Post 16 activities – on campus activities

Find out more about how we are able to welcome groups of students onto our campus through a variety of opportunities and activities. Make sure you also check out our off-campus events provision.

Summer residentials

Students with suitcases walking towards a halls of residence

Our fully funded 2022 summer residential events are now open to applications and will take place on our Ormskirk campus from:

Monday 25 July – Thursday 28 July
Monday 1 August – Thursday 4 August

Our summer residentials are aimed at year 12 (year 13 if in Northern Ireland) and 1^st year college students wanting an opportunity to experience university study before making their higher education choices. Students will receive university-level tuition from our academic tutors, engage with other prospective students and some of our current students.

All students will receive a project to complete during the event and/or take part in realistic taster lectures and workshops, which will be excellent preparation for university study and be a good example to use in your personal statement. You will also have the opportunity to learn from our current students about life on campus and receive advice on applications and student finance.

Dates and departments:

Week one: Monday 25 July – Thursday 28 July

Apply online for the History Summer Residential

The History Residential will cover the following four sessions delivered by different academic staff in the History department:
We Are Not Amused!: What did it take to make a Victorian laugh? Nothing short of a miracle, you might think. After all, we tend to think of our ancestors as a straight-laced and serious people who, in the words of their Queen, were terminally ‘not amused.’ But in this interactive taster session you’ll discover that this old stereotype isn’t true. We’ll explore the rich history of Victorian comedy by looking at original copies of nineteenth-century joke books, newspapers, and magazines. You’ll receive training on how to become ‘joke detectives’ and have the opportunity to contribute to a new digital archive built in collaboration between Edge Hill and the British Library. We’ll also discuss the value of comedy as a form of historical evidence — what can we learn by studying the things that make people laugh?

Jack the Ripper: This session will examine Jack the Ripper as a cultural phenomenon and as an example of the way in which crime has been used historically as a metaphor for wider social fears and anxieties. The point of this session is not to consider in depth the brutality of these crimes, which took the form of the murder of five women in the East End of London in 1888, but to use the murders as a lens to explore the time and location in which the murders took place. The extensive press coverage these murders attracted can tell the historian a great deal about late Victorian fears and anxieties about rapid social and economic change, the city and it was navigated by the poorest classes.

Bubble-gum and Bombs: the US and the Second World War: A brief look at the US experience of the Second World War and how transforming into the word’s first superpower impacted not only the outcome of the war but the lives of millions of Americans. Among the topics we will explore are high diplomacy, propaganda, race, women and how the world’s greatest fighting machine was created almost overnight.

Business as Usual? Britain’s Domestic Politics in the Second World War: The popular perception of Britain during the war is that it was a time of national unity in the face of the Nazi enemy. What is often lost in this view is the intense political debate that took place during this conflict, a debate that would contribute, some historians argue to the creation of the Welfare State. What is also often glossed over are the many examples of disunity in British society like, for example, looting, the variable quality of air-raid shelters, the ability of the well-to-do to access extra food supplies and the mistreatment of evacuees. This session will offer a glimpse beneath the surface of the widely held view of wartime Britain.

Please visit the departmental and course pages for more information about individual courses.

Week two: Monday 1 August – Thursday 4 August

Apply online for the Early Years and Primary Teaching and Education or Secondary and Further Teaching and Education Summer Residential

Students will choose between Early Years and Primary age group (teaching and working with children aged 0-11) or Secondary and Further Education (teaching and working with children and young people aged 11+).

Early Years and Primary: You will get an invaluable Higher Education experience with the opportunity to learn about routes into teaching for the chosen age range. You will also consider alternative courses which lead to working with children and young people in roles within alternative educational contexts and communities. You will take part in practical, hands on workshops studying different subjects through tasters, lectures and seminars. Topics may range from creative approaches to teaching the curriculum to behaviour management. All sessions will be delivered by Edge Hill University staff, who have expert knowledge and experience related to teaching and working with children and young people. Choosing a specific age range to look into will enable you to gain an in-depth understanding of working with those age-groups, either as teachers or other professionals in education. We hope this experience will support the decisions you make about Higher Education in the future.

Secondary and Further Education: You might be interested in school teaching, working or supporting in other educational contexts such as museums or outdoor education, or interested in the multi-disciplinary study of education through our BA Education and related joint honours courses.

You will be introduced to the diversity of academic approaches to the study of education, drawing on the psychology, history, philosophy and sociology of education. You will be encouraged to think critically about the nature and purposes of education across a range of age phases and educational contexts and will explore how education can improve or transform life chances for all, and especially those who are marginalised, disadvantaged or in need throughout all stages of life.

If you are interested in teaching, you will have the opportunity to explore routes into teaching in Secondary Schools and the 14+ sector. You will take part in practical, hands-on workshops studying different subjects through tasters, lectures and seminars. Topics may range from creative approaches to teaching the curriculum to behaviour management. All sessions will be delivered by Edge Hill University staff, who have expert knowledge and experience related to teaching and working with children and young people.

Please visit the departmental and course pages for more information about individual courses.

The experience will include:

Academic workshops

You will gain a detailed insight into the way the courses are taught here at the university and will have access to the expert staff who deliver the courses. The workshops, sessions and activities that each department have put together have been arranged so that you can get a full and enriched experience of that particular department.

