Museum Assistant – Hawkshead Grammar School Museum

Pay: £13.00 per hour
Location: Hawkshead Grammar School Museum, Main Street, Hawkshead
Job Types: Part-time, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 7 months (potential to extend)
Final date to receive applications: 31/01/2026

To request more information, and to apply for this role, please contact Hollie Barker at  with a CV and a covering letter explaining why you are interested in the role.

The Hawkshead Grammar School Museum () is a small museum in the centre of Hawkshead which tells the story of the 400‑year‑old school and daily life for its schoolboys. The school’s most famous pupil was William Wordsworth, and the museum is often visited by Wordsworth enthusiasts and tour groups. Many visitors come to see the old schoolroom which is mostly unchanged since the school closed in 1909.

The museum also houses the historic school library, which contains 1600+ rare books and is catalogued and repaired by a team of volunteers. The museum is open seasonally from 1st April to 31st October and will be open 5 to 7 days a week, including weekends and bank holidays.

An opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and energetic Museum Assistant to join our team. This is an entry‑level role requiring digital literacy, so previous experience working in a museum or the heritage sector is not a requirement, but candidates must possess a positive ‘can do’ attitude and be able to work independently, be organised, reliable, and able to prioritise. We are also keen to hear from candidates with museum or heritage experience.

The ideal candidate will have a friendly and helpful manner and will be confident dealing with members of the public. We are a small team, so you have the opportunity to get involved in a broad range of museum operations, including but not limited to visitor experience management; marketing (digital and traditional); audience engagement; planning events; and outreach.

Ideally, you will have a passion for one or more aspects of the museum: history, heritage, conservation, Wordsworth, literature, museums, historic libraries, history of schools or education, and enjoy engaging with visitors during their visit to the museum.

The museum is open 11:00am to 4:00pm Thursday to Monday in the shoulder seasons and 7 days a week during the school holidays. The rota of museum shifts will vary and will be dependent on other staff but will include weekend days and bank holidays. The number of weekly hours required will vary dependent on the needs of the organisation but are expected to be 2 to 3 days, or 10 to 15 hours/week.

The focus of the role will be welcoming visitors to the museum, taking bookings and giving welcome talks. You also will provide longer talks to tour groups (approx. 20-30 visitors). During quiet periods, the focus of the role will be on expanding our digital presence, perhaps developing content for the website and social media platforms, or creating narratives for engagement and outreach.

As marketing and promotional activity is a key part of the role, social media literacy is essential as is the ability to draft appropriate content for a variety of channels. A good command of written and spoken English will be important. This is an exciting opportunity for a self‑motivated and creative person looking to gain experience in the cultural and heritage sector in the Lake District.

You will receive in‑house training on museum administration, giving group talks, and school history. The role is set to start when the museum reopens on March 30th and the successful candidate will be expected to come in several days’ prior for familiarisation. The role is currently intended to be fixed‑term finishing at the end of the season on 31st October. However, depending on museum development plans there may be the possibility of extending the role through winter 2026/27 and beyond.