Subject-specific outreach programme 2023-2024

This is the outreach page for the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures at The University of Manchester. Visit the University's Access and Success team page to discover how the University can support general information, advice and guidance on Higher Education at your school.   

Keep in touch:

Online resources:

  • Find out more about SALC subject-specific resources using the subject headers below
  • Our central Access and Success team have put together a list of online resources for teachers.

Subject-specific events and resources

Most of our events are free to attend unless otherwise stated.

Interdisciplinary learning

Manchester’s University College for Interdisciplinary Learning (UCIL) offers a variety of courses students can study as part of their degree at Manchester.

They have created one-hour taster courses where students can learn from our academic experts on the most pressing matters facing our future:

  • Creating a Sustainable World - 21st Century Challenges & the Sustainable Development Goals
  • Visualising Information  - Uses and Abuses of Data  
  • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion - Your Role in Shaping a Fairer World
  • Trust and Security in a Digital World - From Fake News to Cybercriminals

To access the taster courses and explore UCIL in more detail, head to the UCIL website

American Studies Resources and events

External events with UoM participation: British Association of American Studies Schools Conference – October 13, 2023 (KS5)

*** These are events run by an external organisation, but with substantial staff contribution by the University of Manchester. Some of these events are chargeable.***   

The annual BAAS Schools Conference will take place on Friday, October 13 from 11-4pm in Manchester City Centre (Methodist Hall, M1 1JQ). The theme will be ‘US Politics and Modern American History’, and will be of relevance to those studying modern US history or politics within A-Level History or Government & Politics courses. Sessions will cover the recent Supreme Court; the role of congressional midterms; the changing politics of civil rights in Congress and the Courts; and environmental policy/ politics and the US state. Prices are £16 per student, with one free teacher place for every 8 students. For inquiries email Dr Andrew Fearnley or to register click here

Further BAAS schools events and resources including essay prizes, a teacher network and a newsletter for those teaching US history or politics, can be seen on the BAAS website.      

Insight into History & Related Subjects

Audience: Year 12

Date: tbc (late Dec or January)

Venue: University of Manchester, Oxford Road Campus

Do you love History? Then this event is for you - there is so much to explore! This day will give you the opportunity to meet academics and students from disciplines including American Studies, Archaeology, Art History, Classics & Ancient History, History, Liberal Arts and Religions & Theology.

Find full details and booking form on our Insight Days page

Civil Rights Histories for A-Level

KS5 (A-level) - online resource

Our Y1 American Studies students undertook a project with Dr Andrew Fearnley in 20/21. In the past fifteen years, there has been a burst of new and innovative studies of the US black freedom struggle. The outcome of this project is now available - a short booklet that outlines some of the ways in which this scholarship has changed, and which offers fresh approaches for those teaching the subject at A-Level.

Download the resource here.

Online: Lecture on "US Presidents and Civil Rights"

KS5 (A-level)

At a time when international attention is once more focused on the US presidency, and in a year when millions have mobilized in the US and around the world to demonstrate that Black Lives Matter, Dr. Andrew Fearnley considers the role that presidents played in ‘advancing the position of African Americans’ in the period from the US Civil War to the passage of the Voting Rights Act. Contrary to the popular, cinematic depiction of this issue, which generally portrays the president as a primary force in the country’s social and political advancement, Fearnley shows instead how the presidential record in this realm is, with a few notable exceptions, remarkably limited. The lecture is accompanied by a handout which is available for download. All of these materials were produced and recorded in late September 2020. Further details about the University of Manchester's American Studies programme can be found here.

Download the handout (pdf)

This video was recorded on Wednesday, 30 September 2020 - the topic was requested by a local Sixth Form 

 

Archaeology & Egyptology resources & events

Insight into History & Related Subjects

Audience: Year 12
Date: tbc (late Dec or January)
Venue: University of Manchester, Oxford Road Campus

Do you love History? Then this event is for you - there is so much to explore! This day will give you the opportunity to meet academics and students from disciplines including American Studies, Archaeology, Art History, Classics & Ancient History, History, Liberal Arts and Religions & Theology.

For full details and booking form, head to our Insight Days page

Online: Prehistory to Primary Schools Project

KS1-3

Prehistory (the ‘Stone Age’ to Iron Age) is now on the national curriculum, but it may seem like quite a daunting or difficult thing to teach, as there are not always resources available to get classes engaged with people living thousands of years in the past. A team of Archaeologists at the University of Manchester have created a set of free resources that can help bring prehistory to life in the classroom, combining information booklets, comics, 3D printed artefacts, digital resources and classroom activities that teachers can use to create flexible and detailed teaching.

