January 2024 Update and Offer

Happy 2024 everyone!

Warmest wishes and greetings from Westminster Children's University.

Welcome to the New Year and we have lots of great stuff ready for you here at WCU. If you would like to have a relaunch assembly or any of our January offer please email me to book

If you would like any activity or hours added, please email me the list the activities you'd like added to whole groups and individuals (in individual named lists if this helps by taking a class survey) and we will take care of the rest

If you are a colleague who is taking over or new ,I am happy to arrange a personal meeting to keep momentum going again, please email me to book We are so proud of all you achieved in 2024-416 ,000<hours of adventure and fun and can’t wait to see what this year brings.

Film Fun at the Garden Cinema

We love film at WCU and this year we are excited to introduce the Garden Cinema, who are offering pay what you can screening each weekend! Upcoming films include 'Wonka,' (13 & 14 Jan) with a chance to pitch your own chocolate bar, and 'The Jungle Book,' (20 & 21 Jan) accompanied by a sing-along with a Disney trained performer.

For more information on great things to there go to: thegardencinema.co.uk/season/films-for-the-family/

We are excited to be getting involved in what is coming up in 2024

The Fourth Plinth Schools Awards are now open for entries.

It’s a chance for schools to get creative and produce a work of art inspired by the contemporary art commissions for Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth. You can reach out to us if you’d like WCU to help you by running a workshop at your school for you.

Once again, thanks to our partner Cass Art – the UK’s leading independent art supplies retailer – there are some fantastic prizes up for grabs. Here’s how to get involved:

Design an artwork inspired by the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Squarescan or take a photo of your artwork and submit it to the online gallery that’s it!

There are winner and runner-up prizes for different age categories: 5-7 years, 8-11 years and 12-15 years, as well as prizes for the best work from each borough. There’ll also be a presentation ceremony at New City Hall and all winning entries will appear in an exhibition in late spring.

Entries can be in all art forms including drawing, painting, sculpture, collage and digital designs. There’s no limit to the number of entries from each school and both group and individual entries are welcome.

Upload at :https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-strategies/arts-and-culture/current-culture-projects/fourth-plinth-trafalgar-square/fourth-plinth-schools-awards-2024/fourth-plinth-schools-awards-2024-submissions-formFor our January offer we have lots of creative, STEAM/STEM fun for you including clubs, challenges and visits.

Archimake Work Shops

Archimake workshops comprise of fun art, architecture, design and engineering courses in drawing and model making for children aged 7-16 to explore design and the built environment.

We are accredited to assess for national qualifications resulting in GCSE equivalent qualifications for young people. Participants have a 100% pass rate in passing Level 1 Certificate, which is a national qualification regulated by OfQual.

All the young people who passed their qualification were in year 7-9, so had not started GCSE at school but primary sessions and clubs are also available.

 We have enjoyed a whole year of Archimake after school and would love you to join us remotely, if you would like to do this please contact your coordinators so we can set this up for you in your school from 4-5 pm on Mondays. We also have pre-paid workshops available too.

Vex Club Opportunity

VEX Robotics is educational robotics for everyone. VEX solutions span all levels of both formal and informal education with accessible, scalable, and affordable solutions. Beyond science and engineering principles, VEX encourages creativity, teamwork, leadership, and problem solving among groups. It allows educators of all types to engage and inspire the STEM problem solvers of tomorrow!

We are working with Tyrone at the Chelsea foundation to relaunch our VEX project and already have our resources ready to go so watch this space in January/February for updates and opportunities.

STEM Topsy Turvy-Paid Activity coming this year

We spent three great days with our friends at Topsy Turvy this December and look forward to taking part in their STEM and Story projects this year. If you haven’t checked them out you can visit individually at weekends or book a class session through your coordinators. We will be celebrating your successes with them this year. So look out for the exciting STEM activities and celebrations in 2024

When you visit you will find a separate dedicated 3 and under play area. A main multi-tiered play frame for under 12s, full of excitement and adventure with a new one way system, all padded for your safety. 

Parking is in Brent Cross Shopping Centre Multi-Story Car park level 3. Our building is located opposite of the car park but you can get there easily by multipole buses, 189 is our choice from Querx Road Kilburn.

Holiday Opening
They are open every day. Check their website with available play sessions https://www.topsyturvyworld.com/#

Pre-book 1.45 hour sessions online Saturday and Sunday (to guarantee entry)

Term Time
Mon-Tue 10-4 pm
Wed-Fri   10-6 pm

Sat-Sun, Half Term and Holidays
Mon-Sun 9.30-6pm

KWC Lego Club

 We all love to play! That’s the ethos behind the after school building brick programme. Young people can collaborate together to build brick models - making friends and developing skills all whilst having fun. We have pre-paid for one school to run their own club so please let us know if this is of interest.

Run by trained facilitators, the programme offers children positive, meaningful social experiences in an understanding, playful and accepting environment. Brick Club (as it's known to children) supports its members to collaborate, communicate, problem-solve and share fun experiences all through collaborative building brick play.

We will be starting our club again in March and if you would like one at your school, we can help you to do that too, so remember to let your school coordinator know so that we can collaborate to get Building club in your school too.

Perform for Schools

We are looking forward to our Anti-Bullying workshops with Perform for schools in January. Whether you’re looking for a fresh angle on a traditional topic, a fun weekly after school club or an inspiring INSET on using drama in the classroom, a visit from Perform for Schools could be the answer.

Every week, over 5000 children attend Perform after-school and weekend workshops at venues across London, the South East and South West. The classes focus on developing confidence and social skills in a fun and lively way via the performing arts. With over 15 years of experience, all our teachers are recruited, DBS and reference-checked, trained and employed directly by us.  So, you can be confident that your pupils will be in the very best of hands.

Perform for Schools is the primary school division of Perform - the UK's leading provider of drama, dance and singing workshops for 4-12 year olds. The Perform4ALL project offers FREE drama workshops to primary schools across London, Nottingham and the South-East.

Facilitated by a DBS-checked trained professional actor, each workshop lasts 30 minutes and is designed for a class of up to 30 children in a large space such as the school hall. Teachers can book free introductory sessions which are always amazing so go over to the site to get yours book for the New Year.

https://www.perform.org.uk/perform-schools/perform4all-project/perform4all-project/about

Tom Half Penny Guitar

We have funded guitar lessons again this year-Starting February- and there are spaces for afterschool students so if you can get to us at Queens Park School and can get to us after school, let your coordinator know to book your free lesson space and start your musical journey.

Guitar lessons are a great tool for keeping you motivated. This is one of the key factors in whether or not you'll succeed with learning to play the guitar. It's equally as important as learning the right techniques, correcting mistakes and practicing your scales so why not give it a try?

Apple Field Trips Regent Street and Covent Garden

Apple Field trips are a great way to learn about technology and develop new skills and understanding. We are so glad to be visiting Apple again and can’t wait to help you all organise your trips too, we are starting in early February with: Design Lab: Draw your own Astronaut Inspired by Snoopy in Space and Art Tour drawing from Observation.

We are happy to assist you in organising a field trip so, please let us know if you’d like to part.