Centre will widen opportunities for local children
Published: 6 December 2022 at 14:00
IntoUniversity partners with ARU Peterborough to provide new learning space in city
A new centre that will provide children with resources to learn and develop new skills outside of school has been set up in Peterborough as a partnership between IntoUniversity and the city’s new university, ARU Peterborough.
IntoUniversity opened the centre, in Norman Road, to provide after-school learning support and programmes to help children aged between seven and 18 to work towards ambitions of further education, employment or university.
The Peterborough centre is the 36th to be opened by IntoUniversity in the UK. Children can benefit from a wide variety of educational assistance, from help with school work to one-on-one mentoring from university students, and career insight workshops.
IntoUniversity centres are based in the heart of residential communities and nurture strong links with local schools. Many of the children that IntoUniversity works with face disadvantage and may otherwise be unable to access higher education and other opportunities which would enable them to achieve their potential.
Peterborough’s Norman Road centre is in close proximity to several schools, and it is expected that staff will work with around 450 students in the centre’s launch year, rising to around 1,000 once the centre is fully established.
Professor Ross Renton, Principal of ARU Peterborough, said:
“The positive impact of universities on our communities can be transformative and long-lasting. As the new university for Peterborough, ARU Peterborough has a vital role to ensure that children can unlock their potential, particularly in areas where opportunities and progression have historically been low.
“We are proud to provide the support to bring IntoUniversity to Peterborough. Working together we have the ambition to help ensure that all children in Peterborough have the support to reach their potential, be that going to university or progressing to high-skilled employment or apprenticeships.”
Dr Rachel Carr, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of IntoUniversity, said:
“We are delighted to be opening the doors to our new centre in Peterborough, in partnership with ARU Peterborough.
“We are looking forward to supporting young people in Peterborough to reach their potential. In the coming weeks and months, we're eager to learn more about the community, and continue to build partnerships with families and local schools in the area.”
Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald, leader of Peterborough City Council, said:
“This is just one example of how our new university is working with our local communities providing big benefits to our city as a whole.”
Deputy Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and Combined Authority Skills Committee chair, Cllr Lucy Nethsingha, said:
“This is another great example of the wider benefits of our work to bring a university to Peterborough. One of the Combined Authority’s priorities is to improve careers education for young people across the region and particularly in areas where we have skills deficits like Peterborough and Fenland.
“It is still early days for the university but this new collaboration shows ARU Peterborough is well placed to help turn young people’s minds onto further education, training and opportunities for great careers.”