Details  & Resource Download

Explore the project in more detail and access our resources here   

Online: Podcast "Time's Tall Tales" 

Discover the Department of Classics, Ancient History, Archaeology and Egyptology's podcast, presented by our students and staff. Every story has two sides, or even more, and all versions deserve to be heard. And they will be, here in Time's Tall Tales. We'll talk about everything from Greek mythology to modern fairtytales, and expose the true sides of history's most popular tales and people.  

Online: Archaeology Taster lectures 

Hear about our academics' research and explore the type of content our Archaeology students engage in:

  • Ancient Egypt: Dr Nicky Nielsen tells us about his fieldwork at Tell Nabasha in Egypt.
  • Vikings in Scotland: Dr Hannah Cobb shows us her amazing Viking finds from Western Scotland.
  • Life and Death in Neolithic Britain: Professor Julian Thomas discusses his ongoing fieldwork project investigating a Neolithic monument complex over 5500 years old.
  • Hot Topics in Greek Prehistory:Dr Ina Berg tells us about some of the exciting current research taking place in the Mediterranean.
  • Bog Bodies in Britain: Dr Mel Giles gives us an insight into her work with Iron Age Bog Bodies, including her new research on ‘Worsley Man’.

Online: Free Egyptology Courses

Our colleagues in Egyptology offer some free online courses

 

Art History resources & events

Articulation Discovery Day (KS5)

Audience: Y12&13

Date: 28 September 2023, 10am - 3pm
Venue: The Whitworth, University of Manchester

Articulation Discovery Days are free workshops for KS5 students to help develop their critical analysis, research and public speaking skills. The workshops are open to schools from the state sector only.

They are linked to the National-Gallery run Articulation Programme.  More information about the Discovery Day, including the booking link, can be found here

Insight into History & Related Subjects

Audience: Year 12
Date: tbc (late Dec or January)
Venue: University of Manchester, Oxford Road Campus

Do you love History? Then this event is for you - there is so much to explore! This day will give you the opportunity to meet academics and students from disciplines including American Studies, Archaeology, Art History, Classics & Ancient History, History, Liberal Arts and Religions & Theology.

For full details and booking forms head to our Insight Days page

Dispatches in Art History

Our department's blog, sharing news on research and events.

The Whitworth programmes for schools 

Explore our art gallery's offer for schools.     

Online: Manchester Museum 

Although the Museum is currently closed for major refurbishment, they are running online activities, exhibitions and events for all ages. Check out their events page for details.

Classics and Ancient History resources & events

Insight into History & Related Subjects

Audience: Year 12
Date: tbc (late Dec or January)
Venue: University of Manchester, Oxford Road Campus

Do you love History? Then this event is for you - there is so much to explore! This day will give you the opportunity to meet academics and students from disciplines including American Studies, Archaeology, Art History, Classics & Ancient History, History, Liberal Arts and Religions & Theology.

For full details and booking forms head to our Insight Days page

Classics for All

KS 2-5

Funded by the national charity Classics for All, Manchester Classics for All (MCfA) is a scheme that provides access to Latin, Ancient Greek and Classics in state schools across North West England. The project is run in partnership with the Manchester Classical Association and the University of Manchester.

The Manchester Classic for All Hub Co-ordinator, Will Mundy, can be contacted via manchesterleedscfa@gmail.com 

Online: Study Day Talks on Roman and Greek History 

KS5

The department ran virtual study days for sixth formers in spring 2021 and 2022, featuring talks by our academics on their specialist subject areas.

Our Augustus Study Day 2021 included the following talks, which can be accessed here: 

  •  Augustus and Virgil: Emperor and Poet (Professor Alison Sharrock) 
  • Cleopatra: Augustus's Public Enemy No 1 (Professor Joyce Tyldesley)
  • Imperial Love, Marriage and Succession (Professor Christian Laes)
  • Augustus and the Common People of Rome (Dr Mary Beagon)
  • An Emperor and his Army (Dr Andrew Fear)  

The 2022 Study Day on the Peloponnesian Wars is here and features talks on: 

  • Counting the Peloponnesian Wars (Professor Stephen Todd)
  • Euripides and the Acceptance of War (Dr Emma Griffiths)
  • The Epigraphy of the Peloponnesian War (Professor Peter Liddel)
  • Mad? Bad? Dangerous to know? Plutarch and Alcibaides (Dr John Taylor)
  • A Southern Front? The Peloponnesian War and Egypt (Dr Nicky Nielsen)

Online: A-level Revision Sessions for Classical Civilisation

KS5

Give your Classical Civilisations A-Level revision the edge with our department’s free mini-lecture series.

