University of Winchester students help reduce educational inequality The University’s Winchester Hub has rolled out the Schools Plus student mentor scheme to three schools in Hampshire, to encourage pupils who may otherwise miss out on reaching their full academic potential. The Winchester Hub is part of the national charity Student Hubs, which launched the Schools Plus community volunteering project last year. As part of the project, more than 25 University of Winchester students are tutoring school children at Forthill School and The Costello School in Basingstoke, and Quilley School of Engineering in Eastleigh. “As a Primary Education student at Winchester, the principles of Schools Plus really resonate with my own beliefs that every child should reach their academic potential regardless of their background,” said Florence Jones, Student Coordinator at Winchester Hub. “The commitment my peers have shown has brought this project alive, ensuring that were doing our part to achieve this.” Schools Plus tutors are given training and support to ensure they are equipped with the skills and knowledge to help struggling school pupils. Students commit to delivering tutoring for at least one university term to enable pupils build steady relationships with their tutors and get the most out of the subject-specific support that they can offer. Richard McFaul, Pupil Premium coordinator at Forthill School, said: “We are delighted to be working with students from the University of Winchester. The aim of our project is to raise aspiration levels and allow Forthill students to open their minds to university from an early age. As the students are engaged in a reading project, we are also helping to raise levels of literacy. To work in a group with a real university student has proven to be a really positive experience for our children who are really enjoying the partnership.” The project is just one example of the volunteering opportunities on offer at the University through the Winchester Hub – a student led social enterprise scheme that aims to inspire, connect and support students to make a difference during their time at university, empowering a new generation of socially active citizens. Catherine Mitchell, Winchester Hub Support Officer, said: “We support Schools Plus at the University of Winchester because we believe that students are in a unique position to pass on knowledge and passion for their subject, and for learning in general, in order to help pupils to reach their full academic potential. It’s been wonderful to see how popular the project is among students this year – so many of whom are incredibly motivated by the opportunity to make a difference in this area”. The Winchester Hub is looking to expand its work to more schools next term.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 11:33:33 +0000
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