Youngsters join in virtual graduation to celebrate lockdown learning in Sheffield

Over 2,000 young people from 64 schools across the city are expected to take part in the first ever Sheffield Children’s University event.

The virtual ceremony experience will include three parts; a specially designed ‘Create your own Children’s University ceremony’ home learning challenge to take part in, a pre-recorded award ceremony video for them to watch and a graduation hat toss, to be filmed at home and shared on the Children’s University’s online channels.

The home learning challenge encourages young people to invite their families to celebrate with them, make special refreshments to enjoy, create their own stage, and make their mortarboard to throw.

The ceremony video includes speeches from David Walliams, the Lord Mayor Councillor Tony Downing, HM Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire Andrew Coombe, and Cathy Sinclair, co-director of student recruitment and admissions at Hallam University.

It also includes a special recorded performances from Rainbow Forge Primary Academy and Sheffield Music Hub, a poem written especially for the occasion and a science experiment too.

Councillor Abtisam Mohammed, cabinet member for education and skills said: “Congratulations to all these young people, what a fantastic achievement in particularly difficult circumstances. I hope you all enjoy your celebrations and have a wonderful day.”

Jenny Morris’s son Ben will be graduating, she said: “Ben has been collecting credits for the Children’s University for a few years, mainly through his karate lessons. As he’s continued these lessons at home through lockdown he will be grading for his black belt in August, which we’re really proud of. It’s brilliant that he gets extra recognition for taking part in learning outside of school and it encourages him to work really hard. As Ben’s in Y6 he’s really missed out on a lot in the last months of primary but being able to be part of the virtual graduation ceremony is a real boost for him.”

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