A record number of students from across Wirral joined us at our first Open Evening of the academic year to find out more about what makes us Wirral’s Number One Sixth Form and why more students and parents choose us than any other sixth form in Wirral.

Students and Parents were able to visit our subject departments and discover more about the wide range of course options available at the College. Our academic staff - who are specialists within their subjects – all reported being very busy speaking to interested students and parents about the options available and what is involved during A Level and BTEC study.

The evening included talks from our Principal, Kathryn Podmore and Deputy Principal, Mike Kilbride on what makes us Wirral’s Number One Sixth Form and our established record of excellence in delivering education for 16-19 year olds in Wirral. There were also talks from our Assistant Principal, Kate Rigby about our successful Honours Programme, supporting high achieving students as well as a talk from our Head of Learning Support, Sharon Kieran, on the support available for students with additional needs.

All visitors enjoyed taking a look around the college including the School of Art & Design, our bespoke science labs and our learning resource centre – The Hub - which also includes our Microsoft Training Academy Suite.

Information on our Admissions process was available throughout the evening, along with our Career Pathways to help inspire students on the future career options A Level and BTEC study can lead to and what courses can help them to be achieved.

{gallery:Open Event Nov 2015}

Want to come back or couldn’t make it this time? Find out from our students why they chose to study at The Sixth Form College in our College Video, or visit us at our next Open Event taking place on Wednesday 20^th January 6pm – 8pm – we look forward to seeing you then!

As part of the One for One Digital Skills programme run by Freeformers and sponsored by the BBC, students from the Graphic Design department were recently awarded three bursaries, worth £4,500, to attend an intensive day of digital training at BBC Broadcasting Place, London.

Students Ryan Prandle, Max Palmer and Lewis Langan, who have all completed A Levels at The Sixth Form College and are now studying the Foundation Diploma in Art, Design & Media, were chosen by our recent visiting Graphic Designers based on their performance in the “Battle of the Brands 2015” brief, to attend a day of workshops aimed at introducing more young people to the digital skills sector.

During the day, students were invited to attend talks from leading BBC Digital Designers and had the opportunity to become part of the initial testing group for the BBC’s new online home for digital skills, Mixital. This enhanced the students’ understanding of how the graphic design skills they acquired at A Level could be developed to address the current skills gap within digital design, using some of the skills they would develop during the workshops that day.

For the remainder of the morning, students participated in an App prototyping workshop, led by Louis and Sarah from Freeformers, which covered everything from how apps generate income to wireframing and prototyping. Students had the opportunity within this session to work with higher education students and graduates from across the country to develop and pitch their own app design ideas, which were then judged by the head of BBC Digital.

Following a creative morning, the students switched in the afternoon to something altogether more technical in an App development workshop; giving the students the tools and understanding they would need to develop their own site from scratch using a combination of HTML and CSS.

Leanne Jones, Graphic Design Tutor at the College, commented, “This was a fantastic opportunity for the students, as well as myself, to build upon and use our existing design knowledge to address the digital focused areas of Graphic Design. Since the project, I have implemented an App Design scheme of work for AS and A2 groups, which aims to develop some of the skills that the students and I began to explore during our day with The BBC and Freeformers.”

Student, Lewis Langan; who achieved double Distinction grades in ICT and an A in Graphic Design at A Level; enjoyed the combination of digital and creative media commenting, “During the workshops at the BBC I was able to combine my interest in Computing and Graphic Design in a way that challenged my current understanding, as well as my creative abilities.”  

Fellow student Max Palmer, who achieved A* grades in Graphic Design and Mathematics and an A in Film Studies at A Level, added, “I enjoyed being able to work with other students and graduates from a range of backgrounds to develop some of my initial design ideas. Being able to work with a wider range of people in a creative environment helped ensure a broader end user was considered in my work.” 

{gallery:BBC Art Student Workshop}

Liam Haywood from the University of Liverpool visited the Sixth Form College last week to deliver an inspiring talk to our students on the University’s Scholars Programme.

The Scholars Programme gives first year A Level & BTEC students the opportunity to take part in a range of activities which are designed to prepare them for University life and support their entry into Higher Education.