Project-based work

Departments that set their own project-based learning task around a particular topic will enable you to try independent study as well as giving you the opportunity to practise your presentation skills. The informal presentation at the end of the final academic session will allow you to share your project with your group and department staff to get feedback on your ideas.

Preparation for university

As well as access to the academic departments, you will also receive an induction into the services and facilities that students use whist studying at university. Our current students can give you a great insight into what university life is really like, such as how they budget, the societies they are involved with and how they settled in to their new way of life. You will leave with an excellent understanding of what the Edge Hill University Student Experience includes.

Application preparation

As this event takes place during the summer holidays, students must enquire and book their places individually. Details of the summer residentials will be sent to key contacts within schools/colleges and displayed on this website.

Student testimonials

Read what previous attendees at our summer residentials have to say about their experience:

“The academic sessions taught me how to work in a team and I enjoyed meeting new people.”
Craig

“I came here very nervous and not knowing anyone but I put myself out there and just thought what is there to lose!”
Maisie

If you have any queries please get in touch:

[email protected]

Please note that departments require a minimum number of students to run their residential so we reserve the right to withdraw any department or subject from the residential at any time.

An unrecognisable student guide talking to a group of students outside the Hub

Bespoke campus visits

The team have extensive experience organising and facilitating bespoke school and college campus visits, ranging from small cohorts of students to entire year groups. A head of a sixth form recently commented:

“A massive thank you to all involved. It was a very worthwhile trip and we very much appreciate the effort that was put into the planning of it. It is definitely something that I would look to repeat with future year groups”

Programmes can be tailored around individual school or college requirements in terms of sessions and timings but a typical example of a day can be seen below:

Time	Activity
9.45am	Arrival and welcome
10am	Introduction to Higher Education: Choosing a Course and University
11am	Workshop of your choice (from our range of presentations/workshop activities)
12pm	Lunch (provided by the university)
12.45pm	Campus Tour (led by student guides)
1.45pm	Evaluation Student Guide Q and A Student Life Talk (optional)
2.15pm	Departures

Booking a bespoke campus visit

To discuss a visit, please contact the Education Liaison Officer responsible for your region, or email [email protected] .

For subject specific campus visits, we would direct schools/colleges to our subject taster days.

Please note that the summer term is a particularly busy period for campus visits, so we recommend that you book early to avoid disappointment.

Subject taster days

Students crowded round a hospital bed in the clinical skills and simulation centre, watching someone who is talking to them

We are excited to be able to invite you onto campus to take part in our subject taster days. These events give students the opportunity to:

attend introduction and taster sessions in their chosen subject
explore how school and university subjects relate to different career paths
find out about the facilities, accommodation and campus Edge Hill University has to offer
receive general Higher Education information
speak to current students and staff
ask any questions they may have.

The clear link with careers means our subject taster days can make a useful contribution to a school or college’s gatsby benchmarks. These events provide opportunities for deeper engagement with the subject, enhancing A Level or BTEC study and enabling students to make an informed choice about Higher Education.

Feedback on these events from both a student and a member of staff can be found below:

“There are many degrees related to Geography that I can study, that I didn’t even know about!”
Student on Geography and Geology taster day

“The students enjoyed the day, they got an insight into the university and they really liked the student ambassador who was really helpful and informative about the campus and everything course related.”
Runshaw College

Booking a subject taster day

Booking is now open for subject taster days taking place this spring and summer. To book individual and group places on any of the below events, please use the button below or email your regional officer.

Book your place

Subject	Date
Animation	Wednesday 29 June 2022
Biology Olympiad	Wednesday 15 June 2022
Business, Marketing and Accountancy	Thursday 16 June 2022
Computer Science and Engineering	Thursday 23 June 2022
Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre	Wednesday 22 June 2022
Education and Teacher Training	Thursday 23 June 2022
English, History and Creative Writing	Wednesday 29 June 2022
GeoSciences	Wednesday 22 June 2022
Health and Social Care	Wednesday 8 June 2022
Media, Film, TV and Music Production	Friday 1 July 2022
Medicine	Wednesday 23 March 2022
Law and Criminology	Friday 17 June 2022
Policing	Friday 24 June 2022
Psychology	Friday 1 July 2022
Social Sciences	Friday 17 June 2022
Sport and Physical Activity	Wednesday 29 June 2022

Subject specific sessions

The following sessions can be delivered in person or online (unless otherwise stated). All sessions are also aligned with the Gatsby Benchmarks as below.

To book any of the below presentations or workshops, contact your relevant Education Liaison Officer or email [email protected]

Presentations

Introduction to Biosciences

This session covers post-16 options, the variety of Biosciences courses at Edge Hill and possible career paths these degrees could lead to. It will also include some information about the department and research at Edge Hill University, including possible research areas that students could get involved in.

Epidemiology Lecture

This session will mimic a mini lecture that students may experience at university. There will be insight into disease outbreaks ranging from Cholera in London 1854, Haiti 2010 and Coronavirus 2020. It is designed to give students a taste of studying at undergraduate level and give them an opportunity to ask any questions about Edge Hill University and the courses on offer.

