The Virtual Museum's educational galleries have been developed with the help of the University of North London's award-winning IT Learning Exchange. We believe that this was the first British partnership formed between business and education to develop free resources for the internet. The Museum was launched at the British Education Technology Trust (BETT) show in 1999 and was shortlisted in the BETT 2000 Awards.

The Museum received approval from the Department for Education and Skill's British Education Communication Technology agency (BECTa) for inclusion on the Virtual Teacher Centre on 26th March 1999, within a few weeks of its launch. It was the first retailer’s site to achieve this distinction.

The content of the Museum's galleries has been selected, and the worksheets and teachers’ resources constructed, to follow closely the National Curriculum for Key Stages 1, 2 & 3 History, encouraging pupils to explore the lives of men, women and children in late Victorian society. Materials are also offered for ICT and the Literacy Hour in Years 5 & 6. The Key Stage 1 gallery is also available in a Welsh language version. Full curriculum mapping is provided.

The requirement of DfEE Circular 4-98 that all teachers should be trained in the use of ICT across the curriculum has increased the need for resources in subjects not traditionally associated with the use of ICT in the classroom. This challenge is particularly acute for History, especially at Primary level. The Museum was developed ahead of NGfL New Opportunities training in order to provide practical help to teachers and teacher trainers.

Charles Clark, Education Minister for IT, visiting Sainsbury’s Virtual Museum at BETT 99.