Friday 27 March 2015

Learning Destination Update

We have been informed that as of 1st April, Graves Tennis and Leisure Centre will no longer be under the control of Sheffield International Venues (SIV). Instead, the centre will be run by Places for People. 



As a result, they will no longer be be a validated Learning Destination from this date, as they will not fall under the validation of SIV we completed in June 2014.

However, we are working to forge links with the incoming management team and hope that they will become validated in their own right very soon, meaning that you will be able to begin collecting CU credits from their activities from that date on wards.

We need to ensure that the new organisation and their activities meet our criteria and validation checks, as do all Learning Destinations across the city. This includes them having to declare they have a number of policies and procedures in place which relate to the quality and safety of their activities. We also visit them and discuss the learning elements of their activities too, to make sure your children are getting the very best from their activities. Part of the validation visit also checks that the organisation are willing to keep and return those all-important CU registers! You’ll be aware already that these registers are the ONLY way we know which credits to award to which children for which activity, and without them, we are unable to award the credits.

So, watch this space! As soon as they are validated, we’ll be sure to announce it here on our blog, and also on our social media sites, so please make sure you follow us on Twitter (@SheffieldCU), and Facebook (SheffieldCU)

PLEASE NOTE: this ONLY applies to Graves Tennis and Leisure Centre. All other SIV venues remain as Learning Destinations.


Thursday 26 March 2015

All to play for - our 2015 games 'project-in-a-box'!

Back in November 2014, Children’s University provided a special Games Compendium for those schools who were interested in setting up a games club after school or at lunchtimes, for children to gain more CU credits. The games were funded by CU but sourced and researched by Chris and Nigel at Imagination Gaming, one of our great Learning Destinations.




Three boxes, one for each of the first 3 key stages, were created containing exciting modern board and card games, which are age appropriate and help to develop numeracy, literacy and social skills. School teachers came to a twilight training session to learn all about how to play the games and collect their games boxes. An explanatory booklet distilling the rules down to was also provided. Children then had chance to play the games at school and become experts over the following few months.

In March 2015, we held our final three Games Tournaments. The Key Stage 1 tournament took place at Malin Bridge Primary School, Key Stage 2 at Gleadless Primary School and Key Stage 3 at Chaucer Secondary School.

Each tournament followed the same format; there was a morning of warming up and practicing the games and an afternoon of serious competition school against school. The mornings were quite lively but the afternoons were very quiet and studious as the children got down to some serious gaming. The gaming was of a very high standard and the children and young people taking part were a credit to their schools!


The final results were as follows:

Key Stage 1 School Winners: Prince Edward Primary School

Key Stage 2 School Winners: Concord Primary School

Key Stage 3 School Winners: Chaucer Secondary School


Key Stage 1 Pupil Winner : Max Rayner

Key Stage 2 Pupil Winner: Macauley Littler

Key Stage 3 Pupil Winner: Conny McDowall




All the children and young people taking part received a certificate and a CU goody bag. The winning school received a great trophy and the individual child gaining the highest score overall also received a trophy. The winning school went away with an extra bonus of a brand new game for their games box, paid for by CU.

There was a nail biting finish at the Key Stage 1 event when three children had all got the same high score and even more dramatically, there was one child from each of the schools represented in a final head to head over the card game Dobble. The three children sat down at a table to play and all their classmates and teachers crowded round to watch the final. Max from Dore Primary proved to be the Dobble master on this occasion and so won the individual trophy!

Equally tense was the three minute Jungle Speed play-off to decide the individual winner at Chaucer Secondary School. Conny McDowall was the overall winner.

The children enjoyed the chance to visit other schools and most importantly see what was on offer in the playground at break times of the schools they were visiting. One child was so impressed with the football, climbing frames, scrap store and mini disco available at Malin Bridge Primary at break time he asked if he could arrange a transfer to their school!

We hope all our schools continue to have fun with their Children’s University Games Compendiums and hope to arrange some more inter- school games tournaments in the future.


Monday 23 March 2015

Celebrate - Our 36th Gold Award Ceremony!

We hosted our third and final Gold Award Ceremony of the Spring term last Wednesday 18th March and welcomed 200 children, parents and carers and school staff to the Town Hall to celebrate their achievements.

The Deputy Lord Mayor and Councillor Fox present certificates

Children from 14 schools attended along with their parents and carers and were presented with their awards by the Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Talib Hussain and Councillor Denise Fox.

