Students at Stephen Longfellow Academy were given the opportunity to take part in a visit to Leeds Beckett University on 11 May 2022. The aim of this visit was to raise aspirations around higher education and gain an experience of university life. This visit built upon recent school assemblies delivered by Leeds Beckett University ambassadors.
Students who attended the visit were given a short presentation about Leeds Beckett University and the main courses they do. The presentation was followed by an interactive activity called the Higher Education Card Game; students learned new higher education words which they matched to the appropriate explanation card.
Students were then given a tour of the campus which included: the eighty-million-pound sports centre, halls of residence, lecture theatres and the library. Students were even able to race each other on the world class indoor sports track and understand how sports performance is measured. After the tour there was a final activity which taught budgeting skills, looking at the weekly costs of a student at university.
The visit was successful, and students engaged well with university ambassadors and staff. On the day students asked relevant questions such as:
Is Leeds Beckett the best University to go to? SVE
How much does it cost to stay at university? JHA
When do I start to pay back the money for my course? LJO
How long is a degree? SHU
Feedback taken from the students showed that they all enjoyed the experience, especially the tour and participated well in the higher education matching card game (learning new terms). Feedback also showed there had been a clear increase in students now thinking about university. 100% of students said they would recommend the visit to other students.
Feedback from Leeds Beckett University about student engagement was very positive.
“From our perspective, we found your pupils to be engaged, respectful and focused on the tasks we set. Both George and Reuben (Student Ambassadors) were impressed with their level of knowledge and insightful and informed questions.
They were a real credit to the school, and we would be more than happy to welcome a group back onto campus in the future.” Sarah Thomas (UK Recruitment Manager)
The Stephen Longfellow Academy will continue to work with Leeds Beckett University to support its students to gain knowledge and experience about Higher Education, raising their aspirations for the future.
Raj Gill (Careers Officer)