Activities scholars programme students can get involved in include application guidance workshops, academic skills master classes, the opportunity to attend lectures by academies and undergraduates.

The programme also offers students benefits such as the opportunity to gain a guaranteed conditional offer of a place at the University of Liverpool that is reduced by up to 2 A Level grades or 40 UCAS tariff points. Students that are successfully subscribed to the programme also receive the Liverpool Scholars Award – a non-repayable financial bursary of approximately £3000 per year of study.

Twenty-six students from the Sixth Form College have expressed interest in the scheme and attended the talk last week to find out more about the programme.

Personal & Guidance Tutor, Leigh O’Mahony, who works closely with the University of Liverpool and introduced the Scholars Programme to the students, said, “Programmes such as The University of Liverpool’s Scholars Scheme are extremely valuable to students during the application stage for Higher Education, as they can offer great support to students during what can be a demanding and stressful time. Programmes such as this can help build students confidence and offers a helping hand with progression, as well as giving them an insight into University life.”

AS Health and Social Care students at The Sixth Form College are holding their own Health Promotion Fair this week, promoting a variety of health related issues to fellow students and staff at the College. Students take part in Health Promotion Fairs at the college as part of their AS coursework.

By setting up stalls which cover different health related issues such as: teenage pregnancy; STI’s; smoking reduction; and alcohol, know your limits; students learn the role of health promotion experts in educating participants in preventative health measures.

They also learn about the risks to health, and about the range of local and national services available to support young people. The fairs are very popular with all students in college, as they can access a full range of information, ask questions and take part in demonstrations and activities.

The students involved in the Health Promotion Fair are encouraged to come up with interesting ways of promoting their key health messages in order to engage with their peers - such as serving “Mocktails”, informative goody bags and setting up games and challenges for visitors to take part in.

Student, Kate Disley-Jones, assisted on the Healthy Eating stand at the fair and enjoyed taking part in the promotion stating, “By informing others of the messages we’re promoting we are informing ourselves and constantly learning new things.”

The College invites health professionals from services to give feedback to the Health and Social Care students and assess their knowledge. This year, Kate Moore from the Terrence Higgins Trust was on hand to review the students’ stands, and assist in providing information about future schemes where students can volunteer to be involved in health promotion activities in the community.

Kate was impressed with the students work, commenting, “The students I’ve seen so far have delivered their messages with enthusiasm and keen knowledge of their subject. Allowing the students to organise their own Health Promotion Fair is a valuable learning tool as they inform themselves through the organisation of the event by researching about the various health messages and then promoting these to their peers. I think it is also a much better way for young people to engage with the messages the Health & Social Care students are promoting.”

{gallery:HSC Fair 2015}

Law students at The Sixth Form College recently attended the Wirral Youth Voice Conference 2015, where the theme of safety was discussed at various workshops and presentations. A panel was present to take student’s questions on the subject, including staff from the Safeguarding Children Board, Heads of Services, Councillors and Officers. Other topics discussed at the Conference included, exploitation, being streetwise, media pressure, gang culture, and internet safety.

Students Danielle Bentley, James Lee, Owen Belmar, Nicole Gardiner, Meg Condliffe, Meg Epps and Meg Anthony, who all study Law, represented the College at the Conference and each found it to be an interesting and informative experience.

First year students, James Lee, Owen Belmar and Meg Condliffe returned to Wallasey Town Hall earlier this month for the Wirral Youth Parliament, with Mayor, Les Rowlands, attending.

The students put their debating skills into practice during the course of the evening with James Lee (seconded by James Webster) proposing the motion, ‘Should sexting by young people be criminalized?'. The motion was opposed by Meg Condliffe, which led students to a stimulated, interesting debate on this issue.

Head of Law, Paula Blakemore was delighted with how the students performed at the event stating, “It was an excellent evening of topical debate at the Wirral Youth parliament.  This was a great public speaking experience for our students who presented their case very well.”

