The Queen Margaret Children’s University – developing children as confident learners
In 2014, QMU became the first university in the East of Scotland to host the Children’s University, an initiative which strives to raise children’s aspirations, encourages them to learn in different ways, and rewards them for taking part in a wide variety of learning activities outside of school hours.
One of the main aims of the Queen Margaret Children’s University was to encourage children aged between 5-14 to become confident learners and broaden their horizons.
QMU had taken the lead in establishing the Children’s University in the east of Scotland, working primarily in partnership with schools in East and Midlothian Councils.
Children participating in the scheme built up credits by engaging in learning activities. They worked towards bronze, silver and gold certificates. The more the children engaged in learning activities, the more credits they built up. When they reached a certain level of achievement, they were invited to attend a graduation ceremony at QMU.
Over 1,400 pupils from across East Lothian and Midlothian had signed up to the Queen Margaret Children’s University scheme by 2014. By that time, over one hundred of these pupils had already achieved a minimum of 30 hours of learning activities outside of school hours, including dancing, painting, cheer-leading, modern languages and gardening. Sixty children took part in the first graduation ceremony at QMU in 2015.
The project grew significantly in a short period of time and by 2017, over 3000 pupils in East Lothian and Midlothian had participated.
The children were delighted when the QMU Chancellor, Dame Prue Leith, officiated at the children’s graduation ceremony at QMU in 2017.
The Children’s University ran at QMU until 2018. Over a period of five years, the initiative encouraged thousands of young children from across East Lothian and Midlothian to get involved in different methods of learning, whilst boosting their achievement. While the initiative is no longer running at QMU, learnings from it have informed our more recent strategies to inspire children and encourage them to aim for further or higher education.