Academic staff at The University of Manchester’s Department of Classics, Ancient History, Archaeology and Egyptology are enthusiastic about encouraging new waves of A-Level students to delve deeper into these fascinating subjects:

  • Ovid revisited
  • Sophocles' Oedipus the King
  • The Prima Porta Statue
  • A Grandmother Taking Care of Small Children
  • Myron's Diskobolos
  • Telemachus

Online: Podcast "Time's Tall Tales"

Discover the backcatalogue of the Department of Classics, Ancient History, Archaeology and Egyptology's 20-21 podcast, presented by our students and staff.

Every story has two sides, or even more, and all versions deserve to be heard. And they will be, here in Time's Tall Tales. We'll talk about everything from Greek mythology to modern fairytales, and expose the true sides of history's most popular tales and people.

Online: Manchester Museum 

Although the Museum is currently closed for major refurbishment, they are running online activities, exhibitions and events for all ages. Check out their events page for details.    

University of Manchester Library Resources 

Our library offers reference facilities to north-west sixth form and mature students and their teachers to help with A-level and Access course work. 

For further details, please see our library's Widening Participation page.   

Drama and Film Studies resources & events

Insight into English & Related Subjects

Audience: Year 12
Date: tbc (late Dec or January)
Venue: University of Manchester, Oxford Road Campus, Simon Building

 Do you love English Literature - or do you enjoy delving deep into the structure of the English language? Then this event is for you - there is so much to explore! This day will give you the opportunity to meet academics and students from disciplines including American Studies, Art History, Drama, English Language & Linguistics, English Literature & Creative Writing, Film Studies and Liberal Arts.

For full details and booking forms head to our Insight Days page

Martin Harris Centre programme

The Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama is our venue for a host of inspirational Music and Drama performances. (Charges apply to some events)

   

English Language and Linguistics resources & events

 Great Science Poetry Share 2024

For pupils aged 5-14

From Creative Manchester, in partnership with Great Science Share for Schools, comes a brand new opportunity to share scientific ideas and curiosity.

It’s time again to ignite your pupils’ inner poet! Sharing science through creative writing is a great way to celebrate literacy and inspire young people to think differently about their scientific questions.

Head to the  Great Science Poetry Share website to:

  • Explore writing prompts delievered by poet Chad Campbell from the University's Centre for New Writing
  • Find out how to particpate

Insight into English & Related Subjects

Audience: Year 12
Date: 23 January 2024
Venue: University of Manchester, Oxford Road Campus

Do you love English Literature - or do you enjoy delving deep into the structure of the English language? Then this event is for you - there is so much to explore! This day will give you the opportunity to meet academics and students from disciplines including American Studies, Art History, Drama, English Language & Linguistics, English Literature & Creative Writing, Film Studies and Liberal Arts.

Full details and booking forms can be found on our Insight Days page

Linguistic Diversity Collective 

The Linguistic Diversity Collective (LDC) is a group of academics in the Department of Linguistics and English Language who research and champion linguistic diversity both locally and globally.  

The LDC are available to engage with local school pupils on the subject of linguistic diversity and to support and enrich the work of third sector organisations such as community groups and language schools.

If you’d like to discuss this, or for any other queries, contact us at LDC@manchester.ac.uk

Online: Our Dialects & Multilingual Manchester

KS4 & 5

Students can learn about the lexical, phonological and syntactic variation in the English language across the UK with our interactive maps or explore the many different languages spoken in Manchester with the Multilingual Manchester Data Tool. There is also the LinguaSnapp app which allows you to contribute to this.

Online: Taster Lecture "What is Linguistics?"

KS4 & 5

Find out what the discipline of Linguistics is concerned with and explore our department's approach to it in this short taster lecture by Dr Wendell Kimper.    

Online: Why Study Linguistics

KS4 & 5

Alina, one of our students, talks about what we mean by "Linguistics", what studying Linguistics and/or English Language at university entails and what careers this could lead to. 