Workshops

*Biological Molecules

Basic concepts, conceptual understanding, and modelling of selected biomolecules (e.g. aminoacids, proteins, and enzymes).

Methods of studying cells

In this practical session we will learn to calibrate an optical microscope in order to measure the size of different cells. We will also look at the cells within whole organisms under the scanning electron microscope.

*Plant exchange and transport

No heart beat, no blood, yet plants have evolved a gas exchange and transport system that enables them to become the longest lived organisms on the planet. Learn how they do this in a practical manner.

*Evolution and population change

Darwin didn’t know it all! A practical and/or theoretical session on how organisms respond to natural selection and how this leads to speciation and diversification.

*The human body

The human body is the most heavily studied system on the planet. Learn about it’s complexity, from fundamentals to up-to-date research.

Ecological Field Methods

Exploring practical technique to answer questions in community and population ecology, including a short field trip to a local woodland.

Taxonomy and Biodiversity of Microorganisms

A general introduction to microbial biodiversity, characterization and classification with lab-based insights into microbial morphology, physiology, and metabolism.

*Recombinant DNA technology and Gene Expression

Through a taught session you will learn how recombinant DNA technology and gene expression can lead to increased production of clinically relevant compounds such as antibiotics.

PCR and Gel Electrophoresis

This practical session will teach students how to perform PCR and gel electrophoresis using university equipment. They will learn about the history and applications of PCR and gel electrophoresis before interpreting their results.

* These sessions can be held both on and off campus.

Gatsby Benchmark 7

Presentations

Introduction to Computer Science

This session explores the wide range of computing courses available to study at Edge Hill, looking more closely at entry criteria, facilities available, placements and career prospects.

Introduction to Engineering

This session explores the wide range of engineering courses available to study at Edge Hill, looking more closely at entry criteria, facilities available, placements and career prospects.

Workshops

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)

As Pokemon Go taught us, there’s a lot of fun to be had from augmented reality (AR) games, but how do you make them, are they easier to develop than virtual reality games (VR), or traditional games? If you want to be an indie developer or work with the biggest names in the industry, the future of games development is in VR and AR, a global market which is expected to hit $180.1 billion in revenues by 20/21. In this session students will learn how they can be part of the fastest growing scene in games development, included virtual reality, augmented reality, e-sports and others. The session will look into the design and development of video games and they will begin the fascinating process of learning games programming through practical industry standard environments. See what VR can do, and step into the world of tomorrow!

Robotics

Have you ever wondered how Artificial Intelligence can now enable robots to perform simple (e.g., walking) or complex (e.g., driving) human activities? Would you like to learn how to use a software platform to interact with state-of-the-art humanoid robots?

Recent developments in Artificial Intelligence have powered robotic systems, such as self-driving cars, unmanned aircrafts, smart home devices and smart personal assistants, to efficiently perform a wide range of complex human tasks. This session will introduce students to fundamental Artificial Intelligence technologies in which Machine Learning (ML) is a vital component. ML aims to leverage large-scale data sources to extract knowledge required for the automation of different tasks. During a hands-on practical session, students will use the Choregraphe software platform to interact with humanoid robots and will then use this software to write various behaviour and activity programmes for the humanoid to carry out.

Artificial Intelligence

Have you ever wondered how computers can now understand the content of images (e.g., identifying people or objects in images), make sense of written or spoken language, make personalised recommendations or seamlessly translate text between different languages? Would you like to learn how computers can be programmed using Artificial Intelligence to automatically interpret different inputs (e.g., image, video, audio, text)?

Over the past decade, there has been an exponential increase in the availability of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. State-of-the-art AI methods are now being increasingly used to a) power intelligent robotic systems, such as self-driving cars, unmanned aircrafts, smart home devices, smart personal assistants, and b) to automate a wide range of different tasks (e.g., object recognition, spam detection, automatic recommendation). This session will introduce students to fundamental Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning algorithms for processing and analysing large-scale data sources (e.g. text, images, videos, etc.). Students will be taught about various common ML algorithms and how to integrate these within real-word practical applications. During a hands-on programming challenge, students will then work in teams to develop a Credit Card Fraud Detection algorithm.

Web Gaming

If you have ever wondered how games are developed for the web and why these games are so popular? This all starts with good web design. Ever wanted to be able to build your own game? The session will introduce students to web design by creating a web-based game using HTML, CSS and javascript. The session will also cover assets and file management for optimal user experience.

Gatsby Benchmark 7

Presentations

Introduction to English and Creative Writing

This session covers the variety of career opportunities available to students studying English or Creative Writing and how best to prepare for the career of their choice. This session includes practical advice for making the most of your degree and preparing for graduation, the session also looks at alumni profiles showing how they transitioned from their undergraduate studies into work or further study.

Workshops

English Literature

‘Liberty, Equality, Fraternity – or Death!’: Protest Writing in the Romantic Period

This session will introduce you to the historical and political background of some major Romantic period texts, exploring how authors such as Austen, Blake, and Coleridge responded to revolutionary unrest at home and abroad in their writing. The session will engage you in close reading, critical and historical analysis, and support the development of the written and oral presentation of your work.

