Students from five schools across the Wyre Forest and Hagley spent a week exploring higher education at the University of Worcester.

The Discovery Week saw 25 gifted and talented students from schools belonging to The ContinU Trust take part in a host of activities at the University, focusing on the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and humanities subjects. The summer school was designed to bridge the gap between the end of Year 11 and the start of sixth form study, for students showing particular strengths in these subjects. Sessions such as DNA extraction, forensic psychology, web journalism, literature and the geography of Ethiopian wetlands kept the students on their toes. Tom Cadwallader, aged 16, from King Charles 1 School in Kidderminster, said: “The week was great. Experiencing the university was extremely helpful in making decisions for my future. The academic opportunities we had have broadened my understanding of STEM subjects as a whole.”

In addition to the academic sessions, the students spent two days researching and preparing presentations for 'The Big Challenge' - a teamwork and research task to analyse the sustainability and green credentials of the University of Worcester, using online and paper resources in The Hive, the first university and public library in Europe. Haybridge High School student Dan Hughes, aged 16, from Hagley, said: “The Challenge taught us vital study skills that are applicable to life in general, like prioritising information and teamwork.” Gian Fazey-Koven, Outreach and Recruitment Manager at the University, said: “The Discovery week was one of a number of events we have been running with schools recently to engage young people and encourage them to think about the opportunities available to them. We are delighted that the Wyre Forest school pupils enjoyed their time with us and hope it got them thinking about possibilities for further study in the future.” The schools - Haybridge High School, Wolverley CE High, Bewdley School, King Charles 1 High School and Stourport High School are partners in ContinU, whose 'Opening Doors' programme arranges collaborative enrichment activities for young people across the Wyre Forest and Hagley areas.