Year 9 students at Beamont Collegiate Academy were recently given the opportunity to experience, first hand, what University life is really like.
In conjunction with Children’s University, a selection of students attended a residential trip to Lancaster University. The trip formed part of the Academy’s ‘raising aspiration’ programme with the main focus being about students ‘thinking big’ and striving to gain the best possible start to adult life.
During the visit students were guided through a number of challenging activities by Lancaster University Ambassadors who also acted as tour guides and mentors to the students. The tour of the campus included visits to the food courts and lecture theatres and the students were able to experience a real sense of ‘community’ that the University campus offers.
Students were involved in the planning and preparing of group presentations which they then delivered to peers, University Ambassadors and lecturers in one of the lecture theatres. An informative speech regarding the pathways into University was then delivered to students along with information on available courses and student loans.
The visit ended with an inspirational talk from a motivational life coach who encouraged and convinced the students that they were more than capable of achieving anything in life as long as they worked hard and had the desire to succeed.
As a result of the residential, students now have the opportunity to become Ambassadors for Children’s University with many showing a genuine interest in volunteering their time to help support the scheme which involves young people.
Student feedback from the visit was resoundingly positive.
“I have learnt to be myself and now know that I can reach University no matter how hard it is” – Abbie Newton, 14.
“At the start I thought I wouldn’t be able to go to University but now I have had this experience I am now sure that I will be able to go and will enjoy the experience in real life” – Molly Stokes,14.