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

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 1st 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
Animation
Apply online for the Animation Summer Residential.
The animation stop-motion residential workshop sessions are dedicated to developing an understanding of the principals of movement design and production practice through the physical process of stop-motion animation. Through a series of practical sessions, you will progress animation skills and a rudimentary understanding of anatomy in relation to movement and performance. The workshops will be take you through animation production processes from 2D to 3-D stop-motion using DragonFrame animation software.
During the academic sessions, you will work on a creative project in exactly the same way as one of our first-year student groups. The project will begin with an introduction and overview of the courses and opportunities Edge Hill can offer in teaching, learning, employability and student achievements as well as a contextualisation of the project to be undertaken.
During the academic sessions, you will work on a creative project in exactly the same way as one of our first year groups. The project will begin with an introduction and overview of the courses and opportunities Edge Hill can offer in teaching, learning, employability and student achievements.
Please visit the e-prospectus for more information about this course.
Applied Health and Social Care
Apply online for the Applied Health and Social Care Summer Residential
The Applied Health and Social Care Summer Residential will be delivered by knowledgeable and approachable staff from the Department and supported by our own students. You will have the opportunity to experience a taste of what it is like to study on the individual programmes by taking part in a number of activities. These will include workshops, interactive discussions, internet research, quizzes and problem-solving.
Courses represented:
- BSc (Hons) Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Wellbeing
- BSc (Hons) Critical Approaches to Counselling and Psychotherapy
- BSc (Hons) Counselling and Psychotherapy
- BSc (Hons) Nutrition and Health
- BSc (Hons) Psychosocial Analysis of Offending Behaviour
- BA (Hons) Health and Social Wellbeing
Please use the links above to find out more about individual courses.
Business
Apply online for the Business Summer Residential
The summer residential will introduce students to Edge Hill University Business School. Following initial lectures with various subject experts, students will form competing teams to work on a live business project with an academic mentor. Thereby, experiencing lectures, seminars, workshops and teamwork exploring aspects of business and management which are the hallmark of the Business School degree pathways. Although the school runs a mix of Business, Marketing and Accounting programmes alongside pathways such as Economics, Advertising and Tourism, to name a few, this is not a subject specialist event, but more a taster of the Business School environment, lecturers, facilities and resources available to students.
Please visit the departmental and course pages for more information about individual courses.
Dance
Apply online for the Dance Summer Residential
‘Choreography Unravelled’: On the Dance Summer Residential you will take part in workshops devoted to developing your contemporary dance technique and your practical understanding of composition. Work with experienced Edge Hill University lecturers in our state-of-the-art dance studios and let us assist you in building confidence in choreography with explorations into essential composition devices and current dance making approaches to create your own ‘choreographic tool box’.
Please visit the e-prospectus for more information about this course.
Drama
Apply online for the Drama Summer Residential
The Drama Department will be offering students an exploration of popular performance practices, considering forms such as cabaret, clowning, and street-performance. Over the course of the residential you will explore these ideas through professionally-led, practical workshops in our state of the art drama studios. You will find out about process and approaches to creating and rehearsing a selection of contrasting genres of theatre culminating in an opportunity to share your work in an informal workshop performance.
Please visit the e-prospectus for more information about this course.
Film
Apply online for the Film Summer Residential
Over the course of the residential you will work in groups to curate a short film festival programme; carefully selecting the films, theme of the festival, writing copy and producing an original photographic image for the front cover of a brochure to promote your proposed festival. Further to this, you will also produce a short presentation to contextualise and introduce your festival ideas.
Please visit the departmental and course pages for more information about individual courses.
History
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.
Media
Apply online for the Media Summer Residential
Over the course of the residential you will be engaging in various written and creative activities that bring together a taste of the Media degree. Working together in groups, you will curate and promote a media festival programme with both in-person and online events. You will carefully select a range of celebrities, media experts, workshops, films and exhibits on the theme of ‘Summer’, writing copy and producing an original photographic image for the front cover of a digital brochure to promote your festival. Further to this, you will also produce a short podcast to contextualise your festival.
If you have a passion for the media, either mass media or social media or both, and if you have a creative flare, then this is the ideal taster for you.
Please visit the departmental and course pages for more information about individual courses.
Music Production
Apply online for the Music Production Summer Residential
During the Music Production residential, you will work on a creative project in exactly the same way as our first year students. Working in groups, you will record a song or piece of music in a digital audio recording studio. You will have access to microphones and musical instruments, including: acoustic and electric guitars and effects pedals; electric bass; grand piano and digital pianos; and electric and acoustic drums. You will also have access to rehearsal rooms and a dedicated mac lab with a range of audio software. The creative project will encompass a briefing and idea development, with the end result being a professionally recorded piece of music.
