Festival of Fun 2016 Launch Event!

This year, Sheffield Children's University are proud to be hosting another fantastic CU Festival of Fun which features a range of FREE activities right across the city delivered in the run up to and at the start of the summer holidays!

Wondering what the Festival of Fun is and how to get involved? Want to find out more? 

Come along to our fantastic launch event in the Winter Garden on Saturday 16th July 2016, 10am-4pm. Families will be able to have a go at some fabulous FREE activities and there will also be a market place of Learning Destinations armed with all the info you’ll need to plan your summer activities! There will be a few surprise along the way too so make sure you don't miss out!

The activities will be FREE to Sheffield children who have a CU Passport to Learning. Not got yours yet? Don’t panic – you can buy one from Sheffield libraries for just £2 each.

For all the latest Festival of Fun info and updates:

Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/sheffieldcu

Follow us on Twitter: @SheffieldCU ‪#‎FOF2016‬

Download the full programme of activities: Festival of Fun leaflet 2016

Festival of Fun 2016!

Sheffield Children's University (CU) are thrilled to announce that the CU Festival of Fun which features FREE activities right across the city delivered in the run up to and at the start of the summer holidays is BACK, and BETTER than ever!

There are over 50 activities planned for the summer festival including a treasure hunt and activities at Hallam University, woodland fun, roller hockey, music, climbing and high ropes, archery, canoeing and kayaking, , martial arts, science, dance, drama, gaming and a special trail around Sheffield linked to the Herd of Sheffield. They are for children aged four to five years upwards, and some are aimed at families taking part together, as well as children with SEN.

The activities will be FREE to Sheffield children who have a CU Passport to Learning. Not got yours yet? Don’t panic – you can buy one from Sheffield libraries for just £2 each for Festival of Fun and then use it at Learning Destinations across the city when summer activities have ended!

CU Festival of Fun 2016 will kick off with a fantastic launch event in the Winter Garden on Saturday 16th July 2016, 10am-4pm. Families will be able to have a go at some fabulous FREE activities and there will also be a market place of Learning Destinations armed with all the info you’ll need to plan your summer activities – school holidays sorted!

Please note that booking for all activities opens on 1st July 2016. No bookings will be taken before this date.

Please see the full programme for booking information for all activities. You can view it by clicking here: Festival of Fun 2016 leaflet. Leaflets outlining the full list of activities will also be sent to schools, Learning Destinations and other partners this week so keep your eyes peeled!

Make sure you find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/sheffieldcu and follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SheffieldCU for all the latest Festival of Fun updates too!

Samba in the Square!

Hundreds of school children brought a real carnival atmosphere to Sheffield earlier this week by performing their samba rhythms in Tudor Square as part of our CU Samba Day!

Sheffield CU samba in the square

CU school pupils perform in Tudor Square

20 of our CU schools came together to perform a samba piece that they have composed have and been practicing since November in a fantastic event at the Crucible theatre. And the samba rhythms could not be contained in the building as they spilled out into Tudor Square and created a real carnival atmosphere!

The day started with a fantastic visit the BBC Radio Sheffield breakfast to talk to Toby Foster about the day ahead. Katie was joined by Millie, Martha and Millie from Dore Primary School who talked about their Samba Club and had fun explaining what instruments they had learned to play!

Katie, Millie, Martha and Millie arrive at Radio Sheffield

The Samba day was planned to give schools the opportunity to take part in a number of large scale performances and to learn new pieces. Children and young people who attended also had the opportunity to play with an established Samba band and performed some of their own compositions on the Crucible stage too.

CU schools performing on the Crucible stage

Each year, we work with one of our Learning Destinations to create a 'Project-in-a-box'! The idea is that we give our schools sustainable resources and lesson plans to start a unique out of school club. This is exclusively available to our CU schools, and is one of the many benefits of being part of our fantastic club! In the past we have had rocket science boxes, STEM themed activities, a games compendium and even a forest school tool kit! This year we worked in partnership with our friends at the Sheffield Music Hub to create Samba in a Box!

Last November, 40 staff from schools that are part of Sheffield Children’s University joined together in a session, where they received their very own Samba kit and supporting lessons plans. The Sheffield Music Hub led the event, introducing the staff to the instruments, and the rhythms and techniques of Samba styles before releasing them back to share their learning with pupils from each of their schools. Since then, they have been using their ‘Samba in a Box’ kits to hone their pupils’ Samba skills, perfecting a piece ready for this celebration event, which was a great start to the build up for the Rio Olympics!

