“I’m really enjoying myself!”  School pupils enjoy three-day taster of University life

The group of 23 pupils were aged 12 and 13 and were from Year 8 at the school, where they were about to choose which subjects they want to study for their GCSEs.

The idea behind the visit was to give the pupils as realistic an experience as possible of life as a student.  This is why the course was residential, for three days and two nights, with the pupils staying in rooms in the student accommodation at the University’s Bay campus.

During the day, the pupils got involved in activities in the University’s engineering labs, including:

• Operating the hi-tech robots in the robotics lab, including the robotic dog!
• Helping with experiments in the sports science labs, where researchers work with elite sports stars and with people with health conditions, assessing movement, performance and fitness
• Testing materials to breaking point, to see how much strain they can cope with, in the civil engineering labs

The visit was organised by the Reaching Wider team, which is based at Swansea University and works with schools across Wales. Their mission is to reduce barriers to higher education, especially among key target groups:  for example, children in areas where historically fewer people have gone to university, and teenage carers.

Reaching Wider is a partnership and also involves Gower College, Careers Wales and the University of Wales Trinity St David. It is funded by HEFCW.

As well as residential visits to campus, the team also organise day visits and go to schools to work with groups of pupils.  The aim underlying all their activity is to tackle any perception among young people that university is not for people like them, and to show pupils that it could be an option for them if they wished.

The residential visits are hosted by current Swansea students who are trained in working with young people and employed as part of the Reaching Wider team.  Some of these student leaders were themselves pupils at schools that the team works with and remember coming on similar visits when they were at school, before going on to study at Swansea University

Cian, a year 8 pupil at Dylan Thomas School, said :

“I don’t normally find this stuff interesting but I’m really enjoying myself! I like learning about the University”

Mr Tebay and Ms Quirk, teachers at Dylan Thomas School, said:

“The pupils had a fantastic time! The pupils thoroughly enjoyed all the activities and it was balanced really well with free time/exercise which added to the success of the trip.”

Ben Hyde, Reaching Wider Senior Programme Development Officer, based at Swansea University, said:

“Our aim at Reaching Wider is to broaden our young people’s aspirations.  So all of them, no matter what their background or circumstances, know that university could be an option for them, if they want.  

This is why the residential visits we organise are so important.  They give pupils the chance to come on to a university campus and experience all sides of student life – the learning and the social life.  It can help break down barriers and show that university is a place for them, if they want to follow that path.  It’s about planting a seed.

It was a pleasure to welcome the group from Dylan Thomas School and it was great to see how much they enjoyed their time with us.” 

Emilia Titherly, Reaching Wider Events Coordinator, added:

“During the residential, young people experienced and put into practice the principle of growth mindset. Everyone tried new things and pushed themselves out of their comfort zones. The young people also took part in activities aimed to boost their wellbeing including a morning beach clean where they collected 8 bags of rubbish!”

Find out more about the work of Reaching Wider