School liaison activities at our cultural institutions

The University of Manchester has a broad range of cultural institutions, which are open for anyone to visit. Each one works actively with schools, colleges and prospective students of higher education to provide a place of exchange, inspiration and enjoyment, where the University and learners meet to the enrichment of both.

Our cultural institutions each have their own educational programmes, which are developed and led by specialist staff, and through joint working with our University's Student Recruitment and Widening Participation Team.

Manchester Museum

Manchester Museum offers a vast array of opportunities for pupils to engage with its collections and experts across a variety of subjects.

Knowledgeable staff offer sessions tailored to the needs and interests of early years pupils, Key Stages 1 through to 4, and post-16 learners.

A teachers panel helps to shape the programme.

The Whitworth

The Whitworth is home to some of the UK's finest collections of art and design, including modern and historic fine art, prints, textiles and a rare collection of wallpapers.

Its dedicated, specialist staff work with school pupils from early years, focusing on art, music and movement, right through to post-16 portfolio development. There is a rich offering in-between for all Key Stages, and this includes story-telling, exploring architecture and the use of public space.

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre

Jodrell Bank is the astronomical research centre of The University of Manchester and operates MERLIN, the UK's national radio astronomy facility.

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre is open all year round for pre-booked educational visits. Pupils on educational visits can walk along our Observational Pathways around the base of the Lovell Telescope and discover how it works, why it was built here, how it is used and what it observes.

Pupils and visitors can also explore the solar system on our Planet Path, discover the natural woodland and wildlife in the 35-acre arboretum and find out how trees help sustain the Earth’s environment in the Tree Planet Exhibition.

The Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre

Based at Manchester Central Library, the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre was founded specifically to challenge racist ideas and to support diversity through education.

The Centre houses a wide range of books, newspaper cuttings, journal and magazine articles, teaching resources, video/audio tapes and posters. The collection is organised around the key themes of history, politics, culture and identity, women, education and employment, housing, immigration, social services, and criminal justice.

Individual or group visits from schools, community groups and students are welcomed, although due to limitations of space such visits do need to be arranged in advance. The Centre also delivers an extensive and exciting programme of outreach work in schools and colleges across all Key Stages.

The University of Manchester Library

The University of Manchester Library offers reference facilities at its main site and Precinct Libraries to North West region sixth forms, adult learners and their teachers, to help with A-level, AVCE, Access and Extended Project work.

Although the resource needs of staff and students should normally be met by schools and colleges themselves, we recognise that materials and services relevant to students of some A-level programmes are not readily available in school, college and public libraries, and that teachers preparing courses may need access to a wider range of resources than such libraries can offer.

We also hope that the experience of using one of the country's premier academic libraries will help to encourage and enable students who might not otherwise have done so to proceed to higher education.

We can provide training in the use of the Library and its resources for groups of those sixth-formers (and their teachers) who will need to use the Library. Specific sessions relating to the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) are also available on request.

The John Rylands Research Institute and Library

Our stunning neo-gothic John Rylands Research Institute and Library and its Special Collections provide an inspiring and unique learning environment for all ages.

The Rylands is committed to providing quality learning experiences that allow pupils to engage with its collections.