Please visit the e-prospectus for more information about this course.
Musical Theatre
Apply online for the Musical Theatre Summer Residential
Over the course of the residential, you will explore musical theatre repertoire, combining singing, acting and dance to create a performance. You will get a taste of what it is like to study Musical Theatre at Edge Hill, working with our experienced lecturers in our state of the art dance and drama studios to build piece whilst developing your performance and critical thinking skills. The residential will culminate in an opportunity to share your work in an informal workshop performance.
Please visit the e-prospectus for more information about this course.
Professional Health
Apply online for the Professional Health Summer Residential
The professional health programmes summer residential will centre around a pre-set patient scenario that aims to provide you with an insight into the diverse role of a variety of health care professionals namely; adult, children’s, learning disability and mental health nurses, midwifery, operating department practitioners, and social workers. You will attend both theoretical and practical sessions which will give you the opportunity to explore different learning and teaching styles used within a university setting, including simulated practice sessions which will utilise a variety of clinical skills equipment.
Please note – you will attend sessions for all of the courses listed below
Courses Represented:
- BSc (Hons) Midwifery
- BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult)
- BSc (Hons) Nursing (Children’s)
- BSc (Hons) Nursing (Learning Disabilities)
- BSc (Hons) Nursing (Mental Health)
- BA (Hons) Social Work
- MNSW Adult Nursing and Social Work
- MNSW Children’s Nursing and Social Work
- MNSW Learning Disabilities Nursing and Social Work
- MNSW Mental Health Nursing and Social Work
- BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice
Please use the links above to find out more about individual courses.
Social Sciences
Apply online for the Social Sciences Summer Residential
This programme may lead on from your A level studies and provide you with a taster of what it is like to study Sociology or Childhood Studies at degree level at Edge Hill.
By focusing on the sociological study of the media, these sessions will explore topics that are relevant to children and young people today, and ask what the future implications may be. Children and young people are in the media from newspaper headlines to Hollyoaks and everything in-between. You will explore how identities are represented and what the implications of these may be.
You will look at the impact on children’s and young people’s gender and sexual identities; looking at their sense of self and others. We will explore the experiences and implications children and young people face growing up within this digital media era, including on social media platforms such as Instagram. You will go on to explore how the media can affect the experiences children and young people have within the family, as consumers, as citizens, and the possible implications this has on their everyday life.
During the sessions you will briefly look at some of the competing theoretical perspectives to help you to further your understanding and experience degree level work.
Please visit the departmental and course pages for more information about individual courses.
Sport and Physical Activity
Apply online for the Sport Summer Residential
The Department of Sport and Physical Activity will run a programme for the Summer Residential delivered by staff who are experts in the field and who will teach you on your programme of study at Edge Hill University.
You will engage in various practical and theory-based sessions on topics you will study on your course. Depending on whether you select the physical science or social science option, these include: sport for young people, sport and health, sports science and sports therapy (including injury and rehabilitation), the links between teaching and coaching, and the lives of people who work in sport. It is important you come dressed to engage in practical activity as well as classroom-based work. The practical sessions will take place in the excellent sports facilities on campus and you will also engage in a variety of tasks including student-led workshops, interactive discussions, research and problem-solving activities.
You will also have the opportunity to meet students currently studying with us and hear first-hand their experiences of the University, working in the ‘real world’, and the additional things they engage (e.g. courses, external sports teams and organisations) in to support their studies.
Courses Represented:
Physical Science:
Social Science:
Please visit the departmental and course pages for more information about individual courses.
Television
Apply online for the Television Summer Residential
Using techniques and principles common to the undergraduate experience on BA Television, students will work to a brief to research and develop a project idea.
The content will be based around the development of narrative storytelling for a proposed short TV Drama based project. Students will work with a given scenario that will include researching & developing audio visual material to illustrate their idea.
The developed material will be edited into a promotional rip-o-matic and presented as part of a project pitch.
Please visit the departmental and course pages for more information about individual courses.
Week two: Monday 1 August – Thursday 4 August
Biology
Apply online for the Biology Summer Residential
During this residential course you will experience a taste of life as a first year undergraduate student within the Department of Biology. You will take part in a range of practical lab and field based sessions that encompass the disciplines taught within the common first year of our degree programmes; Biology, Biotechnology, Genetics, Biomedical Science, Plant Science and Ecology & Conservation. You will use state of the art technology to complete a range of investigations and will have the opportunity to complete a mini research project.
The Department of Biology has received major investment, with brand new lab space and enhanced research facilities. You will have an opportunity to use these facilities during the course, experiencing first-hand the research and practical elements that our undergraduate students enjoy whilst studying here.
Please visit the departmental and course pages for more information about individual courses.
