Lincolnshire Children’s University (LCU) is part of a constantly expanding network managed by The Children’s University (CU) Trust. There are over 110 Children’s Universities in England, the Isle of Man, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, including the Service Children’s Education Schools CU.

International CU Trust development is in progress in the Netherlands, Malaysia and Australia. Each one is distinctive in character, responding to the needs of the local community within the quality assurance framework of the CU Trust.

 

Like all Children’s Universities, LCU accredits many kinds of voluntary learning activities, for which children receive stamps in their Passports to Learning. Children can receive stamps from public learning destinations or from restricted learning destinations (e.g. after-school clubs). LCU provides voluntary learning experiences to children from 5 to 14 years of age.

 

When they have collected enough stamps for each hour of learning in their CU passport, children can receive a bronze, silver or gold award at a graduation ceremony. After 30 hours of accredited learning children will have earned a Bronze award. 65 hours earns a Silver and for Gold 100 hours is required.

There are no Children’s University™ exams! (Of course children may do other exams anyway as part of their learning, for example in Music.) Children can leave at any time and rejoin later if they like.

Schools and other organisations working with children can also ask for out-of-hours activities to be accredited.

 

LCU is actively supported by two Lincolnshire “grown up” universities. The University of Lincoln hosts much of the administration and their professional staff and student volunteer teams can help with the running of events and development of new initiatives.

 

Bishop Grosseteste University chairs the Schools Forum, comprising all schools in Lincolnshire that run LCU activities. The Schools Forum shares good practice, helps in preparing accreditation documentation, and develops shared activities.

 

Lincolnshire Children’s University espouses the rationale and ideals of the Children’s University Trust, which aims to promote social mobility by providing high quality, exciting and innovative learning activities and experiences outside normal school hours to children aged 7 to 14 (and 5 and 6 year-olds with their families) and engaging the wider communities as learning partners in the realisation of this.

At the heart of its work is the ambition to raise aspirations, boost achievement and foster a love of learning, so that young people can make the most of their abilities and interests, regardless of the background into which they were born. Although open to all, the CU aims particularly to reach children and young people facing socio-economic and educational disadvantage through the targeting of grants to, and the promotion of activities in, areas of deprivation. It is here, we believe, that the benefits of high quality provision and opportunities will be felt most.