Former student, Warren Ward; who is an active member of the Labour Party and vice chair of Wirral South; was also present at the annual Youth Parliament and was impressed with the students’ performance, tweeting, “Fantastic to meet students from @BSFC at the Wirral Youth Parliament. They spoke with passion and determination.”

{gallery:Law - WYP & WYC 2015}

Our Health and Social Care students recently visited Claire House Children’s Hospice in Bebington to attend a talk about the services they provide.

The trip was organised by Personal & Guidance tutor Jen Foden to help students gain an insight into the day-to-day activities within a Hospice care environment. In the talk, the students heard all about the different clients and were moved by the case studies. They also learned about how Claire House Hospice first started and its philosophy as well as learning about holistic care and the support the Hospice staff provide to the whole family.

Students had the opportunity to meet one of the play therapists and one of the counselling team and looked at how the Hospice staff adapt and change to make sure everybody can be included in play and social activities.

Students were inspired by the positivity and the focus on enjoying life, giving choice and striving to make a real difference in difficult circumstances.

A former student of The Sixth Form College, Avril Parr, who now works on the fundraising team at Claire House Hospice, helped to show the students round. On the tour the students were amazed at the fabulous facilities and state of the art equipment. They commented on how surprised and impressed they were by the facilities and were particularly impressed and fascinated by the hydro pool and Hub with light displays and music that the Hospice staff immersed clients in to give them new experiences.

Head of Health and Social Care, Andy Walton commented, “It was incredible to hear about the fantastic work done by Claire House Hospice and to see for ourselves the excellent facilities provided as well as hear from one of our former students who now works at the hospice. Our students will be able to use this knowledge in the coursework modules and will return to the themes of holistic care, respect, dignity and inclusiveness throughout the course.” 

{gallery:HSC Claire House Trip 2015}

Congratulations to the College Bar Mock Trial team who beat strong competition from schools all over Merseyside and Wales when they won the Chester Regional Heat of the Bar Mock Trial Competition on Saturday 21 November 2015. 

The competition is run by the Citizenship Foundation with over 2000 students competing nationwide.

This is the first time the College has won the regional heat and the team are now in with a chance of a place in the National Final at the Old Bailey in London in April 2016.

The Bar Mock Trial team had to prepare the prosecution and defence for two different criminal cases; R v Lewis which involved robbery and R v Braza which involved theft and obtaining services by deception.  The team comprised of barristers; witnesses; jury members and court staff.

Every member of the team delivered a superb performance on the day; beating teams from Birchwood College; Sandbach High School and St Nicholas Catholic High to reach the final against Calday Grammar School. In a tense and well fought final case, the Sixth Form College team triumphed to win the regional heat and the Chester Shield.

The team of barristers included students; James Webster, Will Hibberd, Emma Donnelly, Carl Kelly, Ruby Keeler-Williams, Ava Powell-Wallis, Martin Pugh and Anastasia Pepper. Our fantastic witnesses stood up to tough cross-examination, which included students; Meg Condliffe, Olivia Eltaki, Beth Cavanagh, Mike Taylor, Beckie Jenkins, Cameron Fellows, James Lee and Connor Jenkins. The court clerk/usher, Danielle Bentley did a fantastic job appearing in all four heats as did our juror Bromwynne Butterworth.

The cases were heard by judges, Recorder Simon Medland QC and Recorder Patrick Thompson, who praised the team for the standard of their advocacy and the work done by the witnesses and court clerks/ushers.

The team worked closely with a mentor, barrister Rick Grey, and extended a thank you to him as he taught the team the advocacy skills that gave them the edge, in the final, against a strong team from Calday Grammar School.

Head of Law, Paula Blakemore, who has prepared the team for the competition was delighted with their success, commenting, “This was a brilliant result for the students who took part as well as the college.  Every member of the team was outstanding with excellent performances throughout the day.”

First year student, Ruby Keeler-Williams, who joined the college from Woodchurch High School and studies Psychology and Applied Science alongside Law commented, “The Bar Mock Trial was an incredible experience. It has given me a better understanding of court procedure.”

