Meet the team
The South Yorkshire CU strategy is designed to bring all four local CU centres together under the umbrella of ‘South Yorkshire CU’ to create new opportunities for children, young people and families through the sharing of best practice, knowledge, skills and expertise.
South Yorkshire Children’s University
The South Yorkshire CU work is led by the Sheffield CU Managers on a part-time basis. You can find more about them and their extensive experience below under ‘Sheffield CU’.
Katie Hamshaw
South Yorkshire CU Project Manager
Helen Oades
South Yorkshire CU Project Manager
Barnsley Children’s University
Hosted by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council as part of their Greater Childhoods Ambition, Barnsley CU launched a pilot phase including primary schools in early 2024. Their plans are to deliver and academically evaluate the pilot phase before growing CU across the whole borough.
Dawn Fitzpatrick
Governance, Partnership and Projects Officer
Doncaster Children’s University
Doncaster CU is a very well-established CU centre that is part of Doncaster College. Currently working with a number of Primary and Special schools across the city, Doncaster CU also delivers a wide range of activities engaging children and young people in exciting and inspiring days across the College.
Rachael Benstead
Children’s University Coordinator
Rotherham Children’s University
As part of the Rotherham School Improvement Service (RoSIS), Rotherham CU was launched in 2019. After a successful pilot phase (spanning the Covid pandemic), Rotherham CU continues to expand and is now working with 20 primary and SEND schools, and around 60 Learning Destinations (activity providers). Rotherham CU was included in a recent study undertaken nationally by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), looking at the impact of participation in CU on formal outcomes of Y6 pupils.
Fiona Radford
Rotherham School Improvement Service Business Manager
Nicola Jeavons
Rotherham CU Manager
Sheffield Children’s University
Hosted by Sheffield City Council, Sheffield CU is the largest CU centre in the country, being launched back in 2008 as a pilot school improvement project. As a traded service, the Sheffield CU Team now works with around 60 Sheffield schools, 200 Learning Destinations (activity providers), and tracks upwards of 3.8 million hours of additional learning undertaken by around 40,000 children and young people each year.
Katie Hamshaw
Sheffield CU and School Services Project Manager
Helen Oades
Sheffield CU and School Services Project Manager
Laura Stacey
Business Support Officer
Sakina Kingswood
Assistant Project Officer