Susan Hill and the Supernatural

This session engages with the supernatural fictions of Susan Hill, creator of The Woman in Black and many other ghost stories. It compares this original ghost novella (1983) with Stephen Mallatratt’s play adaptation of the same name, and considers the extent to which the reputation of pop culture’s most infamous ‘maternal murderer’ should be rescued.

Contemporary Crime Fiction

This session focuses on narrative strategies in contemporary crime fiction. The far-reaching consequences of crime are foregrounded in texts by authors like Ian McEwan and Kate Atkinson who use postmodern experiment to explore issues of class and gender that disrupt the social order at particular points in history.

Critical Conversations

This session will explore some answers to the following questions: How do we think about texts that we read? What shapes our ways of thinking? How does how we think shape what we value about literary artefacts? It will support your engagement with secondary criticism in relation to your close readings of texts.

English Language

Child Language Acquisition

This is a student-centred, practical workshop looking at children’s early lexical production and comprehension. In this session you will investigate the sorts of words children acquire first before looking at how the pronunciation and comprehension of early words differ from their adult equivalents.

Language Change

This session will provide you with a basic introduction to studying Language Change, which involves the investigation of developments in grammatical and discourse usage in language, both in the past and more recently. The session will focus on digital communication, raising awareness of the form that language and communication take within contemporary communication via social media.

Language Diversity

This session focuses on eye dialect, first described as ‘misspellings of words…[that] in the literary dialect…[provide] obvious hints that the general tone of the speech is…different from…conventional speech’ (Krapp, 1926). We will analyse extracts from different genres to explore the effects of eye dialect, and how – although its use is controversial – it can capture aspects of a character’s social identity and status.

Textual variations and representations

This session will provide you with an introduction to code-switching, with extracts coming from different stylistic registers and varieties of English, as well as bilingual code-switching examples. It will consider how to analyse code-switching/code-mixing and how speakers use language to communicate and to construct their different personal and cultural identities.

Some newer Englishes: Pidgins and creoles

A number of languages have developed over the past few hundred years which use English as the main source of their vocabulary, but which have structural and sound systems which can be quite different. These are pidgins (which do not have first-language speakers) and creoles (which do). We’ll look at material from some of these languages, from all over the world, and see occasions when they are similar to English and when they are very different.

Critical Discourse Analysis

How do print and online media try to influence your views? How can you tell if a news article offers balanced reporting? How does clickbait work? This workshop will provide hands-on practice on the techniques we can use to critically examine the content and presentation of texts in order to uncover implicit attitudes.

Creative Writing

We offer a number of interactive Creative Writing workshops in the following areas:

Short Story Writing
Script Writing
Screen Writing
Writing Comedy
Writing Fiction
Writing Narrative Games

Gatsby Benchmark 7

Presentations

Introduction to Geography and Geology

This session covers post-16 options, the variety of Geography and Geology courses at Edge Hill and possible career paths these degrees could lead to. It will also include some information about the department and research at Edge Hill University, including possible research areas that students could get involved in.

Workshops

Floods in the past: what can we learn about them and why should we?

This lecture introduces the subject of palaeofloods, that is, river floods whose occurrence and characteristics are identified using evidence in the landscape. The types of evidence used, such as sediments and landforms, will be presented along with a discussion of how the ages of past flood events can be measured and the severity of floods can be assessed in a variety of environments. The lessons that can be learned from palaeoflood records will also be examined.

Mount Mazama: Monster of the past

Volcanic activity can impact on aquatic and terrestrial environments at various spatial and temporal scales. We know a lot about the proximal impacts but not very much about impacts further away. Volcanic ash (tephra) can be dispersed hundreds of km’s away from the volcano, but the impacts of distal tephra deposition are poorly understood. Through the case study of Mount Mazama (Oregon) that erupted 7,600 years ago we will gain a deeper understanding of the distal terrestrial and aquatic environmental impacts of volcanic eruptions.

Super Eruptions and Super Volcanoes

This lecture will introduce basic principles of volcanology and will describe different types of volcanic eruptions in the context of magnitude and associated hazard. The lecture will present key examples of different types of eruptions with images and videos, and will introduce the concept of a super volcano and its implication in mass extinctions.

The British Isles on Fire! Past & present perspectives

The lecture will look at ‘wildfires’ in the British Isles over the past 11,000 years. We will explore the role of fire in shaping the landscapes we see today and how causes of these ‘wildfires’ are difficult to unravel. The recent ‘wildfires’ in the British Isles have been concerning and we will use our knowledge of past fires to inform our understanding of those recently experienced and predictions for the future.

Activities

*Pollen – not just something to make you sneeze!

Pollen grains are the produced by flowering plants as part plant reproduction. However, these microscopic particles can be incredibly important for scientists who wish to reconstruct past environments and climatic changes. Plant species have specific tolerances to a range of environmental conditions, thus acting as indicators of past conditions. In this session we will use microscopes to look at how we can tell the difference between an Oak tree and a Grass pollen grain, as well as understanding how our reconstructions can be applied.

The characteristics of beach/fluvial sediment

This practical session introduces pupils to sediment particle size analysis, using the sieving technique, and to processing and interpreting the resulting data. It also enables students to take a close look at the characteristics of beach sands. During the practical participants will pass sediment samples through a stack of sieves of different mesh sizes and weigh each fraction to obtain the grain size distribution of the sample. Interpretation of the results will focus on the shape of the distribution and involve consideration of possible sources of error in the analysis.