We were joined at the Crucible by the Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Anne Murphy and Councillor Chris Peace who both joined in on the action and played their very own agogo bells!

Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Anne Murphy, Councillor Chris Peace and Head of the Music Hub Ian Naylor perform their solo!

Better still, the parade and music performed by our schools in Tudor Square made such an impact, it was featured on BBC Look North! We had a FANTASTIC day and want to say a huge thank you to everyone involved who made the day such a huge success. You can find more photos from the event by clicking here: Samba Day 2016

Celebrate! - Sheffield Hallam University May 2016

We rolled out the red carpet again this week for a very special CU Awards Ceremony that took place on Tuesday 17th May, with over 200 children and young people all poised to receive their Gold Awards for taking part in over 100, 200, 300 etc hours of learning in their own time.

Children and young people who have collected their CU credits using a Passport to Learning receive their awards

John Leech, Pro-Vice Chancellor at Sheffield Hallam University gives an inspirational speech

Sheffield Hallam University kindly hosted the ceremony, which took place in the magnificent Atirum and Pennine Lecture Theatre and there were inspirational speeches from John Leech, Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Development and Society, Nicola Rawlins, Director of Admissions and UK Recruitment, Sheffield Hallam University and Sam Martin, Assistant Director of Lifelong Learning, Skills and Communities.

Assistant Director Sam Martin congratulates children and young people on their commitment to learning

Students from Firth Park Academy receive their Gold Awards

Before the ceremony began there was a marketplace buzzing with some of our fab Learning Destinations. Tempest Photography provided an opportunity for a photo in our special Sheffield CU caps and gowns.

Students from CU secondary schools were presented with their awards along with children and young people who have been collecting credits away from school using their Passport to Learning.

Children and young people collecting their credits using a Passport to Learning away from school receive their Gold Awards

Students from Chaucer School receive their Gold Awards from our special guests

There were also fabulous performances from some of our brilliant Learning Destinations - Noodle Performing Arts and Stagecoach Rotherham.

Leah from Noodle Performing Arts sings 'Defying Gravity'

Students from Stagecoach Rotherham give a special performance

Huge congratulations to all fantastic award winners, we are very proud of you! Massive thanks to Jenny Lawton-Hunt and the Student Ambassadors from Sheffield Hallam University for hosting the ceremony and providing their support.

For more photos of ceremony, please visit our Facebook page!

Stagecoach Rotherham say 'So Long, Farewell' to our award winners and their families

Planning your Spring Bank fun?

Are you looking for some exciting activities to do over the Spring Bank holidays where you can also collect CU credits using your Passport to Learning?

The Children's University Passport to Learning newsletter which includes details of activities happening across Sheffield during the Spring Bank holiday is now available. Click HERE to start planning your Spring fun!

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 by taking part. 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 any local library across the city and buy one for the bargain price of £2!


Keep up to date with all things Sheffield CU by finding us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/sheffieldcu and following us Twitter:www.twitter.com/Sheffieldcu

After-school clubs 'boost poorer pupils' results'

This morning the BBC reported that after-school clubs and sports can improve the academic performance and social skills of disadvantaged primary school pupils: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-3608156

It's FANTASTIC to see such a positive article on the BBC website that reinforces the work we do each day. Not only do we reward children and young people in Sheffield for giving up their own time to learn, being part of CU also makes a real difference in terms of self-esteem, motivation to learn and ultimately, academic performance.

Of course we already knew this! We have produced impact analysis reports year on year which all draw the same conclusion - children and young people who are part of Children's University are much more likely to do better and attend better at school. The more they do, the better they do too!

So what are you waiting for? If you are not part of Sheffield CU already, head to our website to find out more! www.sheffield.gov.uk/cu

Pam's Grand Day Out!

The amazing Pam, a member of our extended Sheffield CU family, has had a very busy weekend as she took on the challenge of walking from Bradfield to Bakewell in aid of the Alzheimers Society, a total of not less than 20 miles!

Pam decided to do the walk alongside her husband and daughter to try and make a small difference to the cost of the continuing research to find ways of lessening the effects of dementia, which currently affects someone close to Pam's heart.

Not only did she complete the walk (all 20+ miles) in one day, she also took our George along for the adventure!

We want to say a HUGE congratulations to Pam along with Michael and Rachel for taking on this challenge, and for being such an inspiration to us all. Pam - you are our star of the YEAR!