Schools and colleges
Presentations and activities
We offer a menu of activities to help your students find out more about higher education.
We are here to provide you with quality and impartial university-related Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG).
The presentations, games and activities below have been mapped to Gatsby and NERUPI (Network for Evaluation and Researching University Participation Interventions). Each activity includes details about age ranges and outcomes.
Our team has a wealth of experience of working in and for primary schools, secondary schools, colleges, universities and charities. We are also able to plan or deliver sessions not listed in the menu, should you have a specific request.
All the information on this page is available as a downloadable PDF: Presentations and workshops for schools (PDF, 1.1 MB)
Presentations
Age range
Younger years (Year 6/7/8)
Older years (Year 9/10/11)Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Know
This presentation introduces students to higher education. It covers:
- Why go to university?
- What can you study?
- Who goes to university?
- Where can you go?
- Costs and Student Finance
- Extracurricular activities at university
- About York St John University
- Accommodation
- Student Support and Graduation
Age range
Year 11/12/13Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Choose
This presentation covers:
- UCAS
- Your UCAS application
- What a personal statement is
- What to include
- How to structure it
- How to research for it
- Personal statement FAQs
Age range
Younger years (Year 8/9)
Older years (Year 10/11/12)Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Know, Understand
This presentation covers:
- Why higher education?
- What your options are
- What to consider when choosing GCSEs
- What to consider when looking at universities
- What to consider when picking a course
- Apprenticeships
Age range
Younger years (pre-16)
Older years (post-16)Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Know
This presentation covers:
- Our mission
- Our location
- Entry requirements
- Costs
- Our facilities
- Student support
- Accommodation
Age range
Younger years (pre-16)
Older years (post-16)Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Know
This presentation introduces students to higher education. It covers:
- Moving in
- Accommodation
- Students' Union, societies and sports clubs
- Freshers' Fair
- Age appropriate content
- Includes questions for Student Ambassadors to answer
Age range
Parents and carers
This presentation covers:
- Admissions
- Student funding
- Student support
- Careers, placements and opportunities
- Time for a Student Ambassador to talk about their student experience
Age range
Year 10/11/12/13Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Choose
This presentation covers:
- What student finance is
- The different loans
- How the payment scheme works
- Payment amounts
- The repayments figures for 2021/22 entry
Age range
Year 12/13Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Become
This presentation covers:
- What you should bring to university
- Arrival Weekend
- Freshers' Week
- Student support
Age range
Year 12/13Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Know, Choose
This presentation covers:
- What UCAS is
- The process
- Hints and tips for personal statements
- Importance of Open Days
- How to make the most of an Open Day
Age range
Year 11/12/13Outcomes
Gatsby: 2, 4, 7
NERUPI: Know, Practice
This presentation covers:
- What employable skills are
- What employers are looking for
- Benefits of university
- How university can help you
- Skill requirements for particular jobs
- Gaining and developing transferable skills
Age range
Younger years (pre-16)Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Practice
This presentation covers:
- Different revision styles
- Different learning techniques
- Hints and tips on how to revise well
- Short practical activities to try different learning and revision styles
Age range
Older years (post-16)Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Practice, Become
This presentation covers:
- What academic skills are used at university
- Academic writing
- Referencing
Games and activities
Age range
Year 7 to 12Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Know, Understand, Practice
A match up activity that engages students in small groups to pair up key words with the definition.
Age range
Year 6 to 8Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Know, Understand
An exciting activity to get pupils asking questions to our Student Ambassadors.
Age range
Year 6 to 8Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Know, Understand
Introduce potential career paths and courses available to study in a fun and engaging way.
Age range
Year 8 to 11Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Know, Understand, Practice
Students work together in small teams to identify a university course beginning with each letter of the alphabet.
Age range
Year 6 to 10Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Know, Understand
A fun and engaging activity for students to listen and engage with while on a campus tour.
Age range
Year 6 to 10Outcomes
Gatsby: 5, 6, 7
NERUPI: Know, Understand
A fun and engaging activity for students to listen and engage with while on a campus tour.
Age range
Year 9 to 12Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Know, Understand, Practice
A match up activity that engages students in small groups to pair up key Student Finance words and terms with the definition.
Age range
Year 9 to 11Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Know, Understand
A fun activity that focuses on areas of budgeting and priorities. Students will be invited to try branded and budget versions of some foods to see if they can tell the difference.
Age range
Year 7 to 12Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Know, Understand, Practice
Design your own degree! Come up with a title, topics, trips and extra opportunities available, plus skills and graduate options.
Age range
Year 6 to 12Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Know, Understand, Practice
Design your own sport or society! Come up with a title, areas of interest, trips and extra opportunities available, plus skills and graduate options.
Mock interviews and debates
Age range
Year 10 to 13Outcomes
Gatsby: 3, 5, 7, 8
NERUPI: Know, Understand, Practice
An activity to allow students to interview each other and receive feedback from a member of staff.
Age range
Year 7 to 11Outcomes
Gatsby: 7
NERUPI: Know, Understand, Become, Practice
Students can use resources and information provided to argue for or against a topic.
Example topic: Is university a waste of money?
About NERUPI
NERUPI stands for Network for Evaluation and Researching University Participation Interventions. We use this framework to underpin the design of our activities and enable us to clearly define their aims and outcomes. This framework works for all age groups and provides a common language for us to share with schools and colleges (NERUPI, 2021).
The five NERUPI pillars are detailed below and are indicated against each presentation, game and activity which meets it alongside the Gatsby benchmark.
- Know: Develop students’ knowledge and awareness of the benefits of higher education and graduate employment.
- Choose: Develop students’ capacity to navigate the higher education and graduate employment sectors and make informed choices.
- Become: Develop students’ confidence and resilience to negotiate the challenges of university life and graduate progression.
- Practice: Develop students’ study skills, capacity for academic attainment, and successful graduate progression.
- Understand: Develop students’ understanding by contextualising subject knowledge and supporting attainment raising.
