Primary school pupils attend university for the day

Primary school pupils are to consider what they make of the fact that Barack Obama – along with five of the most recent seven U.S. presidents - is left-handed.

It is part of a programme on critical thinking spearheaded by the University of Leicester for the benefit of schoolchildren.

Pupils from two local schools have been invited to develop their critical thinking skills at the University of Leicester as part of a combined Aimhigher and Gifted and Talented initiative. Year 5 and 6 students from Inglehurst Junior and Parks Primary schools will have the chance to meet current university students, tour the campus and develop their analytical, reasoning and arguing skills during the Critical Thinking taster day on Tuesday 23 February.

Approximately 30 pupils from the New Parks and Fosse wards of the city will be attending the University for a Critical Thinking Day where they will be introduced to concepts including analysing and developing arguments, establishing evidence and responding to problems.

Dr Roy van den Brink-Budgen, a critical thinking expert who has been at the forefront of developing course materials to support the syllabus for the Critical Thinking A-Level, will be the visiting speaker for the event.

During the day they will be investigating claims, explanations and inferences discussing statements such as: ‘including President Obama, five of the most recent seven U.S. presidents have been left-handed’ and will be asked what they can infer from this evidence, as well as learning about assumptions and making an argument, all of which are elements of the Critical Thinking A-Level which was first introduced in 2008.

The pupils will also get the chance to meet some current students at the University of Leicester and will be treated to a tour of the campus where they will be able to see Jane the Dinosaur in Geology, the Skylark rocket in Physics and the newly developed, multi-million pound David Wilson Library.

Amanda Swift, Widening Participation and Outreach Coordinator, has organised the visit as a result of the success of a recent event for the Learning South Leicestershire Consortium and their staff, as well as the previous critical thinking days the University has hosted for year 12 students.

Amanda commented:

“This visit day will be a really useful exercise for both the visiting students and the University. The students will get the chance to develop sophisticated thinking skills and gain an insight into university life and, in turn, the University will benefit from making links with local schools and helping to raise the aspirations of the next generation of students. ”

The visit is part of a programme of outreach activities organised by the University’s School and College Services Team which aims to raise aspirations and awareness of higher education for students living in the most deprived postcode areas in the city and county. The visit day will offer the pupils a taster for university life and an introduction to a subject they may wish to study when they are older.