Children from Old Ford Primary School in Tower Hamlets had their first taste of university last Friday when they spent the day at Murray Edwards College. The visit came at the end of a week-long programme run by IntoUniversity, an organisation that supports children in deprived parts of London to achieve their potential.
Children from Old Ford Primary School in Tower Hamlets had their first taste of university last Friday when they spent the day at Murray Edwards College. The visit came at the end of a week-long programme run by IntoUniversity, an organisation that supports children in deprived parts of London to achieve their potential.
The 26 children, all in Year 6, spent the week learning more about the city they live in. They went on a walking tour of the East End and spent a day at the Tower of London. They were encouraged to think about how they might move from school to university – and about the range of careers open to them later in life.
At Murray Edwards the children took part in a quiz that encouraged them to explore the college and the gardens in groups led by undergraduates. After the lunch the groups put the finishing touches to presentations they had been preparing on some of London’s most famous landmarks – Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Big Ben and the Millennium Dome.
Murray Edwards Admissions Tutor Dr Hilarie Bateman, who wore her academic gown in honour of the occasion, awarded all the children with graduation certificates to mark the completion of their week.
Dr Bateman said: “We were delighted to welcome these young and gifted students. Their presentations were informative and fun, and we hope that some of them will be applying to Cambridge in the years to come.”
Audrey McKenzie, one of the Year-6 teachers at Old Ford PS, said she had seen the children grow in confidence over the week: “This has been a wonderful opportunity for the children to raise their aspirations and begin to think about going to university as well as getting a glimpse of what they might do in the future if they work hard and aim high.”
During the week, many of the pupils had begun to talk about going to university and what they might like to study. Ayesha Begum said she wanted to study maths “because I’m quite good at it”. Saeed Miah said that the highlight was the visit to the Tower of London: “It’s much bigger than I thought and it’s interesting to see how people lived in the past.”
IntoUniversity currently operates from four bases in London. It will shortly be opening a base in Haringey which is the London Borough linked to Murray Edwards under the Cambridge Area Links Scheme.
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