Children from Oughtibridge Primary School receive their awards


During the ceremony, there was a very special performance from the Alley Kittens clarinet group who are part of the Sheffield Music Hub. As one of our Learning Destinations, children and young people who attend music lessons or ensembles/orchestras are able to collect CU credits for taking part.

The Alley Kittens give a special performance

Performers from Alley Kittens delight the crowd with the latest Bond theme!
The ceremony was rounded off with a spectacular performance from the Concord AllStars Junior Marching Band.

National champion drummers from Concord Allstars showcase their award winning piece

Concord Allstars Junior Marching Band give a fantastic performance of Don't Stop Believin'!
HUGE congratulations to our fantastic award winners, their parents/carers and school staff. We are so very very proud of all of you!

Visit our Facebook page to view all the photos from the event!  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.876983842358592.1073741849.239129216144061&type=1&l=737913ec4c

Tuesday 17 March 2015

Planning your Easter fun?

Are you planning your Easter fun? The Children's University Passport to Learning newsletter which includes details of activities happening across Sheffield during the Easter is now available! Click HERE, or the link at the side of this blog to start planning now!



Children and young people who take along a Passport to Learning to all the activities listed in the newsletter will be able to earn additional CU credits at these activities. There's also an up to date list and contact details of our validated Learning Destinations. If you don't have a Passport to Learning yet, don't worry! You can pop into Sheffield libraries across the city and buy one for the bargain price of £2!




Monday 16 March 2015

Celebrate! - Our 35th Gold Award Ceremony

We rolled out the red carper to host our second primary gold award ceremony of the Spring term on Wednesday 11th March 2015 with nearly 200 children, parents and carers and school staff invited to the Town Hall to celebrate their achievements.


Children from Dobcroft Junior receive their awards
Children from 8 schools attended along with their parents and carers and were presented with their awards by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Peter Rippon, Councillor Denise Fox and Assistant Director of Lifelong Learning, Skills and Communities, Sam Martin, . There was also a marketplace where some of our fantastic Learning Destinations displayed information about their activities and involved parents/carers, children in their demonstrations.

Our special guests - Lord Mayor Peter Rippon, Councillor Denise Fox and Assistant Director Sam Martin

Children from HBH Academy Hartley Brook receive their awards

Speakers from Malin Bridge Primary talk about CU at their school
During the ceremony, there were guest pupil speakers from Malin Bridge Primary School who spoke about Children's University and the activities they are involved in. There was also a brilliant performance from Sheffield Sea Cadets band who closed the ceremony with a bang!

The Sheffield Sea Cadets band give a special performance

HUGE congratulations to our fantastic award winners, their parents/carers and school staff. We are so very very proud of all of you!

Visit our Facebook page to view all the photos from the event!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?


Friday 13 March 2015

Celebrate! - Our 34th Gold Award Ceremony

Our first primary Gold Award ceremony of the Spring term took place on Tuesday 10th March 2015 with nearly 200 children, parents and carers and school staff invited to the Town Hall to celebrate their achievements.

A proud parent/carer with their award winner
Children from 10 schools attended along with their parents and carers and were presented with their awards by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Peter Rippon, Councillor Denise Fox and Assistant Director of Lifelong Learning, Skills and Communities, Sam Martin, . There was also a marketplace where some of our fantastic Learning Destinations displayed information about their activities and involved parents/carers, children in their demonstrations.


Our lovely Sakina chats with award winners on our CU stall

During the ceremony, there were guest pupil speakers from Beck Primary School who spoke about Children's University and the activities they are involved in. There was also a brilliant performance from Sheffield Sea Cadets band who closed the ceremony with a bang!

Children from Anns Grove receive their awards

Guest speakers from Beck Primary tell the audience about their CU activities

The Sheffield Sea Cadets band give a special performance
HUGE congratulations to our fantastic award winners, their parents/carers and school staff. We are so very very proud of all of you!

Visit our Facebook page to view all the photos from the event!


Thursday 5 March 2015

Bringing Science Alive with the University of Sheffield!

Our fantastic Science Alive! activity day took place in the Winter Garden on Saturday 28th February, rounding off our February Freebie 2015 spectacular with a bang!

Delivered in partnership with the University of Sheffield Students Union, and Sheffield Volunteering, this fantastic event  saw children and families visiting the teddy bear hospital, finding out more about the science of magic, making their own DNA and pathogens and having an anatomy adventure, as well as lots of other science theme activities! See below for some photos from the event.