The signs of autumn are well and truly upon us. Last week, it was so cold, the overcoat came out of the wardrobe and I had to battle (and subsequently lost) with the wind and rain and a non-compliant umbrella, and then this week, the windows are open and desk fans are back on! But of course, there are other tell-tale signs that autumn is here. This past weekend has seen students in their thousands return back to Sheffield Hallam University for the start of the new term.
Of course, for the School and College Engagement team, the start of autumn term coincided with schools and colleges returning back at the start of September. Already, less than a month into the new year, the team has been travelling around the region delivering activities to thousands of students on sessions such as UCAS application support, student finance and information on higher degree apprenticeship sessions to name a few. SHUBiz – our team building activity for KS5 learners – continues to be popular with us having seen over 700 student from 6 schools within the first two weeks! And all of this is on the back of our biggest ever year for engagement activities having seen over 55,000 students at over 1,000 interventions in 17/18 across the country.
The new and familiar
This first term plays host to popular longstanding and fantastic new activities for schools and colleges to engage in.
Our annual Prom Competition has already been launched for Y13 students. This activity gives students an insight into the world of Events Management by preparing a short video of their ultimate end of year Prom. Previous winners have then been supported with £5,000 worth of professional expertise to plan and delivery their ultimate Prom – a great way to celebrate and commemorate their final year at school or college!
We also have the launch of the 1918 Project
, a programme of activities for years 9-13 plus community engagement events to mark the 100 year anniversary of the end of World War 1. This comprehensive programme provides sessions which explores the social and political upheaval experienced in Europe during this period providing students with further information of this significant period of recent history. Sessions are available at pre and post 16 and cover a range of areas such as the impact of the war on social class, health and diet during this period, the development of aviation, suffrage and social change after the war. Further details are available on the website or by contacting the team at sclo@shu.ac.uk .
The National Saturday Art and Design Club is still taking bookings for the 18/19 cohort commencing 6th October. This FREE programme is for 13-16 years olds held at the Sheffield Hallam Institute of Arts and runs for 24 weeks, providing students with a great experience and insight into the subject areas.
In Health and Social Care, Celebrity Hospital has been launched. An interactive activity developed for Y9-Y11 learners who will find out during a 1 hour session, the range of different healthcare careers available by studying a degree at Sheffield Hallam University or across the sector. This activity aims to raise awareness of the different courses and careers available in the sector, and provide information on some of the often-overlooked, yet vital members of the healthcare team. Following this, the activity provides information on what students can expect on a health or social care course, and what steps they need to take in order to get there. The Health and Social Care Application and Selection Sessions are also now available with students being able to book online https://www.shu.ac.uk/visit-us/hsc-support-sessions
At our summer teacher and advisor conference, we shared further details of the work we have been doing with our partners and colleagues in HEPP and HeppSY Over the summer months, HEPP (the Higher Education Progression Partnership) has gone through a refresh and restructure with an updated and complementary offer to that provided by the two great universities in the city. With a focus on pre 16 engagement and mature learners, HEPP continues will continue to provide support for targeted groups across the region.
Over the coming months, members of the team will be sharing news and updates through our School and College Engagement Team e-newsletters and blog so please stay tuned for more snippets of information about what the team is up to and some of the exciting activities schools, colleges, pupils, staff and the wider community can get involved in.
So back to battling with my umbrella… or do I need the sun cream??!!
James Barraclough
Head of School and College Engagement
@barraclough_jba