Computer Science
Apply online for the Computer Science Summer Residential
Over the past two decades, there has been an exponential increase in digital applications and now computer science is integrated in everything that touches our every day lives; from the cars we drive, the movies we watch, the music we listen to, the way we shop, the way we communicate, and the ways businesses and governments operate. Thus, understanding different dimensions of computing gives you a range of transferrable skills and knowledge; computing drives innovation in the sciences, engineering, business, entertainment and education.
At this year’s residential you will attend workshop sessions that span a wide range of different computer science topics, from Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality to Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. You will have the opportunity to experience the versatility and complexity of computing through the creation of relevant software applications. During hands-on practical sessions, you will have the opportunity to develop web-based games using computer programming languages, be introduced to fundamentals of ethical hacking, and interact with our virtual reality infrastructure (CAVE/HTC Vive) and humanoid robots available at the Department of Computer Science.
Please visit the departmental and course pages for more information about individual courses.
Creative Writing
Apply online for the Creative Writing Summer Residential
Journeys: Explore real and imaginary journeys through words and images. You will have the chance to working intensively with a professional writer, creating a short script, story or poem from scratch in a friendly, collaborative environment. No experience necessary, just a willingness to go on a real or an imaginary journey. You’ll learn how to get inspired and how to keep on writing; how to develop character, plot and dialogue; how to edit and redraft; and how to make language come alive on the page. At the end of your session you will take part in a short, informal reading of your final piece of work – your first step on the road to becoming a published writer.
Please visit the departmental and course pages for more information about individual courses.
English Language
Apply online for the English Language Residential
Over the course of the English Language residential you will discover how English is entwined with the people who use it, reflecting their past, present and aspirations for the future. No matter your level of experience in studying the English Language, this course will develop your knowledge and understanding of how English is structured and explore how language interacts with all aspects of the human experience. This might include our acquisition of language, the role of language in reflecting aspects of our identities, or how language interacts with other areas of knowledge, such as the law, teaching or psychology. If you are intrigued by the power of the English language in every aspect of your life, then this is the taster for you.
Please visit the departmental and course pages for more information about individual courses.
English Literature
Apply online for the English Literature Summer Residential
Over the course of the English Literature residential you will have the opportunity to feed your passion for the written word while developing essential communication skills which are highly valued by employers. You will look at a wide range of texts, from the classics to contemporary fiction and poetry.
If you have a passion for reading and a love of language, an enthusiasm for the ideas that lie behind published literature in all its forms, and a desire to know more about motivations and the impact of literature on societies, then this is the ideal taster for you. You will be working with a department which prides itself on its dynamic, modern and flexible programmes.
Please visit the departmental and course pages for more information about individual courses.
Geography
Apply online for the Geography Summer Residential
The residential course will give you the opportunity to experience life as a first year student in the Department of Geography and Geology. We will incorporate a range of teaching approaches, that may include lecture, seminar, computer-based, field and laboratory sessions that incorporate a variety of methodological approaches and geographical techniques that we teach in the first year of our Geography and Geoenvironmental Hazards degree programmes. Whether your interest is in human geography, physical geography or environmental hazards you will be able to develop your understanding in a subject area of interest to you. The academic workshops will be delivered by our team of friendly tutors and you will get the chance to use some of our new computing and laboratory facilities within the department.
Please visit the departmental and course pages for more information about individual courses.
Geology
Apply online for the Geology Summer Residential
The residential course will give you the opportunity to experience life as a first year Geology student in the Department of Geography and Geology. We will incorporate a range of teaching approaches, that may include lecture, seminar, computer-based, field and laboratory sessions that incorporate a range of theoretical and methodological approaches and you will learn some key geological techniques, such as, hand specimen and thin section analysis. The learning sessions will give you an insight into our first year teaching in ‘Earth Materials’ and ‘Dynamic Earth’. The academic workshops will be delivered by our team of friendly tutors and you will get the chance to use some of our new facilities within the department, including our suite of petrological microscopes.
Please visit the departmental and course pages for more information about individual courses.
Law, Criminology and Policing
Apply online for the Law, Criminology and Policing Summer Residential
The programme we have put together will be delivered by knowledgeable and approachable staff from the department supported by our own students. On the first day you will have a session from each subject area, before specialising for the following days on the subject area of your choice.
You will have the opportunity to experience a taste of what it is like to study these courses at Edge Hill University by taking part in a number of activities relating to what you would do on the degrees. These will include workshops, debates, internet research and problem-solving. The topics you will study cover a range of current issues. We hope that you really enjoy your experiences at Edge Hill.
