“Give it some welly,” may not be a traditional rallying cry for those considering applying to university, but the Higher Education Getaway is not a traditional programme.
“Give it some welly,” may not be a traditional rallying cry for those considering applying to university, but the Higher Education Getaway is not a traditional programme.
We view these events as a crucial part of preparing young people for entry into higher education.
Trevor Sinclair, University of Bedfordshire’s Access Partnership Team
Organised as part of the University of Cambridge’s HE Partnership project, the HE Getaway encourages young people to test their limits in a safe environment.
Adrenaline and enthusiasm is running high after a day of physical and mental challenges hosted by the Grafham Water Centre, Cambridgeshire. Students from four Cambridgeshire and Peterborough schools tested themselves in blindfold navigation challenges, climbing trials and team-building games, ending in a high-energy raft race.
After an overnight stay at Wyboston Lakes, the students were welcomed to the Luton campus by Trevor Sinclair from the University of Bedfordshire’s Access Partnership Team for a day of sample lectures, workshops and campus tours.
“We view these events as a crucial part of preparing young people for entry into higher education,” Trevor said. “Sample lectures provide an early insight into life in a lecture hall. Why is this important? Those coming to university from non-traditional backgrounds can find it a challenging transition. We hope that these events help individuals to make more informed decisions in terms of their education and future careers.”
“The facilities are amazing,” said Neal Wade Academy student Kacper, after a tour of the library, student accommodation and the cafeteria. “The social life will be fun but it will be better to concentrate on the education part, I don’t want to screw up my exams!”
Lewis, from Sir Harry Smith Community College, wants to be an architect. He was reassured by Matt’s talk about student finance “My parents want me to go to a good university,” he said. “I want to too, to do the best I can. The educational side is important but to meet new people will be great. University definitely feels more affordable now.”
“During the outdoor games we challenge the students to go that little bit higher, or further, than they think they can,” HE Partnership Co-Ordinator Matt Diston explains. “We encourage them to take managed risks on the high ropes, and to learn from and support each other. It’s not a very big leap the next day for them to realise that they can go a bit further in their education too, and that people like myself and Trevor are standing by with support and advice to help them take that next step.”
• Higher Education Partnership (HE Partnership) was established in 2012 in order to continue some of the most effective work that had been previously delivered through Aimhigher. The initiative aims to raise aspirations amongst students in local schools across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. We believe that together we are able to give Year 9-11 students a strong sense of their own ability and their higher education options through impartial information and advice and a wide range of activities based in schools and university departments
• The HE Partnership Co-ordinator is based in the Cambridge Admissions Office. If you are staff or a student at one of our HE Partnership schools and would like to discuss activities, or you'd like to know more about the programme, contact details for Matt are available here.
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