School pupils enjoy sweet treat taster week
Pupils from across South Yorkshire visited Sheffield Hallam this week for a four-day chocolate-themed higher education experience ahead of the Easter weekend
‘Spring Up’ is an annual taster event hosted by the University’s Widening Participation and Outreach team, who work with children and young people in the community to improve engagement and aspiration to higher education.
Over 90 pupils from 16 schools across the region came to the University for the taster week, to experience the day-to-day life of a university student.
A range of activities and challenges will help the pupils develop their confidence, leadership and social skills.
Max Scotford, Sheffield Hallam graduate, master chocolatier and founder of Bullion Chocolate shared with the students how he started his award-winning company.
During the week, students took part in a range of chocolate-themed activities, including learning about the link between food and energy and how to market a chocolate product, culminating in a team challenge to create their own chocolate brand and present it to a panel of guest judges.
At the end of the week, the pupils will be joined by family and friends for a graduation ceremony to mark their achievements.
Kendra Argile, widening participation and outreach officer at Sheffield Hallam, said: “We’re working with students from areas in the region with low progression into higher education – those who might feel that university isn’t an option for them.
“We wanted to bring these pupils into a fun and safe learning environment, where they can socialise and develop new skills, such as critical thinking, teamwork and social skills.
Pupils participating in the week’s activities are part of the HeppSY+ programme, a regional initiative to support young people most at risk of missing out on higher education. HeppSY+ is part of a wider, national programme that aims to increase the number of young people progressing to university.
Sheffield Hallam is a leader in widening access to higher education to people from all backgrounds.
In 2016/17, Sheffield Hallam admitted more students from neighbourhoods with historically low numbers going on to university than any other provider in the UK.
In addition, 41% of Sheffield Hallam students come from low-income households and the student body is 96% state-educated (against a national average of 90%).
More than 1,100 engagement activities were delivered to more than 56,000 local young people through the University’s award-winning Schools and Colleges engagement programme in 2017/18.
About Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University’s vision is to become the world’s leading applied university, transforming lives and creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds.
As one of the UK’s largest higher education providers, with over 30,500 students, the University is committed to the Sheffield City Region, providing leadership to drive improvements in social mobility, health and the economy.
Sheffield Hallam delivers a comprehensive range of courses and is one of the country’s largest providers of health and teacher training. Home to the UK’s biggest modern business school, the University’s industrial partnerships ensure that the knowledge students develop is relevant, addresses the skills gap and helps business’ grow.
The University’s research is characterised by a focus on real-world impact – addressing the health, cultural, economic and social challenges facing society today