Fellow Law student Beth Cavanagh, who joined the college from Prenton High School for girls and studies, Spanish, History and English Language & Literature, added, “It was good to work in a strong team and compete. I gained more experience of a court and how it works as well as learning how it feels to be questioned as a witness. My favourite moment was winning!”

{gallery:Law Bar Mock Trials 2015}

Diana Luk, a trainee clinical psychologist visited our Psychology students to provide them with an insight into the various types of psychological therapies that are available to treat mental health conditions.

Diana passed on her experience and knowledge gained through her work with IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) and CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) speaking to students about the psychological treatments used for conditions such as depression and schizophrenia, talking specifically about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).  This information is particularly useful as it is directly related to the A-Level students’ scheme of work and they will be assessed on this topic in their examinations during the summer.

Diana also looked at ‘A day in the life of a Clinical Psychologist’ to provide further insight into what to expect from a career as a Clinical Psychologist and discussed a number of interesting case studies including a patient with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and a patient with a phobia of choking.

Students found the talk very interesting and commented on how it gave them a clearer understanding of the education that is involved in becoming a clinical psychologist.

Merseyside Police Firearms Department Knife and Gun Crime Awareness presentation was delivered to first year Applied Forensic Science students to give them an awareness of different firearms, their capability and forensic recovery when seized in the community. The presentation was organised by Forensic science teacher, Joanne Hartley-Metcalfe who has links with Merseyside police to enrich their learning and experiences. The presentation was led by Merseyside’s Firearms Instructors, PC 1682 Doran and supported by PC8471 Rooke. The officers started the schools and colleges awareness presentations to raise awareness of gun and knife crime and reach out to young people.

The presentation had an exciting and explosive firearms role play where the officers demonstrated to the students how to carry out a strike on a suspect carrying a gun in public and demonstrated how to make the weapon safe and forensically seize the weapon. PC 1682 Doran brought along with him an Armed Response Vehicle so the students could see the kit they carried.

The presentation followed on from the student’s practical investigation of a car crime scene earlier this month, where students had to collect and forensically examine evidence acquired from two vehicles set up in the College’s car park.

Click here for more information on our Applied Science Courses including Forensic Science and Medical Science.

A Level Mathematics students, at The Sixth Form College are excelling in national Mathematical challenges and competitions with eight students recently completing the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust (UKMT) Senior Challenge within the top 60% or higher. The College is also, currently, joint-top of the leader board for the National Cipher Challenge thanks to our student team.

The UKMT Senior Challenge is aimed at 16-19 years olds studying Maths and involves answering 25 multiple choice questions in 90 minutes under exam conditions, with all papers being marked by an optical mark reader. The top 60% of students nationally gain Gold, Silver and Bronze certificates.

Sydney Isaacs who studies A Level Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry at the College has been awarded a Gold certificate after her Senior Challenge results placed her in the top 10% nationally, qualifying Sydney for the next round – The Senior Kangaroo. Approximately 2000 students across the whole of England and Wales are invited to participate in the next round, where Sydney will have to complete an hour long paper with certificates only being awarded to the top 25% of those taking part.

Fellow Maths students, William Davies and Emily Wagstaff, received silver certificates in the UKMT Senior challenge placing them in the top 30% nationally and students, Sophie Hatherly, Kate Holmes, Tony Robinson, Ellie Adams and Milly Barrett are all in the top 60%, after receiving a Bronze level certificate.

The students hope that the challenge will strengthen their Mathematical skills and their UCAS applications as the majority hope to study either a Medical, Teaching or Mathematical related degree at University.

Assistant Head of Maths at the College, Steve Yates, also invited all first and second year A Level Mathematics students to take part in the National Cipher Challenge. The Cipher Challenge is set by the University of Southampton and involves participants having to crack a weekly code using increasingly high-level mathematical skills to discover the encrypted message. Participants have a set amount of time to discover the message in order to receive points and place them higher on the leader board.