The petrographic microscope and its uses in Geology

The activity will introduce the petrographic microscope and the fundamentals of optical mineralogy in a 30 minutes theoretical presentation. Then, we will have an hour’s hands on activity looking at different thin sections from different types of rocks and geological environments. (The activity has a maximum capacity of 15 students).

*Producing maps for your project using Digimap for Schools or DEFRA Magic Map

This practical session introduces pupils to the capabilities of Digimap or DEFRA Magic Map for Schools and the functions that will enable them to produce high-quality maps for their independent research project. The session begins with an overview of the different map scales available to them in Digimap for Schools or DEFRA Magic Map. The first map that participants produce is a location map, showing the position of the site(s) at which they have collected or will collect data for their project, as points, in either a national or regional context. The session continues with a focus on detailed maps of individual sites, introducing the skills needed to draw lines, areas and buffers around point or line features. The use of historical maps and aerial photography available in Digimap for Schools are also covered and the session ends with participants producing a legend for a choropleth map. (If off site: this session would require a computer for each pupil with internet access in order to work with Digimap for Schools or DEFRA MagicMap).

*River bank erosion and channel change

In this session, participants will be introduced to ideas relating to rates of river bank erosion and the nature of river channel changes over time. For selected river reaches, a sequence of maps and aerial photographs of different dates will be provided. Participants will trace the river channel from each of these sources, enabling them to compare the position of the channel banks on different occasions and follow how channel planform has altered over the time period between each pair of maps and / or aerial photographs. Participants will measure distances between successive channel bank positions and calculate rates of erosion. They will also learn the technical terms to describe the nature of river channel planform changes over time.

*The wonderful world of Diatoms!

Diatoms are microscopic, photosynthetic, siliceous algae that very few people have heard of. However, diatoms are essential to life as they produce 25% of the oxygen we breathe and are important food source for plankton. Diatoms are also useful for environmental reconstruction as different species have particular preferences in where they live, and so are excellent environmental indicators both in the past and present day. In this activity, you will learn more about these wonderful (and beautiful) organisms and get hands-on by using the microscopes to identify them.

Activities marked with asterisks () can be delivered both on & off campus.*

Gatsby Benchmark 7

Presentations

Routes into Healthcare

This session covers the variety of opportunities available to students interested in professional health accredited courses such as Nursing, Midwifery, Social Work, Operating Department Practice and Paramedic Practice and how to best prepare for these types of degrees. It also includes how these degrees are taught, work experience ideas, entry requirements, interview process as well as future career opportunities. This session can also include an additional interactive activity such as health based personal statements.

Applying to Medicine

This session gives an insight into applying for Medicine courses along with showing the range of alternative courses on offer linked to Healthcare and Medical practice. Information on how these degrees are taught, work experience ideas, entry requirements, the application process, admissions tests and future career opportunities are all included.

Gatsby Benchmarks 4 & 7

Workshops

Health and Social Wellbeing

‘I won’t rest until we speak as freely about mental health as we do about having a cold’: Working-class Men, Emotions and Help-seeking

Working-class men are typified as uncomfortable with emotions that signal vulnerability and as having a macho coping ethic that deters them from seeking medical or other help. Whilst men can be macho, this session challenges with the aid of research data, stereotypes that men are emotionally inept and careless about their health and wellbeing.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Wellbeing

The ‘S’ Factor

Social media can be a powerful tool for young people to have a voice, connect with others and explore their world but while there are real benefits, it can be argued that social media has transformed the way we interact and can have an impact on our mental health and sense of wellbeing. The main aim of this session is to get young people debating the value of social media and its influences on mental health and wellbeing.

Health and Social Care Leadership and Management

Who Gets the Kidney?

Getting an organ in the NHS has been compared to winning the Lottery, with six thousand and eighty-two people currently waiting for a transplant in the UK only 60% of those waiting will undergo this life saving operation. This practical session will introduce students to some of the ways in which health care leaders make life saving decisions. They will work in small groups (Medical Decision Boards), addressing a very common dilemma; one kidney and four patients in complete renal failure, all in need of a kidney transplant. The overall aim of this session is to develop students’ awareness of ethical leadership and informed decision-making across health and social care services.

Rule Breaker, Change Maker

The overall aim of this session is to engage students in debate and practical activities about young leaders; exploring how rule breaking attitudes can lead to ground-breaking revolutions! We will help students identify their own leadership potential through self-reflection, considering questions such as: Whose responsible for bringing about positive change? Whose future is it anyway? Can rule breakers achieve constructive change?

Nutrition and Health

To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art

What is Nutrition? Why is it important? What makes up a healthy balanced diet? Nutrition is the study of nutrients in food, how the body uses them and the relationship between diet, health, and disease. The aim of this session is to explore nutrition and discuss why we need to understand it in depth in relation to promoting a balanced lifestyle and ways that we can improve people’s diets, whilst helping them to maintain a healthy weight.

Nutrition is an exciting and constantly changing subject area which is not just about food. It includes a holistic approach to a person’s overall health and wellbeing and this taster session provides the opportunity to gain an insight into what we can do to educate and support people to maintain optimum health and longevity.

