Welcome to
University
for Children
Our Mission
We enable academic learning through creativity, play, nature and hands-on experiences that improve children's holistic development, wellbeing, and education. We create space for children's own voice and empower them to understand who they are in the context of wider society.
At the University for Children, children dive into the real world through engaging activities, like plant growing, crafts making, scientific experiments, story telling, cultural expeditions, sensory exploration, while building their academic understanding through practice of making, moving and playing.
Our student-centred approach celebrates each child's uniqueness. We embrace neurodiversity and provide tailored support for children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND), ensuring everyone participates meaningfully and in alignment with their own ablities.
At the University of Children, all academic subjects are interconnected, while child's mind, body, and emotional condition are treated as equal. Through shared learning and play, children learn about the world as a whole and their own place within it.
We nurture curiosity and transform play into knowledge, confidence, and emotional independence, ultimately empowering children to become healthy, thriving adults who make a positive impact on the world around them.
At the University for Children a student will learn how to:
Understand the world | Become a whole person | Contribute to society and the planet
Message from the Director:
At the University for Children, we believe that children can learn the skills required at the Higher Education level from the early age.
How is it possible?
The essential skill at any Higher Education institution is – independent, critical thinking and making associations among different subjects and facts through research. Unfortunately, in the current education system, there is no time and space for teaching these invaluable skills, so students start learning them only when they go to university. With all my experience from Higher Education, I asked myself, why wait till so late? Why cannot we teach children the same skills early through play and creative making? Why can’t we teach secondary and 6th Form students to critically analyse through interdisciplinary teaching? And finally, why can’t we equip young adults who don’t want to enter Higher Education with these special, transferrable skills at their own university?
Yes, we can do that, and that is why the University for Children was created! It is an offline and online space for all children and young adults who are ready to acquire the same skills like students in Higher Education, but with no pressure of being assessed and with all the fun and satisfaction that students gain from exploring, discovering, making, creating and developing confidence and resilience for life!
Dr Marta Hawkins
"Marta is a miracle worker!
When we started working with her, it was evident that she really wanted to embrace each individual's child's needs and to make their experiences positive and enriching, which was such a challenge with a group of five primary school boys gathered on Zoom! As a parent, I knew that my child would be able to express himself within the time they had together. All learning and knowledge was very creatively woven into each session.
Marta gave my child confidence as she recognised his personal contribution to the classes alongside ensuring all the participants were also valued for theirs.
I would highly recommend Marta to anyone who is looking for an educator that truly cares about their student and parents alike"
KAREN TRAVES
We have been using Marta's tutoring for over
7 years now.
Firstly we started with my older boy, who achieved great results on his GCSE exams. Later my little one ( 5 years old at that time) joined her URBAN GARDEN classes which were full of surprises and great fun, including learning Greek myths and dressing up, making a film based on Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. The children could even play with the camera and the light and shoot the scenes!
Martin still adores attending Marta's classes, now a combination of online and offline, and as parents, we are very pleased with his school progression.
Without no hesitation, I would highly recommend Marta and her passionate and professional way of teaching!