Steve invited the students to take part as he believes the Competition has a number of benefits for students studying Mathematics and Computer Science, stating, “The National Cipher Challenge is an absorbing glimpse into the world of national, commercial and internet security, using increasingly high-level mathematics, and set in a range of historical and political scenarios that may inspire students to take it further, either as an undergraduate module at university, or an MSc or PhD after a Maths or Computing degree. Students can also track their progress against a nation of entrants and it is an interesting addition to a personal statement, especially for those applying for Maths or Maths-related courses or employment.”

Students Breandán Fawcett and Thomas Lee are representing the College in the challenge, naming their team the “BSFC Wizards” and are doing a fantastic job each week, currently being joint-top of the leader board. Both Breandán and Thomas study Mathematics and Computer Science at the College and find the Cipher Challenge is useful experience for both subjects.

Breandán, who is currently Head Student at the College, commented, “The Cipher Challenge has been particularly useful practice for work related to Computer Science as well as giving us the opportunity to enhance our Mathematical skills. Myself and Thomas have to work together in order to crack the code as quickly as possible so it’s great for developing team work skills too – we’re really enjoying it.”

Breandán and Thomas also run a weekly class for their fellow students to help them learn how to work with HTML code as part of the Enrichment programme at College.

{gallery:Maths UKMT & Cipher Challenge}

Former student, Rachal Foster, returned to College earlier this term to visit the Health & Social Care students to speak with them about how she has progressed from the Extended Diploma Course and offer support and guidance for the future.

Rachal completed the Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health & Social Care at the College earlier this year and began studying Adult Nursing at Chester University in September. Rachal achieved triple Distinction* grades on the Health and Social Course and was part of the College’s highest ever performing year group which saw our A Level and BTEC results increase overall for the ninth consecutive year.

Rachal, who joined the College from South Wirral High School, was keen to return to speak with our current students to offer reassurance and valuable insight into where the course can lead, commenting, “I wanted to speak with the Health & Social Care students and offer some motivation and advice – I can remember thinking it would be really valuable to talk to someone who had already been through the course when I was in their position and to hear about their journey, so I’m pleased I was able to come back and offer this.”

The Health and Social Care students found Rachal’s visit to be really useful and informative.

Rachal added, “The students were really nice and asked me lots of questions so I hope I’ve been able to help and inspire them.”

Rachal also commented on how she has found the topics she covered during her time on the Health & Social Care Extended Diploma useful now she is at University, “Everything we covered during the diploma still applies and has laid the foundation for my first term at University which has given me a massive confidence boost. I’m really enjoying the course at Chester and have already gotten experience with practical elements, such as taking manual blood pressure readings and administering injections.”

Rachal, who also completed four different work experience placements during her time at College, has ambitions of working as a nurse within A&E departments and will begin a District Nursing placement as part of her University course in the New Year.

Art & Design Foundation Diploma students have just returned from an exhilarating 5 day trip to Berlin. The activity-packed experience gave students a real insight into how the history and culture of this unique city continues to shape the people who live there and the art and design work they produce.

Two different walking tours of the city set the scene for the visit. The first, which took in key sights such as the Berlin Wall, the Reichstag and the Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe illustrated how the Nazi occupation and Communist state ultimately divided both the population and the city. Students began to recognise contemporary Berlin as a city still very much in the process of reconciling its past. The Alternative Tour introduced the group to the 1960’s protest movement and urban renewal, as well as the inspirational graffiti art that adorns many of the walls and buildings across the city. Often politically inspired, it has been produced by both street gangs and internationally renowned artists, who work side by side. This tour also took in a Turkish street market, where the group enjoyed delicious street food.

Gallery and museum visits provided the focus during the second part of the visit. A guided tour of the Bauhaus Archive illustrated how the teachers and students of the Bauhaus movement shaped the design of the twentieth century. The Archive collection contains artefacts, design work and photographs that cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. In sharp visual contrast, the Boros Collection, a private collection of fine art owned by an entrepreneurial couple and housed in the bunker the purchased and converted in the 1990’s includes conceptual art produced by leading figures of the contemporary art world. The arresting interior of the bunker provided a perfect backdrop for the artwork and a context for the controversial ideas being explored.