Gatsby Benchmark 7

Presentations

Introduction to History

This session has been designed to support History students to select the right degree for them, this will cover module choice, assessment methods and careers information; to support students in their decision making. This workshop covers the variety of career opportunities available to students studying History and how to best prepare for the career of their choice.

Workshops

Digital Detectives: Using Online Archives to Level Up Your Research Projects

Digital archives can be an amazing resource for students working on research projects and EPQs. In this practical workshop, Dr Bob Nicholson – a historian who is internationally recognized for his expertise on digital archives — will share his top tips for finding and using these online collections. What are the best archives for your topic? What is the most effective way to search them? How can you avoid some of the pitfalls involved in using these collections?

USA: Rise to Globalism

In this session we will look at how the United States emerged from the Second World War as the preeminent military, economic and political power in the world. From 1945 to the present day the superpower USA has been the defining force in international history. This session will outline the first period of the superpower era which became known as the Cold War. Through its rivalry with the Soviet Union, the Cold War lasted until 1991 and invaded every field of human endeavour in the latter half of the twentieth century, dominating not only military decisions but also economic, political and cultural activities. No assessment, however general, of the development of the post-war world can be complete without addressing at a basic level the role of United States foreign policy during the Cold War.

The Special Relationship: Britain and America

In this session we will look at the Anglo-American relationship which was, and still is, perhaps the most important relationship between nation-states of the twentieth century. In the last hundred years, the relationship has evolved in all areas of political, economic and military activity between states, and at differing times has dominated the path of diplomacy between these two first-world powers. The ‘special’ relationship has often been intimately involved in the key moments that have shaped the course of modern history, such as the First and Second World Wars, the Cold War and, more recently, the affairs of the Middle East and the ‘war on terror’. This session will outline the main contours of their cooperation, collusion and at times mutual conflict on the international stage.

African-American Civil Rights

This session traces the rise of the modern black civil rights movement in the US from the end of the Second World War to the election of America’s first black president, Barack Obama. The session will recount the significant legal, political, and cultural changes that took place in race relations which led to the heroic activism of people like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. It will describe how the surge in protest which peaked with the March on Washington in 1963 became replaced by more radical chants for Black Power into the 1970s. The election of Obama and the re-emergence of a black rights movement will also be discussed.

The Second World War and Social Reform

This session will explore the relationship between domestic developments in Britain during the Second World War and the growth of a social reform agenda. It will consider how wartime policies like the Evacuation scheme and the Rationing system contributed to the demand for a dramatic widening of government financed social welfare measures. The will consider the relationship between the government attitudes to social security – for example, as embodied in the Beveridge Report – and the need to maintain national morale. It will also examine the nature of domestic political debate. Finally it will survey the historical debates that have grown up around this topic.

Gatsby Benchmark 7

Presentations

Choosing a Law, Criminology or Policing Degree

This workshop is suitable for Year 12 students considering their higher education options. The workshop covers the different Law, Criminology and Policing degrees on offer to students. The workshop also incorporates the opportunities available whilst studying, for example, mooting competitions, law clinics and a wide range of research seminars. The skills needed to study a degree of Law, Criminology or Policing will also be covered throughout this interactive workshop.

Gatsby Benchmark 4 & 7

Workshops

Introduction to Law Careers

This session aims to help students understand the different careers available within the Law sector and aid their understanding of the differences between each role. This session is tailored toward Year 12 & 13 students who aspire to enter a career associated with The Law.

Introduction to the New Policing Reforms

This session allows student to explore the recent reforms within Policing which affect the forces’ new recruits. Along with an insight into studying Policing at University, this session gives both Y12 & 13 students an opportunity to explore whether a policing degree is right for them.

Gatsby Benchmarks 4 & 7

Curriculum Workshops
We also offer Curriculum Workshops delivered by our academic staff. Topics that we currently deliver.

Law

Celebrities & the Law
Contract Law
Family Law
Introduction to Mooting
Law of Negligence
Who pays for the wrongs of an employee?

Criminology

Disasters, Crime & Justice
Mass Homicide: State & Corporate Killing
What is Criminology?: Expanding the Criminological Imagination
Why Punish?

Policing

What are the Police for?
Stop and Search
Substance Abuse and Misuse

Gatsby Benchmark 7

Criminology Workshops – delivered by Howard Davis

Criminology and mass harms

In this session we will explore how ‘crime-centred’ criminology can struggle to deal with the very extensive social harms that are not criminalised. These have included harms to the environment, to workers and consumers, military violence, domestic and economic violence. These harms can be far more serious in quantity than more harms that have been legally defined ‘crimes’, yet criminology has failed to account for them both historically and in much present day theorising. We will think a little about the extent, nature and origins of these harms and why a ‘harms-based’ approach has been suggested as a way forward for criminology.

Bad ideas: how ignorance kills

Drawing on recently published work within the Department, this session considers the ways in which bad, indeed really terrible ideas can become widely shared in and across societies and bring harms to people, other species and the planet. Some of these ideas are fuelled by disinformation, the suppression of information and outright lying at various levels of society: governments do it, large corporations do it; and of course to some extent, we do it. At a time when social media can make ‘truth’ about the world we live in difficult to be sure about, this session will argue that it is vital that criminologists identify and confront the large scale production of false knowledge and understanding – especially where it causes or perpetuates suffering.