Find her talk on our Why Study... website   

  

English Literature resources & events

 Great Science Poetry Share 2024

 For pupils aged 5-14

 From Creative Manchester, in partnership with Great Science Share for Schools, comes a brand new opportunity to share scientific ideas and curiosity.

 It’s time again to ignite your pupils’ inner poet! Sharing science through creative writing is a great way to celebrate literacy and inspire young people to think differently about their scientific questions.

 Head to the  Great Science Poetry Share website to:

  •  Explore writing prompts delievered by poet Chad Campbell from the University's Centre for New Writing
  • Find out how to particpate

Insight into English & Related Subjects

Audience: Year 12
Date: tbc (late Dec or January)
Venue: University of Manchester, Oxford Road Campus

Do you love English Literature - or do you enjoy delving deep into the structure of the English language? Then this event is for you - there is so much to explore! This day will give you the opportunity to meet academics and students from disciplines including American Studies, Art History, Drama, English Language & Linguistics, English Literature & Creative Writing, Film Studies and Liberal Arts.

Full details and booking forms can be found on our Insight Days page

Online: Mini lecture on rhyme in Ozymandias and When We Two Parted

GCSE

Dr Clara Dawson explores how rhyme can create meaning and add an extra layer of analysis in Shelley's Ozymandias and Byron's When We Two Parted.

The lecture is a contribution to the English Literature GCSE Boost YouTube channel, an initiative by Haili Hughes, English teacher and author     

Dr Dawson's lecture

 

History resources & events

Cold War Study Day ***Fully booked***

Audience: KS4&5
Date: 22 January 2024
Venue: Jodrell Bank, Bomish Lane, Lower Withington, Cheshire, SK11 9DL

The Cold War played out right here in the North West of England – Jodrell Bank in Cheshire was deeply involved in monitoring the early space race between the USA and the Soviet Union. This study day for KS4 and 5 combines taster lectures outlining the US and Soviet perspective on the Cold War with an active workshop which will see your students delve into source materials to explore the observatory’s role against that backdrop. The workshops will be offered as two separate strands: one for KS4, one for KS5.

The day will be held at the Jodrell Bank in Cheshire and will be co-delivered by Jodrell Bank and the Departments of History and Russian and East European Studies at the University of Manchester.

 Download the programme

How to book (join waitlist):

Each school can book for up to 20 pupils in the first instance. We only have capacity for max 80 students at the event. If more places become available, we will be in touch. Bookings will be handled on a first come, first served basis. The event is fully booked, but you can join the waitlist in case anyone drops out.  

 To book places, please email sonja.bernhard@manchester.ac.uk with the following information:

  • Your school name & postcode
  • Number of students you wish to book for (max 20)
  • Key Stage (4 or 5 only)

 Please note that groups will have to arrange their own transport.

Insight into History & Related Subjects

Audience: Year 12
Date: 25 January 2024
Venue: University of Manchester, Oxford Road Campus

Do you love History? Then this event is for you - there is so much to explore! This day will give you the opportunity to meet academics and students from disciplines including American Studies, Archaeology, Art History, Classics & Ancient History, History, Liberal Arts and Religions & Theology.

For full details and booking forms head to our Insight Days page

Online: Why does History matter, and what do Historians do?

Y10, Y11, Y12

Run in collaboration with Greater Manchester Higher and Scarisbrick Hall School, the Great Hall Lecture Series 2021 featured Dr Eloise Moss from the Department of History at University of Manchester. 

This lecture looks at the detective work of History: how research is done, and how History is written by historians, to ask some fundamental questions about the role History plays in our society: Why does History change? How is it that there are different versions of the same historical events, or that we sometimes realise that we need to change our understanding of the past altogether? Why are some people’s voices silenced, their stories left untold, while other people become the ‘famous faces’ of the past, such as Kings, Queens, and politicians? And what do historians actually do that means their version of History can be relied upon more than others? 

We look together at these bigger questions as well as some specific examples of how the study of History can help us understand historic systems of inequality and discrimination, particularly discussing the Jack the Ripper murders and other major events in the history of crime. We also talk about different ways everyone can get involved in researching and bringing to light the hidden stories of the past, whether through family history, school and community projects, or through blogging and social media, and why doing this is important.

