Future initiatives and developments include …
- The core age group for CU participation is 7-14. In 2011 we
started to pilot the expansion of CU provision to 5 and 6 year olds
with their families or carers. Following encouraging feedback from
a number of pilot areas we are delighted to be able to extend this
provision formally to all local CUs who feel that it fits well with
their local context. Please
click here to read more.
- Further development and implementation of a national CU
Volunteering accreditation, offering a leading contribution to the
Government's 'Big Society' agenda.
- Curriculum development and innovation will be ongoing as will
the development of national learning partnerships with
organisations including BBC, B & Q, Nationwide, the Ministry of
Defence as part of the Service Children's CU and many more.
Widening of our network of partnerships to enhance the quality of
provision for children, particularly evidenced through the
Learning Destinations. Examples of best practice will be
published on www.childrensuniversity.co.uk as part
of a collection of national 'Case Stories'.
- Partnerships with Further and Higher Education to continue the
development of CU Lectures and introduce CU Master Classes and
Seminars whilst encouraging more local Children's University
centres to appoint local Chancellors and Patrons.
- Further development of the website www.childrensuniversity.co.uk to include: Learning
Destinations, signposting of learning provision and web-links
to other online learning, the publication of 'Case Stories' of
outstanding practice, 'broadcasting' CU Lectures and providing
further information for local centres on leadership, management,
including CU Chancellors and volunteering.
- A Children's University Electronic Passport or
E-Passport is now available nationally. The
E-Passport will work alongside the Passport To
Learning linking in with school management information systems
and reducing the bureaucratic burden.
- Continued support for local centres through national and
regional meetings, the annual conference, enabling peer mentoring
and sharing of good practice. CU training will also continue,
specifically in the areas of Planning for Learning,
Planning for Excellence, the E-Passport and the
CU Volunteering accreditation.
- Ongoing engagement in research and evaluation through Professor
John MacBeath of the University of Cambridge, the Department for
Education and the Fischer Family Trust whose combined work will
continue to contribute to the Children's University's national
profile.
- Publication of national and local newsletters and examples of
'what works' in areas such as curriculum innovation, Higher and
Further Education partnerships, leadership and management and
children's involvement in directing their own learning.
- Introduction of Children's University Challenge centres (CUC)
which will be run through existing local CUs in partnership with
Higher Education and Teacher Training Institutions to improve
achievements specifically in English and Mathematics of the most
able 9 to 14 year olds. The CU Trust will actively seek to procure
external funding and support to deliver this aspect.
- Continued targeting of project funding at local, contextual and
relative deprivation. We also aim to at least match our achievement
in recent years of generating £2.69 of inward investment in local
Children's University provision for every £1 of project funding
support received from the CU Trust.
- Continued income generation through membership and a range of
other sources to offset the increase in costs essential to our
growth.
For further information please go to our Media and Publications
section. Other information and updates are available on the CU
Blog: CU Blog, Twitter: http://twitter.com/cu_trust and YouTube: www.youtube.com/NationalCU.