Presentations

Introduction to Media

This session covers the variety of career opportunities available to Media students and how to best prepare for the career of their choice. This session includes practical advice for making the most of your degree and preparing for graduation, the session also looks at alumni profiles showing how they transitioned from their undergraduate studies into work or further study.

Introduction to Performing Arts

This session has been designed to help students that are considering studying a degree in the Performing Arts to find the course that suits them best. The session looks at the 4 current courses within the Performing Arts department and explores what makes each course unique, the careers our graduates go on to and information about the interview and audition process.

Employability within the Creative Industries

This session focuses on the various careers and pathways in Creative Industries you can go onto from a creative based degree. It will also give you top tips to make the most of opportunities and how to broaden your CV and skills.

Workshops

Media

Media Taster Sessions

We offer a number of interactive Media workshops that provide a taster of what it’s like to study Media at degree level in the following areas:

Photography
Media Franchises (Marvel etc.)
International Film
TV Drama
Cult Film
Cult TV
Football and Sport Fandom
Social Media
Television Production
Working in TV
Gender and Sexuality in Film and TV

Animation Masterclass (can be delivered online or in a school/college)

Invite one of our Animation academics into your school or college to give you an hour’s workshop using Dragonframe. Dragonframe is a stop motion animation software which has been used to make several full-length motion picture films, including Coraline, Scream Street, and ParaNorman, as well as the stop motion television shows Shaun the Sheep and The Clangers.

This workshop will give students an insight into how easy and accessible it is to get into making animations. Our tutors will bring everything with them on the day; all your students need to bring with them is their imagination! Alternatively, if you would like to try 2D animation with Toonboom or CGI animation with Maya, you could book an onsite bespoke visit and take the opportunity to tour our facilities as well as spending time with our academics in the animation studio. This opportunity is available for schools and colleges in the North West, subject to availability.

Music Production

This interactive Music workshop will provide a taster of what it’s like to study Music Production at degree level. Students will get to produce their own content in our industry standard studios, and converse with current students and tutors about studying Music at Edge Hill.

Dance

In this live session you will be led through elements of a contemporary dance class that will offer you a taste of how you would work with your lecturers while studying Dance at Edge Hill University. We will move technically, creatively and share what we love about Dance.

Drama

This workshop will explore how we make performance from existing materials. We will focus on the idea of the adaptation, and consider how we take pre-existing ideas, and make them work for a live performance setting.

Musical Theatre

Creating a Musical Theatre Song

Have you ever wondered how the songs you love to sing come about? A practical introduction to musical theatre song and how to write one.

In this session you will:

Create new lyrics to a well-known tune
Consider a subject for your song – for example going to university / Covid / dreams and ambitions
Who might sing it? Who might they be singing it to?
What type of song is it – ballad, up tempo, comedy?
Where might the song sit within a musical?

By the end of the session, you will have created a simple musical theatre song! No previous experience necessary.

Learn a Musical Theatre Song and Perform it in Under 50 Minutes

In this session the students will learn the song “Will I” from the Musical Rent

The theoretical part of the session will place the musical and song into context, what will follow is a Masterclass on Singing and Harmony, allowing the students to learn the song then perform it in under 50 minutes.

Gatsby Benchmarks 4 & 7

Presentations

Introduction to Social Sciences

This session explores the wide range of social science related courses available to study at Edge Hill, looking more closely at entry criteria, facilities available, placements, study abroad opportunities and career prospects.

Social Sciences Workshops

Youth Cultures

What does it mean to be a young person in the twenty first century society? What do young people say about the issues that affect them and their families, such as homelessness, employment, participation, and education? This interactive session focuses on these questions amongst others, looking at topics such as young people’s roles in campaigns, advocacy and political activism. It also explores what ‘youth cultures’ mean and some of the differences and similarities in the life experiences of diverse young people in the UK and Europe.

Sexual Identities, Diversity and Difference

Sexuality and the expression and suppression of diverse aspects of sexual identities are important topics in contemporary society. In twenty first century Britain, sexual diversity and the freedom to express whatever identity one aspires to, and/or chooses, is celebrated, through different types of social movements and campaigns (e.g. Pride marches). Sexual desires and how people express them can be deeply rooted to political, cultural and social contexts. This session focuses on what identity is, how social scientists study sexuality, and differences and similarities on what is considered desirable across different nations and cultures.

Online Identity: Who are you?

Anyone who has ever done a search for their name on the internet may be surprised at what they find. Not everything may be about you but about others with the same name. Some things may be about you but not what you expected to find, but does any of this really represent who you are? This session will look at what we mean by identity and how what we post or have posted about us online can give an impression about who we are. We will think about how we act in different situations where we are known and where we are a stranger. Ultimately, provoking students to question whether social media represents a realistic version of themselves and their lives.

Equalities and Inequalities in Society

If there is a specific topic you would like a workshop based on that is not listed above, please let us know as our academics have a range of expertise and would be happy to create a bespoke activity for your students.

What is `equality’ and `inequality’ in the UK today? How has this changed over recent years? How does the UK compare with other countries? This session explores the nature and extent of inequality in the UK, breaking it down according to social class, gender, disability and age. The session focuses on the implications of inequalities for generational relations and how this shapes Britain today and our likely future.