The final day included a visit to the Hamberger Bahnhoff Gallery where further examples of contemporary art could be enjoyed on a much larger scale – the group experienced sound, sculpture and installation work produced by artists competing for the German equivalent of the Turner Prize. The final venue on the itinerary was the C/O Photography gallery which is currently presenting a retrospective of Anton Corbijn’s work, a photographer famous for his portraits of leading figures in the music world. The comprehensive exhibition included candid photographs of groups such as U2 and Nirvana.

On the final afternoon the group enjoyed time out for shopping and visits to places of particular interest to them including the Computerspiele Museum, where they enjoyed playing for hours on computer games from yesteryear.

All of the students found the trip to be an inspiring and valuable experience with Jeniece Gittins, who joined the College from Hilbre High School, commenting, “Berlin was incredibly useful for me learning more about the different kinds of modern art, in particular conceptual and street art, as well as the architecture and history of the city itself.”

{gallery:Art - Berlin Trip 2015}

A Level Law student, Molly Woods, recently completed a week-long work experience placement at international Law Firm, Hill Dickinson’s Liverpool branch.

Molly applied for the placement through Manchester University’s Pathways to Law Programme. The 2-year programme is a widening participation scheme designed to support academically-able students from non-privileged backgrounds and interested in a career in Law, achieve their ambitions. Students that take part in the Pathways to Law Programme gain advantage from events held at the University of Manchester such as UCAS workshops, academic taster days and opportunities to meet and work with legal professionals.

Molly gained vital experience during her time at Hill Dickinson where she shadowed the associate in property Law, completing draft emails, letters and documents such as Conveyance Reports – some of which dated back to the 19^th Century. During the week, Molly also attended an employment tribunal and witnessed a case of unfair dismissal.

Molly, who joined the College from Wirral Grammar School for Girls and plans to study Law at either Manchester, UCL, Warwick or Chester University, commented, “The experience has again furthered my determination to become a lawyer as it is something I find fascinating and I know I will enjoy in the future.”

During her time at College, Molly has also taken part in the Bar Mock Trial Competition at Chester Crown Court where she had the opportunity to shadow a Barrister. Our most recent cohort of students to take part in the Bar Mock Trial Competition have progressed to the next stage  after winning the regional title and Chester Shield and have the chance of taking part in the final at the Old Bailey in London.

The Creepy Crawly Show visited Psychology students in The Sixth Form College to help them understand more about phobias and the reasons certain animals may be feared more than others.

The students have been learning about what makes humans more fearful of certain animals than others with research suggesting that an animal that possesses certain characteristics such as ugliness, sliminess and speed are more fear provoking. However our students overcame their fears by holding a variety of exotic creatures including a Madagascan hissing cockroach, corn snakes and pythons, a tarantula, lizards, giant snails, a Japanese toad, a barn owl and a hybrid of a tarantula and cockroach called a vinegaroon.

Steve from The Creepy Crawly Show explained how fears are often mind over matter and shared that he had a phobia of all the animals in the show when he first began working with them, and only overcame his fears by locking himself away with the animals and practicing handling each one.

Head of Psychology, Rob Myatt, reminded students throughout the sessions to reflect on how they felt when presented with each animal, and to make note of their physiological reactions depending on their level of fear.

Rob commented, “Students enjoyed the rare chance to see these animals up close and it has allowed them to gain a better understanding of the characteristics that could make them fear provoking. Students also had the opportunity to overcome their own fears.” One student who achieved this was first year student, Paige Carr, who began the session at the opposite side of the room due to her fear of snakes - however, towards the end of the session she actually managed to get close enough to hold a Python.

{gallery:Psychology Bug Day 2015}

Ella Twyman and Will Morris from Newcastle University visited students enrolled on the Honours Programme at the College last week, to deliver a presentation based on the core STEM subjects and the various types of career opportunities that degrees within these subjects can lead to.

University degrees that include the core STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) are often in high demand and are extremely valued by potential employers.

Ella and Will delivered an engaging and thought-provoking presentation to our students by adding a Zombie Apocalypse twist. For each subject they would use the Zombie Apocalypse theme to create a scenario for the students and set challenges where they would need to utilise the skills of the STEM subjects.

