We offer training to develop skills, knowledge and understanding within the archives sector. Our training sessions are relevant from both an organisational and individual perspective. Please email us if you would like more information about any of our sessions. At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, our events and training moved online and some of our events remain digital, alongside our e-learning courses.
Most of our training sessions are free, and bookings are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’re unable to cover the cost of travelling to one of our events, please get in touch and we’d be happy to discuss this. We have a limited number of spaces available at each session. Because of this, please only book if you are able to attend, and contact us if you can no longer attend.
Upcoming events
Identifying and understanding pre-modern records (online)
May – October 2026
This series of webinars, led by record specialists at The National Archives, is designed to introduce recordkeepers to some of the most common pre-modern document types found in archives. It will explain how to identify these documents, where to find important information to assist with cataloguing, and what kind of information the documents could contain for users.
Each webinar will include a presentation, Q&A and glossary of relevant Latin terms. You can register for individual webinars, or the entire series.
The series includes four Wednesday lunchtime (13:00 – 14:00) webinars on the following topics:
- 20 May – Charters and Deeds
- 10 June – Seals
- 23 September – Manors and their documents
- 7 October – Wills
The series will be of interest to recordkeepers working in archives that contain pre-modern records. While examples will be predominantly medieval, the general principles are applicable to early modern records too.
Find out more and register to attend the Identifying and understanding pre-modern record webinars
Understanding impact: using data to demonstrate value (online)
Wednesday 15 July (12:00 – 13:00)
This introductory webinar will provide you with an understanding of how you can evidence and communicate the impact of your work in the archive sector and beyond. It will provide you with real-world examples and case studies from a variety of projects and introduce you to the Theory of Change model, which can be used for your own reporting.
Register to join the webinar on understanding impact
Inclusive Archival Practice Network: advocating for inclusive practice (online)
Monday 20 July (13:00 – 14:00)
The National Archives, in collaboration with practitioners across the archive sector, has established a network to provide support to recordkeepers on inclusive practice. The network officially launched on 30 April 2025, with an opening webinar, which introduced the network’s aims and steering group members.
Building on feedback from the launch event, this webinar will focus on the importance of advocating for inclusive practice within your organisations. Steering group members will share their approaches to inclusion work, operating with varied levels of support and resource.
Find out more and sign-up for the advocating for inclusive practice webinar
Impact seminar: building capacity through partnerships
Tuesday 25 August (14:00 – 15:00)
Join this impact seminar to explore how partnership working can improve capacity and unlock new opportunities. Dr Ilaria Scaglia will share her experience of establishing the Aston University Archives and the Aston University Archives Centre. Alan Hughes, Head of Special Collections and Archives at Cardiff University, will then present the impact of the Crowd Cymru project, the UK’s first national bilingual digital archive crowdsourcing initiative.
Find out more and register to attend the impact seminar on building capacity through partnerships
Community Hub Training Programme
Part of the Spaces, Places and Belonging Community Hub, this training programme has been developed in conversation with community groups, practitioners and partners across the UK. If offers a mix of online and in‑person sessions, covering topics such as building meaningful community partnerships, working ethically and inclusively, telling community stories creatively, and turning ideas, research and collections into engaging public outputs. All sessions are free to attend and are open to everyone.
Take a look at the training programme
E-learning courses
Data Protection Toolkit for Archives
This toolkit is for archive service staff involved in providing access to personal data found within an archive service’s collections.
The toolkit is hosted on Moodle, an e-learning service that The National Archives uses to host learning and development content for the archive sector. Following the link provided below, please fill out the New Account form with your details. Please enter your email address as your username and use the enrolment key: ‘Data Protection Toolkit’. Once you have registered, you will receive an automatic confirmation email from Moodle.
Sign up to the Data Protection Toolkit for Archives
If you already have an account, log in to the Data Protection Toolkit
Archive Service Accreditation e-learning course
This e-learning course is for anyone working with archive collections who wishes to find out about Archive Service Accreditation. It provides a general introduction to the scheme and will help participants take the first steps towards making an application.
Sign up for the Archive Service Accreditation e-learning
Fundraising for Archives e-learning course
We are in the process of reviewing the content of this course. The course will be closed to new registrants while we do this. We apologise for any inconvenience this causes – if you have any questions, please get in touch at asl@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
This e-learning course covers fundraising strategy, financial planning, cases for support, building networks and supporters, crowdfunding, and measuring outcomes and evaluation.
Video tutorials and step-by-step guidance will introduce you to each topic and guide you through online activities, enabling you to put what you are learning into practice and tailor it to your archive service.
Transfer to Places of Deposit (PoD) e-learning course
We are in the process of reviewing the content of this course. The course will be closed to new registrants while we do this. We apologise for any inconvenience this causes – if you have any questions, please get in touch at asl@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
This online learning course explains the key points of the Public Records Act for public record bodies. It describes what a place of deposit is and the process public record bodies should follow to select, prepare and transfer records for permanent preservation to a place of deposit.
The learning objectives of this course are to:
- understand the content and scope of the Public Records Act and the ’20 Year Rule’ changes
- gain knowledge about the process of selecting and transferring records from a public record body to a place of deposit
- recognise the roles and responsibilities for managing records under the Act and what the public record body needs to do
- find out about the guidance and support available from The National Archives
Recorded events
Take a look at our recorded events on YouTube, which cover a variety of topics, services and networks including:
Training
- organisational impact
- advanced bid-writing
- crowdfunding and digital fundraising
- Manage Your Collections in Discovery
Events
- Digital Archives Learning Exchange (DALE)
- Manorial Documents Register Conference 2022
- Archives for Everyone 2023 – 2027
- Launching the Level 7 Archivist and Records Manager apprenticeships
Grants programmes
- Risk and Resilience grants programme
- Cataloguing grants programme
- Research and Innovation grants programme
- Archives Revealed cataloguing grants