Primary school pupils graduate from the University of Gloucestershire

Friday 27 March saw the first graduation of the year at the University of Gloucestershire as Year 6 pupils from Oakwood Primary School, Cheltenham, completed their Primary Projects programme. The programme, the third such run with Oakwood Primary (and alternating every other year with participants from Finlay Road School) sees second year BEd students from the University partner with subject ambassadors to create modules for the pupils.

This year’s modules, ‘Travel-advertising’ and ‘Geography in the news’, saw pupils, among other things, make a short advertorial film about the wonders of Vietnam and a news programme looking at the Ebola crisis, the Villaricca volcano eruption in Chile and the correct way to use the emergency telephone numbers 999, 111 and 101.

The 7-week programme culminated today in a graduation ceremony at the University of Gloucestershire’s Park Campus with awards being presented by Penny Eccles, Director of Communications, Marketing and Student Recruitment. The students were clad in official gowns and sported home-made mortar boards as each was separately awarded with a certificate, and Penny described it as an ‘honour to be presenting the awards’.

Becky Tomkins, Outreach and Widening Participation Manager, said: “It is really nice to be working with Oakwood Primary School once more on a joint project. For university students to help pupils think about their futures and perhaps be a part of building their aspirations is fantastic.”