Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Jane Kennedy, attended The Sixth Form College this week to deliver a presentation to over 50 A Level and BTEC Law students.

Jane began the presentation by awarding the students that recently won the regional Bar Mock Trial competition at Chester Crown Court with their certificates and a £10 gift voucher. The group of 16 students have successfully made it to the final round of the competition which will take place at the Old Bailey in London next year.

Following the presentation of awards, Jane, who is the only elected official in Merseyside, addressed the group and provided an insight into what her role as Police and Crime Commissioner involves. She explained how her role includes collecting and overseeing the Police Department’s budget and how this is allocated and prioritised across areas such as antisocial behaviour, neighbourhood policing and other areas of crime and policing.

A key focus of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s role is public consultation and acquiring and gathering the support from the public on issues connected with the police force through petitions and speaking to people in the community and Jane spoke about the importance of this with the students. 

Students had the opportunity to pose questions throughout the presentation on topics raised including  domestic violence, child exploitation and actions the police force are taking to assist perpetrators with mental health conditions.

The Commissioner directed students to local groups were those interested in pursuing a career in the criminal justice system could gain more practical experience, such as the Police Cadets and the Merseyside Youth Advisory Group which allows young people from various backgrounds to come together and discuss issues related to crime and politics.

Students found the talk to be interesting and useful to their studies, with student Martin Pugh; who also studies Government & Politics, History and English Language at the College, describing the talk as “fascinating and intriguing!”

Fellow student, Carl Kelly, who joined the College from Mosslands High School, added, “I learnt a lot in the session with the Police and Crime Commissioner. All of the questions asked were relevant to what we’re studying – it was really valuable.”

The Police and Crime Commissioner was also impressed with the students, stating, “The Law students were extremely engaging and asked some intelligent questions. I would like to wish those that are taking part in the national finals of the Bar Mock Trial at the Old Bailey in London next year the very best of luck – I’m sure they will do a tremendous job.”

{gallery:Merseyside Police Commissioner}

Our staff and students showed off their Christmas spirit today in a variety of festive outfits for the last day of term before the Christmas break.

Our Hub team held a ‘best dressed’ competition in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust over morning break. Donations have been collected throughout the morning and so far we’ve raised of £86.25 for the Teenage Cancer Care charity.

The winning students of the competition were Charley McMahon and Joe Usher thanks to their creative accessorising - with Charley using baubles as earrings and Joe combining his Christmas jumper with a festive tie and shirt.

Digital Learning Advisor, Helen Bullock who dressed in a complete Mrs Claus outfit topped with a festive hair piece, awarded the students with a selection box each and is delighted with the amount of money raised. “Thank you to all the students and staff that donated money today, everyone showed incredible generosity especially so close to Christmas!” 

This follows a series of charitable activity at the College leading up to the festive season including our annual involvement with Operation Christmas Child. This year we collected a total of 42 boxes filled with gifts for children that will be sent to children in the most impoverished parts of the world, including sites of natural disasters and war-torn countries.

The College has also taken part in Radio City’s Mission Christmas and registered as a drop off location for gift donations.  Mission Christmas allows members of the public to donate gifts that are then passed on to local disadvantaged young people, aged 0-18 that would not ordinarily receive any gifts at Christmas. We collected a host of goodies from kind-hearted individuals including, OPI Nail Varnish sets, toys, games and children’s books and stationery.

Our Health & Social Care students also marked the festive season this week with another Health Promotion Fair at the College. They promoted a variety of health related issues such as nutrition, mental health issues and alcohol awareness, all centred round a Christmas theme.

{gallery:Christmas Clobber competition 2015}

We would like to wish all of our students and staff a wonderful Christmas and we look forward to a successful 2016 - Merry Christmas!

Civil engineering and music might not be two things that we automatically put together, but it’s been a winning combination for our former student, Joanna Anderson, in a new chapter of her burgeoning career.