Children’s Food Practices’

Gatsby Benchmark 7

Presentations

Routes into Teaching and Education

For students considering a Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) course at Early Years, Primary, Secondary or Further Education level, this session gives an insight into preparing for these types of degrees. Information on how these courses are taught, work experience ideas, entry requirements, interviews, professional skills tests as well as other children and young people based degree options (Non QTS), in order to work in Education or the wider children’s workforce, are all included. This session can also contain additional interactive activities such as personal statements or a teaching taster activity.

Teacher Training Workshops

Routes into Teaching & Outstanding Teaching

Covering the information from our Routes into the Teaching session as described above, the session also includes understanding what makes an outstanding teacher. Focusing on past experiences, students decide what skills and abilities make an excellent teacher and how best to approach a lesson based on the children or young people in attendance. Through interactive activities, students are shown how to deliver a lesson as well as how to become a thorough and effective practitioner.

Lesson Planning & Behaviour Management

This session involves students being able to understand how to and effectively plan a lesson as a future teacher. Looking at meeting individual needs, students will be guided through how to set out and form a lesson plan. The session also allows students the opportunity to understand how to utilise effective behaviour management when working with children and young adults. It aims to give students a real insight into techniques and tips, and through interactive activities will allow students to experience various scenarios and how they would react to them in practice.

Interview Skills

Focusing on preparing for interview, this workshop provides students with more detailed information around the interview process for any Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) based course. It covers techniques and tips for interviews and how to best prepare for them beforehand.

Wider Children’s Workforce Workshops

Working with two year olds- ‘potentials, possibilities and challenges’

The aim of this session is to deepen students’ understanding of the world of two year olds by examining key theories relating to their development, play and learning and exploring what this means for practice and provision.

The Forest School Approach

An introduction to the Forest School approach, philosophy and practice. The session will consist of a brief classroom-based rationale with some discussion, before undertaking a small number of practical activities designed to promote reflection on the outdoors as a rich and engaging learning environment.

Introduction to Working with Early Years Children on the Autism Spectrum:

This session will provide students within an overview of an Autism Diagnosis and the shared characteristics of this condition. Students will be encouraged to consider potential barriers to learning and accessing education as well as practical suggestions for support strategies.

Learning Through Play- Fun with Technology

Technology is all around us and even the youngest babies play with technological toys. Often, it is not valued and only considered as entertainment to keep children occupied. This session will encourage students to consider what technologies are present in everyday life, as entertainment and how, if used thoughtfully and creatively, they can engage young children, help them to achieve new knowledge, skills and understanding beyond traditional expectations. Students will learn about different approaches to using technology with young children and create first-hand experiences with a variety of digital resources. *Please note this taster session can only be delivered in person.

Supporting Children and Young People’s Mental Health within School

This workshop gives students the opportunity to understand the contextual developments regarding mental health and wellbeing in schools and its potential impact on their role. This will include strategies and activities to support children and young people’s mental health, as well as strategies to support staff mental health and wellbeing, including information on self-care and key referral and support routes for both children and staff.

Making Reading Exciting!

The aim of this session is to give students the confidence and skills to support young, reluctant or struggling readers in primary school. The session begins with a story, read aloud to students to remind them of the joy of being read to and how this can support children to make meaning from text. The book is then used to promote discussion around what makes a good book for children and the importance of choosing appropriate texts for children to read. We continue with practical interactive activities and games to help students understand how we read and the approaches and strategies that support children to become independent readers.

Summer residentials

Dates and departments:

Week one: Monday 25 July – Thursday 28 July

Animation

Applied Health and Social Care

Business

Dance

Drama

Film

History

Media

Music Production

Musical Theatre

Professional Health

Social Sciences

Sport and Physical Activity

Television

Week two: Monday 1 August – Thursday 4 August

Biology

Computer Science

Creative Writing

English Language

English Literature

Geography

Geology

Law, Criminology and Policing

Psychology

Teaching and Education – Early Years and Primary or Secondary and Further Education

Academic workshops

Project-based work

Preparation for university

Application preparation

Bespoke campus visits

Booking a bespoke campus visit

Subject taster days

Booking a subject taster day

Subject specific sessions

Biosciences

Presentations

Workshops

Gatsby Benchmark 7

Business

Presentations

Workshops

Gatsby Benchmark 7

Computer Science and Engineering

Presentations

Workshops

Gatsby Benchmark 7

English and Creative Writing

Presentations

Workshops

English Literature

English Language

Creative Writing

Gatsby Benchmark 7

Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

Workshops

Gatsby Benchmark 7

Geography and Geology

Presentations

Workshops

Activities

Activities marked with asterisks (*) can be delivered both on & off campus.

Gatsby Benchmark 7

Healthcare and Medicine

Presentations

Gatsby Benchmarks 4 & 7

Workshops

Health and Social Wellbeing

Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Wellbeing

Health and Social Care Leadership and Management

Nutrition and Health

Gatsby Benchmark 7

History

Presentations

Workshops

Gatsby Benchmark 7

Law, Criminology and Policing

Presentations

Activities marked with asterisks () can be delivered both on & off campus.*