CHILDREN have been enjoying a taste of student life - thanks to a new partnership.

Huddersfield University and Paddock Junior and Infant School, at Heaton Road, have joined forces to give youngsters a glimpse of what life at university is like.

It is hoped the scheme will get the children - aged between eight and 11 - thinking about their future as early as possible.

Deputy head teacher Julie Dempster said showing the children round the campus and letting them meet Deputy Vice-Chancellor Fen Arthur was a great experience.

She added: "They had a great day at the university. A lot of them had no-one else in their family who had been to university, so they learned a lot about what it meant.

"Now, everyone seems to want to go to university when they are old enough. It should get them thinking a little bit more about things."

But Ms Dempster added: "They were shocked about having to pay £3,000 a term to go to university, though. They thought £1,000 would be more reasonable."

Tom Johnson, president of the Student Union, helped to organise the trip and said it was important for the university to build links with the community.

"We do similar things with high schools, so we decided to do it with younger children as well," he said.