LEEDS CHILDREN'S UNIVERSITY

"There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in."
                            Graham Greene 'The Power and the Glory'

This lunchtime I attended the launch of the Leeds Children's University having been invited to become the university's first chancellor...

This is a fantastic initiative which will connect with and build on the brilliant work we have done with Study Support, Playing for Success and the Breeze initiative here in Leeds. The session was an opportunity to share with partner organisations how the Children's University movement, which is now operating in over 50 locations nationally, can provide a framework for validated and quality assured activities for 7 to 14 year olds. There are now 50000 young people with Children's University Learning Passports which they use to capture their out of school hours learning journeys and learning  activities at validated centres and schools. Mark Winder and Jane Wardman talked about the scheme and how organisations like our museums, libraries, our study support centres, our playing for success centres and other attractions like Middleton Railway, the Thackray Medical Museum, the Royal Armouries and Harewood House can get involved. Ros Hamer, headteacher at Crossgates Primary School, also talked passionately about her school's learning journey with the Children's University pilot work Viv Gibbons has led in the Seacroft and Manston Extended Services cluster in East Leeds.


This is a fantastic initiative and I hope as many as possible of our places where young people can learn will join the scheme. If you want to find out more about the Children's University you can visit their website at www.childrensuniversity.co.uk.
Chris