Ella explained, “We set the students challenges such as de-coding an encrypted message or building a shelter using materials we provided, which requires the use of skill and thought-processes related to Maths and Engineering. It highlights how skills within these areas can be applied in various scenarios and shows how valuable they can be.”

Student, Aidan McCulloch, who joined the College from St Mary’s High School, found the delivery of the presentation useful, commenting, “I think the Zombie Apocalypse theme worked really well in the presentation – it was relatable due to popular T.V shows such as The Walking Dead and made learning about the STEM subjects really interesting. I enjoyed it.”

Presentations and visiting speakers from Universities are just one of the benefits students enrolled onto the Honours Programme at The Sixth Form College can expect. The Honours Programme is a tailored academic programme combining curriculum, enrichment and guidance to support high-achieving students on to leading UK Universities.

Chloe Walsh faced tough competition from all over the country at the WorldSkills UK Skills finals at the NEC in Birmingham where Chloe was awarded a gold medal. The contest is managed by Complete Forensics (C.I.C) and medals were presented by the Chartered Society of Forensic Science's chief executive, Dr Anya Hunt.

The annual event aims to inspire young people and adults to be ambitious in their pursuit of skills to the highest level. Chloe, 21, from Greasby secured a place in the competition finals after scoring highly in the Forensic Science Competition heats earlier this year.

To win her award, Chloe had to spend six hours analysing a mock murder crime scene as well as taking part in a laboratory workshop test. She also helped out with equipment demonstrations to the thousands of visitors.

Chloe, who studied Forensic Science, Biology and Fine Art at The Sixth Form College before graduating in 2011, said: "It feels absolutely amazing to be awarded gold. I'm so proud that I pushed myself to do something that felt a little scary - but I would do it all again. It's a brilliant feeling that doesn't come along that often."

Chloe joined the College from Pensby High School and graduated earlier this year with a first-class degree in forensic science and criminal investigation from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston.

She said: "I've wanted to be a forensic scientist since I was 12-years-old so it was a dream come true to win this award and already it is opening up doors for possible jobs."

Chloe is currently working in Healthcare but has ambitions of working as a Crime Scene Investigator or within a Forensic Laboratory.

Chloe valued the support and careers guidance she received during her time at The Sixth Form College, commenting, “I had a lot of support from tutors when completing university applications and writing a personal statement. It gave me an insight into the types of courses available within Forensics. I enjoyed my time at the College and found the visiting speakers and the trips such as the training day with the local fire brigade and the trip to Liverpool crown court, particularly useful.” 

{gallery:Chloe Walsh - F Science}

Our Government & Politics department organised an informative trip for 25 students at a Political Conference in Westminster, London.

The students travelled to London on Sunday 29^th November by first class train and took the opportunity to go sight-seeing when they arrived, visiting famous landmarks such as the London Eye, the Millennium Bridge and St Paul’s Cathedral. The group enjoyed a meal at the Strada restaurant overlooking the Cathedral that evening.

The following morning, the students took the Tube to Westminster where our Government & Politics department had arranged a meeting with Birkenhead MP, Frank Field. Frank gave students an insight into what a Member of Parliament typically does in a week and then took questions from the students.

Students asked questions on a range of issues, including, which way Mr Field planned to vote in the forthcoming EU referendum, the recent Labour leadership election and votes for 16-17 year olds. The session lasted nearly an hour and a half and the group felt very privileged to be given such an opportunity.

The students then attended Westminster Central Hall for the A Level Politics Conference. There were a number of high-profile politicians who delivered short speeches and then took questions from students. Speakers included Natalie Bennett, Leader of the Green Party; Douglas Carswell, UKIP MP; Chris Grayling, Conservative MP and Leader of the House of Commons; Tim Farron, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons.

Head of History, Jane Cavanagh commented, “It was a highly engaging and informative day. The students enjoyed the trip immensely and had the opportunity to meet some prominent political figures, including Angus Robertson – the Member of Parliament for the SNP and former Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, which they were all extremely pleased about.”

