Pupils stay for taste of college

Children from the Black Country are taking part in a unique sleepover “learn in”. Around 150 pupils will take over all four floors of Wolverhampton University Harrison Learning Centre on Friday night to learn about life in higher education. The 12 and 13 year olds, accompanied by their teachers, university staff and students, will be given a chance to find out about university life and enjoy fun activities.

Schools taking part are Aldersley High School, Wolverhampton, Cradley High School, Dudley, Darlaston Science Community College and Warley High School in Sandwell. They will make a broadcast on Wolverhampton Community Radio, work on a Black Country version of Crimewatch, design a summer beach house, create costumes out of newspapers, explore complementary therapies and design computer games.

Lessons in Chinese, Thai Chi, music, dance, drama and sign language will be on offer as well a “university life” quiz. The workshops will take place on Friday evening and be followed by midnight feast, showcasing what they have learned the following day for their parents and families, who will attend a programme of events Saturday morning while the youngsters prepare.

Organisers are targeting bright children who may come from families with no history of attending University. Mary Heaney, director of the university’s learning centres, said: “We though it would be great to focus on Black Country schools and invited them to send pupils to sleep over at the centre so they can see for themselves how much fun learning can be.

“We hope they’ll leave with an aspiration for entering further and higher education.”

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