In April, the University of Bristol’s Temple Quarter Enterprise campus (TQEC) – of which the main building will be completed in September 2026 – received a very exciting visit. Fifteen secondary school children, who regularly partake in STEM study sessions hosted by Power Education Ltd at the University’s Barton Hill Micro-campus, attended TQEC as part of a work experience visit organised by the construction specialists Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM).
As part of the visit, students were given an in-depth tour of the new University building, and an insight into its construction, which began in May 2023. SRM also shared information about careers in construction and the different routes into the industry.
The work experience visit comes as a huge milestone for Power Education, based at the University’s Barton Hill Micro-campus, who have been working to improve access to education for secondary school age Somali students in the local area. It is the first work experience visit of its kind, with more to follow this summer.
Ran by Ilyass Amin and Habby Salaben, Power Education was borne out of a need to improve marginalised communities’ access to education, with a particular focus on providing extra support to the young people of East Bristol to fulfil their educational potential.
In September 2023, Power Education opened its doors to local secondary students with weekend study support sessions which cover the key stage three and key stage four STEM curriculums. While Ilyass provides maths and science tutoring sessions, Habby is the administrative backbone of Power Education, maintaining contact with parents, schools, and ensuring maximum attendance.
On average, the Barton Hill Micro-campus welcomes 100 students to its tutoring sessions every weekend, and its popularity is constantly growing, with demand for Year 6 and A-Level specific sessions increasing.
Simon Neville, Senior Lecturer at the School of Education, has played an integral advisory role in assisting Ilyass with the initial set-up of Power Education, and has since offered tutoring sessions in science on a voluntary basis.
Both PhD and PGCE students at the School of Education have voluntarily offered their expertise through Power Education too by offering tutoring sessions in English, Maths and Science, furthering their work experience.
While Power Education will soon be celebrating two years of operation at the Barton Hill Micro-campus in September 2023, Ilyass and Habby hope to further expand their impact within the community, with the recent TQEC work experience visit paving the way for future educational opportunities.
Simon Neville said: ‘It's an honour to have been part of the Power Education (PE) journey since the beginning; and to continue to support Ilyass and Habby with their work.
‘The young people who attend are enthusiastic, ambitious and resilient. I've loved teaching the Year 11 science revision sessions and helping them prepare for the 2025 examinations, I can't wait to see results!
‘We believe it's important to raise the voices of those who attend the programme, so we can listen and do our best to match their needs. The amazing Dr Fidelia Law has started some research with us to do exactly this, and we will be sharing the results later in the year.
I am incredibly excited about the future prospects of PE, especially finding the most sustainable ways to manage expansion and to continue to offer the highest levels of teaching and mentoring through this amazing organisation.’
Michael Rumbelow, a current PhD student at the School of Education, said: 'As a former secondary school maths teacher studying maths education for my PhD I was curious to learn about the classes I had heard were happening on the Micro-campus. Ilyass kindly enabled me to come along to one of Power Education's maths lessons, and it was so inspiring I signed up to volunteer regularly.
‘The energy, focus and determination to succeed of the students and Power Education is extraordinary. It is an amazing model of what can be achieved through education.’
The Barton Hill Micro-campus was originally created in response to the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus development and opened in 2020. Housed at the Wellspring Settlement, it is now managed by the University’s Civic Engagement Team and is a place where we develop community-based teaching, research, workshops and engagement in partnership with local individuals, groups, and organisations.
This summer, the University will be opening a second micro-campus based in Hartcliffe. Following the success of the Barton Hill Micro-campus, it’s expected that the University will continue to provide educational support and opportunities for local communities. In these spaces, we are able to pilot new approaches to education, research and engagement, and take what we learn into operating the civic spaces in the main campus once it opens fully in 2026.