Primary2Uni aims to introduce university to Year 5 and 6 pupils in a fun and interactive way. Our workshops are designed to raise aspirations. We provide pupils with an insight into higher education and our degree courses. We also explore Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) careers.
Partner schools
We now use a more targeted approach for our pre-16 outreach work. This helps make sure our activities have a clear impact on pupils from widening participation backgrounds. It also allows us to track progress and measure the success of our support.
As part of this, we have selected a group of partner primary schools. These schools have a high number of pupils from backgrounds underrepresented in higher education. We have also considered our existing partnerships when choosing these schools.
Our work with the Aldrin Family Foundation
We were the first university in the UK to partner with the Aldrin Family Foundation. Our goal was to distribute Giant Moon Maps™ to local primary schools. 27 maps have been distributed to Sunderland, South Tyneside and Durham primary schools. This is thanks to generous funding from:
- Sunderland City Council
- Reece Foundation
- Sir James Knott Trust
- The University of Sunderland
These maps bring the excitement of space exploration to the north-east. They are being used alongside interactive lesson plans. These are developed by our education students to inspire the next generation of STEMM professionals. The lessons are delivered mainly to Year 5 pupils. They offer a unique and interactive way to teach children about space and for them to hone critical skills in STEMM.
North East Raising Aspiration Partnership (NERAP)
We're also part of NERAP(opens in new tab), a collaboration between the five universities in the region. The universities are Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland, and Teesside. NERAP coordinates a range of activities for pupils in late primary education. It also offers specific targeted support for underrepresented groups. NERAP Higher Education Ambassadors deliver presentations and attend careers fairs.