Building sustainability and autonomy

City of Birmingham Children’s University (CBCU)Lead Officer: Graham Speller grahamspeller@aol.com07766923132www.birminghamchildrensuniversity.co.uk

Expected outcomes

A greater understanding of what is sustainability and autonomy

How it can be achieved in relation to the functions of a local Children’s University

Key Questions

• Why is this necessary?• What is being offered?• How is sustainability built?• Who is involved and how are they

involved?

Why?

• The world is changing• To evolve a degree of autonomy and identity• To foster creativity and new ways of working• Previous funding streams are no longer available• To seek new partnerships and funding streams

Who with?Partnerships and Funding Streams

• National Children’s University TM• Birmingham City Council• Aston University• Birmingham University• Birmingham University Guild of Students• Public Learning Destinations• Schools• Students• Parents • Link2ICT• Birmingham Grid for Learning (BGfL)• Providers• Others. As a charitable trust there is scope to seek funding streams previously unavailable

What is being offered?

The principles on which CBCU are built are:-• To promote university style learning• To lift aspirations• To support life-long learners• To transform lives and enhance life chances

What is being offered?

A local product within a national frameworkA factor that can be built into school improvement strategiesA contribution to safeguarding childrenAn intervention strategy to target under achievers and those with low confidence and

self esteemA facility for students judged as gifted and talentedA chance to develop skills and interests outside the school curriculumAn opportunity to promote student choices about learningUniversity style of learning to build modules of learning leading to awards and

recognitionLearning in a different style from previous experiences

What is being offered?• An over arching framework to validate out of

hours learning• University style graduation ceremonies in a

university setting• Validation of learning from a range of providers• Professional development for school staff and

others• E learning 24/7

How is sustainability built?Developing Funding Streams

• School subscriptions• Public Learning Destination subscriptions• Courses• Out reach work• Sale of passports• Sale of goods , badges, “t” shirts, caps etc through an on line shop!!!

Subscriptions Administration

• Service Level Agreements• E forms. Passport order and pupil registration

Forms• Data Base• Web site to access public information• e learning and the bank of validated modules• www.birminghamchildrensuniversity.co.uk

Annual activities• Annual lecture• Student Conference• Graduation ceremony• Validation Board• Awarding Body

How do we function?• Core Group• Management Group• Strategy / Steering Group• Validation Board (modules)• Awarding Board (certificates and awards)• Web site

www.birminghamchildrensuniversity.co.uk

www.birminghamchildrensuniversity.co.uk

• Information for the public, students, parents, providers, schools, and public destinations

• Administration, e documents• News and developments• Signposting and promoting• Guiding and supporting