Twenty-five pupils spent the morning working with the campus Biodiversity officer Ben Sampson from the Sustainability Team. Through a scavenger hunt and a quiz, pupils followed a nature trail across campus learning about the different habitats and wildlife on campus.

After lunch in the campus refectory, pupils took part in a pond-dipping exercise with Dr. Dan Foreman and Ffion Davies from the Biosciences department identifying and learning about freshwater invertebrates.

‌Later in the afternoon, current Swansea University undergraduates (working as Student Leaders for Reaching Wider) introduced the pupils to the possible routes into further and higher education and how these pathways could lead into a Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths related career.

The day was funded by the National Science Academy and organised by the South West Wales Reaching Wider Partnership in collaboration with the University’s Sustainability team.

Maesmarchog Primary School

Reaching Wider Senior Programme Development Officer Rebecca Griffiths commented:

“This was the first time for us to bring Maesmarchog pupils to Swansea University – in the past we have delivered activities at the school. We had a fun packed day with the Year 5/6 class and everyone rose to the challenge of the activities that they were presented with.

It was brilliant for the pupils to get out and explore the university campus. Hopefully this day has opened pupils’ minds to considering higher education as an option for them”.

The South West Wales Reaching Wider Partnership is a programme aiming to widen access into higher education across the whole student age range through learning and aspiration-raising activities. 

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Funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, the South West Wales Reaching Wider partnership includes Swansea University; University of Wales Trinity Saint David; Coleg Sir Gâr; Gower College Swansea; Neath Port Talbot College Group; Pembrokeshire College; Careers Wales; The Open University in Wales, and schools across participating unitary authorities.

The programme aims to extend educational participation to previously excluded and under-represented groups of people in south west Wales.

Find out more about Reaching Wider

Study Science at Swansea University