Higher Futures 4U (HF4U) is a term long programme for children in upper Key Stage 2 to raise self belief and develop a culture of aspiration. The programme is composed of four school-based workshops:

• The first increases the children's understanding and awareness of their own skills and promotes self confidence.
• The second enhances the children's understanding of different career opportunities available to them.
• In the third, children explore the pathways into different qualifications and jobs and find out about colleges and universities.
• The last workshop is a family session held in school which allows the children to share all of the knowledge gained over the first three sessions with members of their family.

This is followed up with three educational visits that build on the classroom-based learning. The first of these is a half-day visit to University. Here the children meet students who take them on a campus investigation with a series of puzzles to teach the children about student life. They also have an interactive 'lecture' on campus.

The 'World of Work' visit takes the children to a working environment. Here they find out about the qualifications and skills needed for different jobs, the children have a chance to try something practical related to the business they visit.

The final part of HF4U is a graduation event; the children celebrate the completion of HF4U in caps and gowns collecting their certificates in front of their invited family.

Full training is given to all teachers taking part as well a suport from our interactive website that lets the schools access and download all of the extra curicular lesson plans that re-enforce the key messages within HF4U.

If you would like to contact the Higher Futures 4 U team, please call +44 (0) 161 921 8082 or email hf4u@mmu.ac.uk

For more information please go to the Higher Futures 4 U website.