First year student, Ellie Clement-Evans, who joined the College from West Kirby Grammar School and also studies Geography, English Language andFilm Studies, commented, “I enjoyed being in London and found the conference extremely interesting - particularly the speech by John Bercow.”

{gallery:G&P Trip to London 2015}

Earlier this term, experts within the further education sector came together at The Sixth Form College for the Sixth Form College’s Curriculum Conference for the North West region, led by our Deputy Principal Mike Kilbride.

Our heads of subjects at the College attended as well as representatives from the following institutions:

• Blackpool Sixth Form College
• Aquinas College
• Holy Cross Sixth Form College
• Sir John Rigby College
• King George V College
• Cheadle and Marple College
• Oldham Sixth Form College
• Xaverian College
• Sir John Deane’s College
• Loreto College
• Priestly College

The purpose of the Conference was to allow specialist sixth form staff to come together and discuss options for curriculum mix and study programmes in light of the recent changes to curriculum and funding.

The Conference was split into three sessions to focus on New Performance Measures, Programmes of Study and The Sixth Form College Offer.

Deputy Principal, Mike Kilbride, commented on the importance of the event, stating, “The Sixth Form College sector has felt the impact from the recent spate of funding reductions and curriculum reform the most. Despite this, Sixth Form Colleges have continued to be the highest performing 16-19 sector and provide high quality education. The purpose of the Curriculum Conference was to allow specialist staff and institutions to come together and discuss how we can continue delivering this outstanding education.”

The Sixth Form College in Birkenhead is Wirral’s largest A-Level provider and one of just 93 specialist Sixth Form Colleges in England and Wales.

Our Psychology students gained an insight into the experience of an offender in a UK prison, delving into the reality of these organisations as places of punishment, treatment and rehabilitation in a day-long conference held at The Sixth Form College.

Students took part in three workshops throughout the day, designed to inform and educate them about whether prison in the UK works as a method of punishment and had the opportunity to discuss why the recidivist rate (reoffending) is so high. A chartered independent forensic psychologist instructed students in the process of rehabilitation and risk assessment of violent and sexual offenders and how often these assessments are very difficult to carry out effectively.

Students also examined the nature versus nature debate and where and why the reasoning for crime develops, whether this is a genetic cause or whether an individual's socialisation was the reasoning behind their crimes.

Students were shocked at evidence presented in a case where an individual had been accused of murder yet the description of the crime didn't seem to match the sentence, and were surprised at the difficulty faced by jurors and the decisions they have to make without, at times, all of the facts.

Overall students said the day was informative, shocking, eye opening and inspiring, with many students planning to pursue careers working within the various organisations of the criminal justice system.

First year student, Ed Carew, attended an audition for the BBC Young Musician of the Year Award in Cardiff earlier this month.

Ed is an extremely gifted musician, who is at grade 8 level with both the trumpet and piano. Ed, who predominately plays the trumpet, achieved an outstanding 147 out of 150 in his grade 8 exam for the trumpet at just 16 years of age.

The talented trumpet player, who joined The Sixth Form College from St Anselms College, is part of the National Youth Orchestra and recently performed at the Proms. Ed is also the principal trumpet player in the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and performs all over the country with the highly rated Northop Silver Band.

Ed says he has always had a musical influence in his life as his mother is a French Horn Player, which inspired him to play an instrument from an early age. He began playing the trumpet when he was 8 years old and has plans to study at either the Royal Northern College of Music or the Royal Academy of Music when he completes his A Level studies, to pursue a career as a professional trumpet player.

Ed’s success is a credit to the hard work he has put into pursuing his musical ambition as he practises at least 4 hours a day in order to maintain the high standards required to perform with the country’s top orchestras and bands.

Ed, who studies A Level Music and English Language at the college commented, “I applied to the College as the timetable allowed me to continue with my music. I couldn’t be happier with my tutors and progress so far and have found the Sixth Form College to be a friendly environment. The modern computer technology is ideal for composing music.”

Ed is currently waiting to hear the outcome of his audition and if successful, will qualify for a place in the final next year which will be aired on the BBC.