Psychology
Apply online for the Psychology Summer Residential
The Department of Psychology is delighted to offer a Residential programme for students with a keen interest in pursuing Psychology at University. The Residential will provide students with an insight into two main core areas within the study of Psychology. The first core area includes a Social Psychology Perspective which will enable students to explore non-verbal communication, and what our behavioural expressions reveal about the mind. The second core area includes Cognitive Psychology which introduces Eye-witness testimony, and the Psychology behind the accuracy of our memory in Forensic contexts. This is an exciting opportunity to explore why for example, failures in memory may lead us to make mistakes recalling a crime.
Please visit the departmental and course pages for more information about individual courses.
Teaching and Education – Early Years and Primary or Secondary and Further Education
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:
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.

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

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 placeSubject | 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]
Biosciences
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
Business
Presentations
Choosing a Business Degree
This workshop is suitable for Year 12 students considering their higher education options. The workshop covers the difference in our Business degrees, with particular focus on the skills that are needed for the Business world.
Workshops
The Conference: Escape Room
This dynamic and fast-paced escape room session allows students to explore issues that they may potentially face in a business-based career, whilst gaining and developing skills that are critical for study in Higher Education.
The Lions’ Lair Workshop
This workshop is inspired by one of Britain’s best loved TV Business shows, in which students have the opportunity to create, plan and pitch a product or service to their peers. By developing students’ presentation skills and building their confidence, this session prepares them for both Higher Education and the working world.
Curriculum Workshops
Our Curriculum Workshops are hour-long sessions delivered by a member of our academic staff, who aim to aid students in their understanding of a variety of business related topics. Below are the Curriculum Workshop topics that we currently deliver.
Marketing the Product
Consider questions such as:
- What are the customers’ needs?
- Who are the market?
- What is our marketing mix and position?
- How will we advertise and sell?
- Will we use social media and online sales channels?
Managing the Business
Consider concepts such as:
- Raising finance
- Financial planning
- Managing finance
- Resource management
- External influences
- Cost management
Making Decisions and Winning
Learn how to make the most of:
- Business objectives and strategy
- Business growth
- Decision-making techniques
- The psychology of decisions
- Assessing competitiveness
- Disruption of decisions
Gatsby Benchmark 7
Computer Science and Engineering
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
English and Creative Writing
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
Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
Workshops
Getting started
This session will enable students to explore topics for their research; thinking about what interests them, what would be useful to research and which topics are realistic and achievable. We will then look at developing a research question, ensuring it is specific enough to guide the research, allow students to address a topic rather than talking around an area.
Gatsby Benchmark 7
Geography and Geology
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
Healthcare and Medicine
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
History
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
Law, Criminology and Policing
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.
Media and Performing Arts
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
Psychology
Presentations
Introduction to Psychology
This session explores the wide range of psychology courses available to study at Edge Hill, looking more closely at BPS accreditation, entry criteria, facilities available, placements, sandwich years and career prospects.
Psychology Workshops
The Science of Social Media
This session covers topics such as:
- How do psychologists measure social media use?
- Is social media use related to well-being?
The Science of Emoji
This session covers topics such as:
- Why do we use emoji?
- Are emoji actually emotional?
- How do psychologists measure emoji use?
The Science of Video Games
This session covers topics such as:
- What are the effects of video games and gaming?
- How games can be used to support mental health
- Why gaming is not just for boys
The Science of Smartphones
This session covers topics such as:
- Are smartphones really a distraction?
- Can we be addicted to smartphones?
- How do psychologists measure smartphone behaviours?
Gatsby Benchmark 7
Social Sciences
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
Sport and Physical Activity
Presentations
Introduction to Sport
This session explores the wide range of Sport and Physical Activity courses on offer, looking more closely at entry criteria, facilities available, placements, career prospects, sports scholarships and travelling/studying abroad opportunities.
Workshops
Sports Lecture Series
Our sports department can deliver several taster sessions which include a lecture on a range of sports topics. Please see below a list of lecture topics on offer:
- Physiology of Sports Performance
- Physical Activity in Children and Young People
- Sports Injury Management and Rehabilitation
- Sports Coaching and Performance Analysis
- Sport and Mental Health
Interactive Sports Workshop (can only be delivered in-person)
This workshop is suitable for year 12 or 13 students who would like to gain an insight into what it might be like to study a sports degree. The workshop will consist of several classroom based activities including a personality traits quiz, sponsorship exercise and a critical evaluation of national sports events.
This workshop is offered as either a 1 or 2 hour session. The longer session will provide students with an opportunity to plan a PE lesson inline with the National Curriculum, and deliver a sample of their session to fellow students. This workshop will boost students critical thinking skills, as well as allowing them to undertake work aligned to their current programme of study.
Gatsby Benchmarks 4 & 7
Teaching and Education
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.
Gatsby Benchmarks 4 & 7
Arts Centre programme
See what’s on at the Arts Centre on their website.
Open days and campus tours
We hold open days and campus tours throughout the year, book your place online.