A group of young people from Hartcliffe Engineering College, Bristol, will come to Bristol University tomorrow [Tuesday, December 14] to find out more about classics and ancient history. 

The year-9 pupils, aged 13- to 14-years-old, are all studying for Latin GCSE.  This is the first time that Latin has been taught in the college.  The students are working towards their GCSE two years early, via video conferencing with the University of Cambridge.

The day has been organised by the University’s Widening Participation Office and the Department of Classics and Ancient History and will be led by lecturer, Dr Genevieve Liveley. 

The pupils will spend the day exploring Roman life and issues of gender as well as using the library to search for an insight into life during this period in history. 

Lucy Collins, Widening Participation Schools Liaison Officer at the University of Bristol, said: ‘We hope this will be a fantastic event.  It’s a real opportunity for local young people to come into the University, explore the subject they are studying and find out what it’s like to be a real student for the day. 

‘It’s important that university and higher education become familiar concepts from an early age and we hope that this event will be the first of many.’

At Bristol, Widening Participation is about encouraging and supporting people who have the ability, motivation and potential to thrive at university, but who come from groups that are currently under-represented in higher education.