National Primary Project - Professor Fluffy
Professor Fluffy in the South West
Introduction
Professor Fluffy was originally a project developed by Aimhigher Greater Merseyside, led by Liverpool University introducing the idea to young people and parents that further and higher education is natural progression after school. The young people and parents who participated in the original project were located in areas of greater Merseyside where there is much deprivation and where there is less than 16% participation in higher education.
Weston College was selected as a partner institution of this project by Liverpool University due to Weston-super-Mare being similar as Greater Merseyside with multiple deprivations and with few people choosing to go on and study at further and higher education establishments.
Headlines
- Introduction of further and higher education to primary school children
- Positive and memorable events
- Student’s concept of ‘University’ being built with positive experiences from these events
Professor Fluffy Outline
Weston College worked with the Weston Excellence Cluster and Weston Federation to create a programme of professor fluffy suitable for the schools in the area and nine schools participated with twelve sessions delivered in total to over 340 students. The programme was aimed at year 6 students. There were many aims of the Weston College Professor Fluffy event and these included:
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Introducing the concept of a learning journey, showing the young people what options are available to them and that education continues throughout our lives.
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Encourage students to value their own education and to work hard
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Enable students to find out exactly what college is like by talking to real life students
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To ensure that the young people are more confident about going on to college
By the end of the session the objective for the day was that the young people should be able to identify between school and college and enable the children to explain their learning journey and how long it can last.
In order for these aims and objectives to be met the sessions focused on the learning journey of professor fluffy who is a female character that the students met during the session. By following the learning journey of professor fluffy this enabled the children to consider the importance of their learning journey and any future decisions that they may need to make. The children also interviewed student ambassadors using worksheets to learn more about college life. Finally a university and graduation part of the session took place with firstly an introduction to university and finally a graduation ceremony where certificates were presented and pictures taken.
After the session evaluation form was completed by all students involved, each student left with materials to take home and share with their parents, the materials included information regarding the professor fluffy website and resources and games used were also given so that the session could be followed up at home.
Professor Fluffy Feedback
Feedback from the event shows that it was well received by students and teachers alike with 100% of teachers agreeing that it was very good for children with individual teachers’ comments including:
“Interesting to give children an insight into future opportunities”
“Good for children to know there are more options and not just A-levels”
“Excellent, motivating afternoon – children were really involved and began the process of thinking about life after secondary school”
The activities were also well received with the favourites being the interactive whiteboard games, graduation and the interviewing of students. All teachers thought the day was a benefit for their classes and further comments included:
“Gave children a real insight into post 16 education”
“Opened their eyes to thinking beyond secondary school”
“Gave the children something to aim for”
“The children learnt more about going to secondary school and more importantly
options
after secondary school after talking to people going through further education”
The students also had very positive feedback from the event with nearly all the students who attended expressing that they had enjoyed the event thoroughly.
What did you like about it?
“Interviewing and games”
“Knowing what the students are doing in college”
“Learning new words”
What did you learn from the students?
“You go to college for two years”
“You don’t have to wear school clothes all the time”
“What you do at college and after and all the subjects you can learn”