How to watch:

The lecture recording can be accessed here

ONLINE RESOURCES: Teaching The Russian Revolution 1917: Knowledge and Pedagogy Rebooted

Audience: History teachers

This joint event from the Historical Association, the University of Manchester and the Study Group of the Russian Revolution was held on campus on 19 November 2022. It was aimed at secondary and sixth-form history teachers, lecturers, and trainee teachers. Its focus is on the changes in research and pedagogy into the Russian Revolution of 1917.

Materials and session recordings from the day are available here.      

Online: Black History Month lecture 2022 with Professor David Olusoga

KS3-5

In November 2022, the University of Manchester’s Professor of Public History, David Olusoga explored what it means to be Black and British, and the role of Black History. Watch the recording here.  

Online: Our Migration Story - resources for students and teachers

Professor Clare Alexander (UoM Sociology) was involved in a research project that led to a rich resource for teachers and students: Our Migration Story was designed explicitly with teachers in mind. Recent changes to the National Curriculum in History, and the prioritisation of Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural (SMSC) development across Key Stages, have widened the opportunities for teaching students to understand and appreciate the range of peoples, from all places, who have journeyed to and helped to shape the British Isles.

The site brings together a range of migration stories and supporting sources to make it as easy as possible for you to find material for the classroom and top up your own understanding.

Online: The Black 14 - Sport, Student Protest & Social Justice

Over fifty years ago, fourteen Black football players from the University of Wyoming took a principled stand against racial injustice at great personal cost.

On Monday, 23 November 2020, the Race, Roots and Resistance collective (R3), the History Department and Creative Manchester at The University of Manchester hosted this in-depth conversation with original members of ‘The Black 14’, exploring sport, student protest and social justice in the age of #BlackLivesMatter.

The recording is available on the R3 website.

Warning: offensive language is used at 23:14 as part of a verbatim quote which reflects the language and attitudes of the 1960s

 Online: US History A-level resources

Our Department of American Studies has made A-level resources available - see "American Studies events and resources" 

Online: Lockdown Lectures

KS4-5

Watch our Professors of Public History, Prof David Olusoga and Prof Michael Wood, talk about their careers and their research. There is also a q&a with one of our students.   

Online: History workshops by WP Fellows

KS3-5

KS3 - Understanding Manchester's Social History 

In this video, Adam Waddingham, a History PhD student, shares activities with you to help you understand the social history of Manchester, and the benefits of studying History.

Find his workshop on our Talks for Secondary page in the "Understandig Talks" section.

KS4/5 - Should Auschwitz have been bombed?

This workshop, created by PhD student Robert Kanter, is designed to introduce students to an engaging and relevant debate from period of World War II and The Holocaust.

Find the workshop and supporting materials on the Talks for Secondary page in the "Workshops" section 

Online: History of Medicine Digital Resource

KS4

The Museum of Medicine and Health, in the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, holds one of the most extensive collections of medical artefacts in England. The museum holds over 8,000 objects relating to the history of teaching and practicing medicine, housed in the Stopford Building where the Medical School is based. 

Our colleagues at the Museum have produced a new History of Medicine digital resource to support home learning as well as satisfy the curiosities of anyone interested in Manchester’s health care past. The resource explores 19th & 20th century medical objects from the Museum of Medicine and Health, and contains thought-provoking questions about the origins and uses of these objects.

Themes in the resource echo the National Curriculum Key Stage 4 History Module “Medicine Through Time” and each object in focus has a local connection to the city of Manchester.

You download the pdf here. 

Humanitarian Conflict and Response Institute (HCRI) resources & events

Young People in Humanitarianism Conference

Year 9

15 May 2024, 9:45 - 3:15 - The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13 9PL

 This conference, hosted by the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, will give Year 9 students the experience of disaster management and humanitarian response in relation to a fictional event set in 2050. The scene in 2050 will be a warming UK and will centre around an impending storm hazard.

 Students will experience immersive activities where they simulate vital stages of the Disaster Management Cycle. The first session will include a media messaging campaign using film and social media to inform the local people of the impending impact of the storm. Session 2 will give students the opportunity to role play stakeholders in managing the unfolding crisis. Teamwork and decision-making skills will be required to ensure the best outcome for the population. Session 3 will look at the distribution of aid post event. This will give students an immersive experience of the challenges faced in receiving aid.

Download the progamme

How to book

Teachers can book places for their school via this form
The event has limited capacity and each school can book up to 20 student places in the first instance. We will let you know if more places can be made available.

