Experienced learning and engagement professional with project lead experience.
• Ability to develop curriculum-linked outreach resources.
• Strong collaboration with schools, partners and museums.

Responsibilities

• Develop a pilot outreach learning offer for Kirklees Museums & Galleries that can be delivered in schools; provide plans and resources for the team.
• Build on curriculum mapping, audience research and learning development work to create engaging, curriculum-linked opportunities.
• Develop workshop concepts, supporting resources and operational recommendations for future delivery.
• Identify resources, equipment, handling collections and infrastructure required for outreach delivery.
• Support long-term learning and audience engagement across Kirklees Museums & Galleries.

Job description

Organisations

Kirklees Council Kirklees Museums & Galleries

Hours

Please see below re availability and timescales

Number of Jobs

1

Location(s)

Across Kirklees

Position type

Temporary

Length of contract

November 2026 until 31 March 2027

Salary

Fee: £6,000 (exclusive of VAT but inclusive of expenses) - see below for more details

Advert Wording

Kirklees Museums & Galleries - Learning Outreach Development Lead (freelance opportunity) Museums on the Move: Developing a Sustainable Outreach Learning Offer

Contract Details

Start date: November 2026

End date: 31 March 2027

Fee: £6,000 (exclusive of VAT but inclusive of expenses)

The role comes with an attached budget of up to £4,000 to cover resources, equipment, handling collections and infrastructure required to support future outreach delivery.

This project has a short delivery timescale due to specific grant requirements. Applicants should ensure they have sufficient availability between December 2026 and March 2027 to undertake the work and attend project meetings. Availability during this period will form part of the assessment process.

Introduction

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced learning and engagement professional to help shape the future outreach offer of Kirklees Museums & Galleries.

We are seeking a freelance Learning Outreach Development Lead to build on existing curriculum mapping, audience research and partnership work and develop recommendations for a future outreach programme for schools and wider communities across Kirklees. Working with museum staff and education partners, the successful applicant will explore how collections, heritage and local stories can engage children and young people beyond museum settings.

This commission is supported through the Museum Learning and Engagement Grant. The programme is funded by Arts Council England and the UK Government and administered through Museum Development North.

Background

are a local authority museums service and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation responsible for significant and diverse collections, including extensive social history, archaeology, natural sciences and art collections, and for learning, engagement, exhibitions and collections activity across Kirklees.

Alongside the opening of a new museum and art gallery as part of due to open in 2029, the service is developing new ways for people to encounter its collections beyond museum buildings, considering ways that learning and engagement can reach more people across Kirklees.

Recent work has established a strong foundation for this development. This includes the creation of the a place-based learning programme connecting local heritage with the wider curriculum from early years through to post-16 education; the development and expansion of museum loan boxes ; new learning workshops and activities; and the creation of online learning resources to extend access beyond museum sites

Alongside curriculum mapping, audience research and school engagement, this work has highlighted opportunities to build on existing provision and reach more young people through schools and community settings. This project will bring these strands of work together, helping us develop a coordinated, sustainable and practical outreach learning offer that strengthens connections between young people, local heritage and museum collections, while creating a foundation for future delivery, partnership working and investment.

Purpose of the Role

This commission is for a development and programme design role, rather than delivery of a public learning programme.

The Freelancer Will

• Develop a pilot outreach learning offer for Kirklees Museums & Galleries that can be delivered in schools. (N.B we expect the freelancer will produce the plans and resources for our team to deliver these pilot sessions; there is no expectation of delivery within this brief, but training to staff may be required)
• Build on existing curriculum mapping, audience research and learning development work to create engaging, curriculum-linked learning opportunities.
• Develop workshop concepts, supporting resources and operational recommendations that provide a strong foundation for future implementation.
• Identify the resources, equipment, handling collections and infrastructure required to support future outreach delivery.
• Support the long-term development of learning and audience engagement across Kirklees Museums & Galleries, including future opportunities connected to Our Cultural Heart.

The role will help ensure that future outreach learning is:

• Curriculum-linked and relevant to local schools
• Rooted in Kirklees collections, heritage and stories
• Accessible, inclusive and adaptable for different learners
• Practical, deliverable and sustainable
• Designed to support future growth and investment
• Aligned with the wider ambitions of Kirklees Museums & Galleries and Our Cultural Heart

Key Outputs

The freelancer will deliver the following outputs:

• Three curriculum-linked outreach workshop concept packages focused on priority curriculum areas, initially identified through consultation as Ancient Romans, Stone Age to Iron Age and the Second World War. Each concept package should include learning objectives and curriculum links, a facilitator/session plan, teacher information and supporting resources, object or replica requirements, SEND and accessibility guidance, practical delivery requirements and evaluation tools.
• Supporting resources, guidance and documentation in accessible, editable formats, suitable for pilot delivery, future adaptation and independent use by Kirklees Museums & Galleries staff and partners.
• Recommendations for resources, equipment, handling collections and infrastructure required to support outreach delivery.
• A delivery model and options appraisal covering staffing, preparation time, storage, transport, capacity, indicative pricing and cost recovery, and the practical implications of scaling the programme.
• A prioritised and costed recommendation for allocation of the separate £4,000

implementation budget. Purchasing will be undertaken and authorised by Kirklees Museums & Galleries.

• Recommendations for a pilot review, and a refined package incorporating feedback from Kirklees Museums & Galleries staff, teachers and participating pupils, with a clear record of changes made following testing. Pilot sessions to be delivered by Kirklees Museum & Galleries staff but training to our staff may be required.
• An evaluation plan covering reach, participation, quality, learning outcomes, accessibility and sustainability, together with recommendations for future promotion, school recruitment and wider community application.
• A final handover report and complete editable resource pack bringing together findings, recommendations, source files and agreed next steps.
• All outputs should be provided in accessible, editable formats and be suitable for future adaptation, development and delivery by Kirklees Museums & Galleries.

The detailed methodology and delivery timetable will be agreed at project inception. Any material change to the required grant-funded outputs, scope or budget must be agreed in writing with Kirklees Museums & Galleries before implementation and may require approval from Museum Development North.

Any outputs should meet accessibility standards and be suitable for use by Kirklees Museums & Galleries staff, partners, funders and other stakeholders. Guidance and support will be provided where required.