Since opening its doors in September 2021, the IntoUniversity Newcastle East education centre – a partnership between Newcastle and Northumbria Universities and charity IntoUniversity - has supported the learning of almost 900 primary and secondary school students in the North East.
Based at Monkchester Community Centre in Walker, the education centre offers a supportive environment for young people aged 7-18 to realise their potential and make higher education more accessible.
Children from the North East are the least likely to go onto University. We are combatting this with colleagues from Northumbria University and IntoUniversity, offering a free programme of immersive educational activities and workshops to local primary and secondary schools.
One of the Year 6 students who has attended IntoUniversity Newcastle East said:
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“The main reason I come to IntoUniversity is because I want to be a doctor when I am older - I want to have a good understanding of universities and which university would be best for me. I also want to get good grades in English and Maths. Sometimes we work in pairs or teams at Academic Support and this has built my confidence and I have made lots of friends.
“My favourite memory is the Primary FOCUS Week, especially the graduation. It felt amazing to wear the cap and gown and speak in front of my head teacher, classmates and family. We also had a scavenger hunt on the university campus; it was amazing to see Newcastle University because I had never been there.”
The Primary FOCUS programme inspires students to think about their future education and the world of work, culminating in a week of concentrated learning on a university degree subject in Year 6. The programme raises students’ aspirations and promotes essential skills such as teamwork and communication.
IntoUniversity has benefitted my students greatly, particularly with their transition to Secondary school, which they would never really learn in the national curriculum. They have learnt practical skills like organisation and timetabling, as well as practising their social skills. IntoUniversity has helped my students think about their future not only in terms of their education, but also their future career options. The IntoUniversity programme has exposed the students to new ideas and options.
A teacher from a partner primary school
The Secondary FOCUS programme is a series of workshops and trips that increase students’ knowledge of Higher Education, career opportunities and educational pathways. The programme increases motivation, strengthens aspiration and develops transferable skills such as adaptability, teamwork and communication.
Post-16 Secondary workshops focus on independent learning skills, support with CV writing, interview skills, UCAS and personal statement support and the transition to university or another chosen pathway. This programme also includes extra-curricular enrichment and networking activities that stand out on students’ CVs and UCAS forms.
A Year 13 student who took part in the Post-16 Secondary workshops at IntoUniversity Newcastle East said:
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"My one-to-one interactions with IntoUniversity staff have reassured me that going to university to study Law is the right choice for me. The conversations I had with them alleviated some of the uncertainty I had about life at university. They checked over my application and gave me tips on how to add quality to it. The Newcastle East centre is great as the space is very calm. Being able to sit down with someone who has been to university relatively recently was such a massive help."
IntoUniversity is a national education charity which provides local learning centres where young people are inspired to achieve. 66% of school leavers who attended IntoUniversity centres in 2021 went on to progress to university, compared with 27% of students from similar backgrounds nationally.
IntoUniversity Newcastle East first opened its doors in September 2021 and was officially opened by the Vice-chancellors from both Newcastle and Northumbria Universities in March 2022. The centre was made possible thanks to the generosity of Newcastle University’s alumni and supporter community as well as our student volunteers and staff who support the delivery of the centre.
Supporting our communities
Our University has been the beating heart of Newcastle for almost 200 years. Central to everything we do is a desire to understand and benefit society. We work to improve the economy, health and cultural richness of the places and communities with which we work.