Careers in Humanitarianism - playlists

These recordings, available via HCRI's YouTube channel, give great insight into varied careers in the Humanitarian sector@ 

HCRI links with schools and colleges

At HCRI, we facilitate outreach opportunities for educators who recognise the importance of our research and would like their students to consider HCRI as a future place of study. If you would like more information on how to collaborate, please email hcri@manchester.ac.uk

MOOC: Global Health and Humanitarianism

Free open online course  - KS5

HCRI's massive open online course (MOOC) will discuss the question 'is humanitarianism an effective, justifiable and sustainable response to ill-health, inequality, injustice and war?' The course runs for six weeks (ca 12 hours of work) and next starts on 6 September 2023.  

Although targeted at a wide audience, college/sixth form students interested in our BSc International Disaster Management & Humanitarian Response will find they will gain a really good understanding of the course: the MOOC's main themes are central to our undergraduate programme.

After Maria: Everyday recovery from disaster (online resource)

Free resource - KS3, 4 or 5

After Maria is a graphic novella by Dr Gemma Sou (former HCRI lecturer) and John Cei Douglas about a family’s recovery from Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico in 2017.

It is an ideal teaching resource to explore the effect of and responses to tropical storms:  

On 20 September 2017, Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico. Maria devastated the Caribbean island, causing more than $30bn in damage, and an initial death toll of 64 grew to an estimated figure of between 2,975 and 4,645. Many of the deaths happened during the aftermath from treatable chronic illnesses because power outages prevented people from receiving routine medical care – but most of the media had left by November.

Dr Sou visited Puerto Rico five times during the first year after Maria to talk to families about their recovery. One of the results is After Maria, a graphic novella about a fictional family in the neighbourhood of Ingenio that is based on common experiences Sou heard from Puerto Ricans across the island.

How to receive:

You can download the resource (in English and Spanish) for free on the project website.

 Online: HCRI podcasts

HCRI engage with students, researchers, practitioners, government and policymakers through our talks, seminars, workshops and conferences. Our events take place throughout the year and are open to students, staff and the general public from the UK and abroad.

From February 2019, we started to share podcasts for some of our talks

Words for Your World

A national writing competition for pupils in Years 9-13 (spring 2022)

This writing competition for UK school students in Years 9- 13, hosted by HCRI,  encouraged pupils to write a speech or letter, addressed to the UN, on the climate emergency.

It finished in April 2022 and the winning entries are available on our website

 

Liberal Arts resources & events

Insight into History, English and Related Subjects

Y12 - Date: 25 January 2024

Venue: University of Manchester, Oxford Road Campus

Liberal Arts will be taking part in these taster events for Y12 students. For further details, head to our Insight Days page.     

Modern Foreign Language resources & events

Viva Languages

For Years 8 & 9 - dates: 8-12 January 2024 ***Fully booked***

Venue: The University of Manchester, Samuel Alexander Building, Manchester M13 9PL

The event is open to all language students in Years 8 and 9. It is designed as a fun, motivational event to raise awareness of the value of languages and is therefore specifically aimed at students who are about to choose their GCSE options. Activities will consist of a ‘Why Study Languages’ talk, a taster session in a new language and a filmed role play activity, led by our student ambassadors.

Download programme outline

How to book:

These events are now fully booked 

 

The University of Manchester Insight into Languages Programme (UMILAP)

For Year 10 - dates:  mid- June 2024 

Venue: The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester  M13 9PL

Structured campus visits for KS4 pupils. The aim is to raise aspirations and awareness of studying languages at post-16 and university level. Pupils will use their language creatively in a subtitling activity, will try a new language and will meet current students. They will also be introduced to the university environment, learn more about course provision and future employment possibilities.

Download programme 

The events are free of charge. 

How to book:

Booking will open in the new year. If you woud like to be added to our MFLmailing list, please email sonja.bernhard@manchester.ac.uk 

LEAF (Language Education at A-level and Further)

For Year 12 - late June 2024 

Venue: University of Manchester, Oxford Road Campus, Samuel Alexander Building

Come and see what studying languages at the University of Manchester might be like - whether you are looking to continue with a language after A-levels, or fancy starting a new one. LEAF (Language Education A-level and Further) gives you the opportunity to participate in beginner's language tasters, sessions in the language your currently study (F/G/Sp) and first-year-level lectures on cultural topics. You will also receive information on careers with languages and will meet current undergraduate language students. The event is also accessible to students who are not currently studying languages but are considering starting a language from scratch at degree level.

