Wendy Bell, who manages the Meteor Primary programme, said: 鈥淭here will be a introduction at 9.30am and 12.45pm each day next week for the children joining the Meteor scheme and we have added a few new ideas, including Harry Potter theme characters to begin the sessions. Other new ideas include the Origami workshops, a Sport's Science activity which investigates co-ordination and reaction times, and a Magic Maths session. Everyone is really looking forward to welcoming the ten and eleven year-olds to the campus. The children have already got to know our student mentors, who work with them on a weekly basis; and in June, we will be holding our Meteor Summer School, when children from the different schools will mix together and enjoy a wide range of social and educational activities on campus. There will also be a mini 鈥榞raduation-type鈥� ceremony at the end of the two week Summer School to celebrate the children's achievements in June.鈥�
The University launched the pioneering programme in 1999, with 300 Year Six (10 and 11 year-olds) from six central Middlesbrough primary schools: Sacred Heart RC, Newport, Ayresome, Abingdon, St Joseph鈥檚 RC and Breckon Hill. Another five schools in East Middlesbrough have since joined Meteor - Brambles, North Ormesby, Thorntree, Caldicotes and St Alphonsus RC.