UNiFY is our annual programme of residential summer schools for pupils in Y10 and Y12.
The residential programme launched in 2017 with three-day UNiFY events taking place at Keele and Staffordshire Universities. Learners had the opportunity to get a taste of what the university experience is all about. They experienced academic sessions from partner universities, social activities in the Students Union, and lived in student accommodation during their visit.
The events help learners to think about what kind of university they may want to attend in the future by showing them the wide range of options available once they leave school.
As well as experiencing an academic taste of university, participants also learned more about how they apply to university, how the student loan system works, the new Degree level Apprenticeships on offer, and how to choose which university they want to go to.
The feedback from participants has been outstanding. One learner said, “My experience at UNIFY was very informative and tackled the concerns that I had about choosing the right university for me and the life of a student.”
Because pupils come from multiple schools and not with their friends, UNiFY also helps participants develop communication skills and grow in confidence, just like they will when they go to university. Many participants discussed how much this helped them. One said, “I met some amazing friends, and this has given me an idea of uni life. I experienced being away from family and home and this helped me gain confidence as I came here alone.”
Next year, we want to make UNiFY bigger and better, so we will be running four events for Y10s and four events for Y12s. Booking will open soon. Look out for us in your school promoting UNiFY or go to www.higherhorizons.co.uk/unify to book your place.