Full details and booking forms can be foud on our Insight Days page

Motivational talks in schools

Any year group - open to schools within Greater Manchester  

Presentations on the theme of "Why study Languages" and "Careers in Languages", delivered by students and staff to schools and colleges across Greater Manchester. Please email Sonja Bernhard to arrange.

Email: sonja.bernhard@manchester.ac.uk   

  

Explore Languages Online

Why Study Languages?

  • KS 3&4: Our Viva Languages page features our popular "Why Study Languages" talk and presentations from our students and alumni on studying languages and the careers these can open up.   
  • KS 4&5:  Hear from Alina, a PhD student at the University of Manchester who studied an undergraduate degree in Business and French and outlines opportunities for budding linguists at university and beyond. Access her talk on the Why Study... page.   

Language Taster Videos

Languages XP is a widening participation project delivered by our modern foreign language students in local schools. After attending training sessions, our students plan and teach four beginners' taster sessions in a local school or college. In 2021 the project headed online and you can now explore new languages via our MFL video page

The University of Manchester Library Resources

Our library offers reference facilities to north-west sixth form and mature students and their teachers to help with A-level and Access course work. 

For further details, please see our library's Widening Participation page.   

Music resources & events

Online: University of Manchester Music Department on YouTube

Our department's YouTube channel features online concerts. You can also watch a talk by our admissions tutor and a welcome from our Head of Department here.   

Online: Music Movie Magic Workshop

KS3

This workshop, created by PhD student Cameron Biles-Liddell, is designed to explore and highlight the importance of music in films. It will focus on two scenes from Harry Potter and Star Wars to show music can subtly alter the perception of a character, mood and emotions in film. A stduetn worksheet and teacher lesson plan are availlable.

How to access: 

  • Head to our central Access and Success team's page of secondary talks and find the session listed under "workshops".   

Online: Society for Music Analysis - Educational Video Podcasts

Our Music Department has contributed to the SMA Video Podcasts. These films provide an accessible route into analysis for anyone from teachers looking for engaging resources to students, academics or musicians seeking tools to gain a deeper appreciation of musical texts. Each episode provides an introduction to a different application of, or approach to analysis. This could range from covering the basics of a particular theory or analytical method to demonstrating how close analysis can inform broader historical, ideological or socio-cultural arguments.

Martin Harris Centre programme

Our Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama is the venue for a host of inspirational Music and Drama performances. (Charges apply to some events).

University of Manchester Library Resources

Our library offers reference facilities to north-west sixth form and mature students and their teachers to help with A-level, AVCE and Access course work. 

For further details please see our library's Widening Participation page.   

Religions and Theology resources & events

Going Beyond Belief Alevel Resources  

Audience: KS5

Our collaboratiove project with the BBC launched on 31 January 2024: Academics at the University of Manchester Religions and Theology Department have designed a range of unique learning resources built out of their own cutting edge research expertise and the BBC Radio 4 Beyond Belief archive. On the website you will find learning activity pages on a range of topics including Free Will, Same Sex Marriage, Climate Change and even Roboethics. 

Access the resource here: Going Beyond Belief 

Developing Going Beyond Belief: 

If you have any feedback on the resource as it is now, or comments and suggestions for how you think we could grow and develop it in ways that will be useful for you in your teaching, and effective and engaging for students in their studies, we would love to hear from you. Please email the project lead Dr Holly Morse.   

Online: A Virtual Guide to the World of the New Testament

KS4 & 5

"Entering Early Christianity via Pompeii"

This learning resource is intended for members of the public and for students interested in early Christianity and the New Testament. It uses the remarkable remains of Roman buildings at  Pompeii to reconstruct the social world of early Christian communities.

You can access the resource here

Feedback: Please consider completing our short online questionnaire after using the resource. It’s even more valuable to us if you can complete both our before and after questionnaires.

University of Manchester Library Resources 

Our library offers reference facilities to north-west sixth form and mature students and their teachers to help with A-level and Access course work. 

For further details please see our library's Widening Participation page.   

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Contacts

Sonja Bernhard
Schools Outreach Officer, School of Arts, Languages and Cultures
Room A19, Samuel Alexander Building
The University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PL

Cathryn Owen
Schools Outreach Assistant, School of Arts, Languages and Cultures
Room A19, Samuel Alexander Building
The University of Manchester
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PL