Gruelling challenges no obstacle for school pupils
Terrifying high ropes, tentative blindfold trails and gruelling climbing walls were no obstacle for energetic school pupils who attended an innovative one-off event hosted by the University of Sheffield to assist their transition to secondary school.
More than 240 primary school children from across South Yorkshire clambered, swung and jumped their way across a number of challenging obstacles at the Lindley Educational Trust’s Hollowford Centre in Castleton.
The aim of the event, hosted by the University's Outreach Team, was to help youngsters meet new friends and build up confidence before moving from their primary schools to Birley Community College in September.
The sporty students spent the day working in learning groups on a mix of physical, mental and creative activities including: the high ropes, climbing wall, blindfold trail, fire lighting, environmental art, the peg wall and the gutter race.
Kind-hearted students from the University's vast array of clubs and societies volunteered to help out on the day and were on hand to answer any questions the pupils had about student life and the benefits of higher education.
They were also tasked with encouraging pupils to take part in sporting clubs and other activities when they start at Birley Community College in September, explaining the benefits of getting involved.
The Activities Officer from The University of Sheffield’s Students Union, students from American Football and Trampolining demonstrated their sports to the pupils and then worked in groups with the pupils to come up with ideas for the activities they would like to participate in once at Birley Community College.
Outreach Officer, Caroline Knight said: "The importance of children taking part in after school activities has been highlighted as an area that the school feel the children will benefit from greatly.
Not only are after-school clubs fun, but they also help boost children's self-esteem and self-confidence. It helps them to be motivated and feel they can achieve more in school, if they succeed in a different area. The skills they learn by taking part in extracurricular activities can be transferred into the classroom helping them overcome barriers in the subjects they find difficult."
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Additional information
Outreach and Access
The University of Sheffield is fully committed to encouraging people to achieve their full potential, irrespective of their backgrounds. The University’s Outreach and Access Team has a long history of working with schools, colleges and community groups to widen participation to Higher Education.
The Outreach and Access team want to make a real difference to the lives of people in our region. As a result, much of the work the team does targets schools and colleges in South Yorkshire and the neighbouring areas.
Outreach
The University of Sheffield
With nearly 25,000 students from 125 countries, the University of Sheffield is one of the UK’s leading and largest universities. A member of the Russell Group, it has a reputation for world-class teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines.
The University of Sheffield has been named University of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards for its exceptional performance in research, teaching, access and business performance. In addition, the University has won four Queen’s Anniversary Prizes (1998, 2000, 2002, 2007). These prestigious awards recognise outstanding contributions by universities and colleges to the United Kingdom’s intellectual, economic, cultural and social life. Sheffield also boasts five Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students and many of its alumni have gone on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence around the world.
The University’s research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls Royce, Unilever, Boots, AstraZeneca, GSK, ICI, Slazenger, and many more household names, as well as UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations.
The University has well-established partnerships with a number of universities and major corporations, both in the UK and abroad. Its partnership with Leeds and York Universities in the White Rose Consortium has a combined research power greater than that of either Oxford or Cambridge.
Contact
For further information please contact:
Amy Pullan
Media Relations Officer
The University of Sheffield
0114 222 9859
a.l.pullan@sheffield.ac.uk