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Working with secondary schools and colleges
We aim to support and enhance learning, helping young people broaden their experience and skills, as well as helping them find their way to university if that’s the path they choose. Here you’ll find details of programmes the UCL East Schools Engagement team manage and run, and links to UCL departments who offer activities to east London schools. Activities are free for schools in the four boroughs closest to UCL East: Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest unless otherwise stated.
How to get involved
Arts
Supported by students and staff from The Slade School of Fine Art and UCL Art Museum, we explore ideas and techniques that inspire students in their own creative work.
Printmaking
Duration: 2 days
Overview:
Introduction to the art of drypoint etching giving practical printmaking skills.
Students will make drawings from original prints to learn about technique, symbolism and composition. They will meet UCL students who will talk to them about studying Art, before practicing the printing technique themselves.
Structure:
Day 1 - Visit UCL Art Museum to draw from prints, visit to Slade Print Studio to understand the technique
Day 2 - Artist led hands-on workshop in your school/ college.
Key Info:
Key Stage 4-5
18 students maximum
Humanities
UCL museums and collections are home to ancient artefacts, specimens and rare documents. We regularly use them to inspire work in humanities subjects, creating a link between the past and present.
UCL Special Collections
Overview:
UCL Library Special Collections is one of the foremost university collections of manuscripts, archives and rare books in the UK. They use their unique collection to create meaningful experiences and free resources aimed at enriching pupils’ learning and inspiring teachers. They also run an annual careers-focused project for young adults in East London calledThe New Curators Project and have a dedicated schools and outreach programme run by the Head of Outreach Vicky Price
Key Info:
Usually one-off sessions in person or a series of shorter sessions delivered online.
Key stages 2-5 and A2 English language
English
The Department of English Language and Literature at UCL is one of the most enduring and respected in Britain, with a varied syllabus that combines traditional literary skills and modern thought.
If you are an English teacher in a school or sixth form college, or are involved in outreach or access to university at your institution and would be interested in holding some kind of event with UCL for your students, be it in your school or on the UCL campus please contact us using the details below.
Contact: Natasha Clark
Email: n.clark@ucl.ac.uk
Englicious: grammar resources for teachers
The online workshops Englicious provides reliable and fun English grammar resources for parents, teachers, and schools. www.englicious.org has hundreds of free resources to help primary, secondary and further education teachers support their learners in using English grammar. The resources are authentic, engaging and dynamic, meaning they can be used over again with newly generated examples, and they are in line with the National Curriculum. Englicious also runs online and in-person CPD training sessions on grammar and its terminology as well as how to best teach it in engaging and meaningful ways. See a short video of Englicious in action here (www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYjzxQdhQ-Y or search Englicious on social media.
Languages at UCL
Find out about opportunities for schools in the UCL School of European Languages, Culture and Society at their outreach website.
Sciences
Those taking part in our programmes have access to the specialist knowledge of UCL students, and hands-on learning opportunities using exciting new technologies.
The Bartlett, UCL’s Faculty of the Built Environment
The Bartlett Outreach Team works with schools to encourage prospective learners to study at The Bartlett, UCL’s Faculty of the Built Environment, which includes architecture, urban design, planning, construction, public policy, environment, energy and resources. The Bartlett has new courses at UCL East. The outreach team’s goal is to increase the proportion of students from underrepresented groups in the faculty.
See the Bartlett schools page for what they offer and contact bartlett.outreach@ucl.ac.uk
Bio-robotics and Animal Movement
Overview
Our bio-inspired robotics project explores the links between robots, computer programming and animal movement, specifically that of snakes and caterpillars.
Over millions of years creatures have adapted to their environments and evolved unique specialisations. Today’s scientists and engineers are drawing inspiration from the animal kingdom in creating the next generation of robots to help us to solve some of the biggest challenges facing humankind.
Structure
The project runs over a term to include:
- A twilight CPD session for teachers
- An Animal Locomotion schools’ workshop in the Grant Museum of Zoology
- A tour of our world-class university led by our students
- Loan of a bioinspired robotics kit to your school with technical support from our students
Chemistry
Chemistry outreach programmes have been designed to get students excited about chemistry, to show them the real-life applications of chemistry and explore the depth and breadth of how chemistry influences the world we live in.
The following events are run in schools for groups of 100+ students:
- Spectroscopy in a Suitcase
- Visits by Student Ambassadors
- Chemical Demonstrations
- Chemistry Lectures and talks
For more activities, see the Chemistry outreach page or contact Outreach & Public Engagement Coordinator Dr River Riley r.riley@ucl.ac.uk
Earth Sciences / Geology
GeoBox
Overview:
A free curriculum-based loan box of geology themed resources produced by the School’s Engagement team in collaboration with the UCL Earth Sciences department that brings samples of rocks, minerals and fossils to school students in east London.
Structure:
The Geobox contains lesson plans, resources and guidelines. It is a resource that can be used by teachers to introduce these topics into the classroom or as a revision tool. The Geobox is aimed at KS2 pupils and is available for schools in east London to borrow for up to half a term.
Key info:
To book the GeoBox please email east.schools@ucl.ac.uk
Teachers are also welcome to book a free GeoBox UCL online interactive workshop with a member of the Earth Sciences department over ZOOM. The online workshops offer additional curriculum support and allow students the opportunity to learn from an expert in geology.
Please note, the online interactive workshops are now fully booked for the rest of the 23/24 academic year.
UCL Engineering
Overview
Led by the UCL Engineering faculty these sessions support the school curriculum. Undergraduate and postgraduate students provide on-going academic support to pupils in schools via one-to-one or small group tutoring, helping students to build confidence, skills and subject understanding.
Structure
Weekly one-to-one tutoring in primary and secondary schools.
Physics and Astronomy
The Physics and Astronomy department is committed to engaging and inspiring the young physicists of the future. They offer activities to schools, linked both to the National Curriculum and to the exciting research undertaken at the University. They are happy to visit schools but can also host small school groups in order to give them an experience of University.
Contact Outreach Coordinator: Mark Fuller
Email: mark.fuller@ucl.ac.uk
UCL School of Pharmacy
Take a 1-hour VR tour of a lab: during the tour, students ‘walk through’ the spaces and interact with the lab equipment in front of them. Students hear from a leading academic about their research in gene therapy vaccines, the benefit of VR in education, and the future of chemistry labs and technology. Schools may be able to borrow VR headsets from UCL.
Contact: Dr Stephen Hilton
Email: s.hilton@ucl.ac.uk
People and Nature Lab
This is an interdisciplinary applied teaching and research partnership whose work supports a more sustainable relationship between people and nature. The people working there are very happy to hear from schools who are interested in communicating with their students about topics such as climate change and how species are adapting to change, as well as how these changes in nature impact people. More info on the website.
There isn’t a set offer for schools, please contact Dan Maynard Daniel.maynard@ucl.ac.uk
Extracurricular
Saturday Club
UCL East is working with the National Saturday Club to offer two Clubs for teenagers in East London. The year-long programmes run on weekends during term-time with a choice of Art and Design or Film and Screen.
After school clubs
Find out about weekly after school sessions full of hands-on opportunities to use UCL Library’s Special Collections’ materials as inspiration for printmaking, illustrating and exploring London’s history.
East Summer Schools
East Summer School 2023 included a range of activities from UCL including skateboarding, filmmaking, insights into sport medicine, exploring special collections and more. We can't wait for next summer!