The Institution of Civil Engineers has named 23-year-old Joanna as their North West Chairman’s Apprentice for 2016, meaning she’ll be working alongside and mentored by some top figures in the area, including ICE President, Sir John Armitt, who was in charge of the infrastructure for the 2012 London Olympics.

Joanna, who studied Design Technology, Music and English Language & Literature with us at A Level, scooped the honour having attained a master’s degree in Civil Engineering at Liverpool John Moores University. She currently works as a traffic signals specialist with Mouchel Consulting in Liverpool.

Joanna said: “Students always say that it’s too late for them to get into civil engineering because they haven’t studied it already, or they didn’t have maths or physics. Well, I didn’t have maths or physics and didn’t know what I was doing when I got to university. If I can get a master’s in it and now have a job in civil engineering then they can too.”

The ICE has over 6,000 members in the North West alone, and Joanna was the last up to be interviewed for the chairman’s apprentice role, but she brought with her an eye-catching CV including music, charity work and teaching, proving that determination, drive and a little creativity can be as important as subject choice in your career path.

Joanna’s musical skills led to her penning several amusing, engineering-inspired songs, which have been a big hit in her working sector on YouTube, and these contributed to ICE Chairman, Gareth Scott, applauding her “infectious enthusiasm.”

You can see her collaboration with the ICE for their song for the 2015 Engineer’s Week here:

But, is she the only person to ever write a song about civil engineering?

She said: “I’m not actually! When I was at uni and I started writing songs about it, I found a song on the internet that someone had written over the top of ‘Hey There, Delilah’ called ‘Hey There, You Structure’ and it was all about a bridge. I thought it was wonderful!”

If you are thinking about studying Design Technology or Music at A Level, click our course links below to find out more:

http://www.bsfc.ac.uk/courses/as-a-level-level-3/design-technology

http://www.bsfc.ac.uk/courses/as-a-level-level-3/music

“There’s nothing better than helping the community,” says Police Special Chief Constable Don Elliot, and that is a sentiment that our Do More Fair has at its heart.

Voluntary work plays a key role in our Enrichment programme along with learning new skills, and the range of activities possible was on full display for 2016’s Do More Fair. More than a dozen organisations came along to talk to the students about what they can do to further their lives outside of college, and those organisations joined the wealth of BSFC clubs and activities that could be signed up for.

From signing up for the Royal Navy Reserves to working with youth clubs or the disabled, and from learning new languages to mastering the guitar, there was no shortage of options for students looking at learning more about the community and themselves.

Former Sixth Form College student, Elizabeth Pennington, came back to represent the International Volunteering HQ, with whom she travelled to Uganda last July to help out in the local townships. Elizabeth, who now studies Performance for Stage, Screen and Radio at Sheffield Hallam, completed A Levels in Film Studies, Drama & Theatre and English Language in 2014. She believes her experiences in Uganda with IVHQ have helped her develop even further in her chosen field.

Elizabeth said: “I’m into acting and going to Uganda really helped my confidence and my ability to empathise with people. I’d say to anyone – jump into it. Don’t be scared. I was terrified but then I found it harder leaving Uganda than I did going. Don’t be afraid to learn new things.

Calum Forrest was another former student who returned after finishing his A Levels last summer, but this time as a trainee Police Special Constable. Calum studied Psychology, Law and Business but says he always knew he wanted to be a police officer: “Although you’re a volunteer in the Specials, you do everything that a regular officer does and have the same training and equipment. It’s a good way to get into the cadets and it’s been so rewarding and great for my confidence.”

Students had the opportunity to sign up for classes in Mandarin, German and British Sign Language, along with sports clubs, creative writing and web development just to name a few.

The Sixth Form College beat competition from schools across Wirral to secure second place in the 2016 edition of the annual Rotary Club of Birkenhead ‘Youth Speaks’ event.

The college had the distinction of hosting the public speaking contest, which also featured teams from selective schools including Wirral Grammar and Birkenhead School, along with others such as Woodchurch High School.

Three students from each school presented talks on a range of subjects, including education, the effects of accents and the influence of the media.

During Debate Club, the college team decided on the complex and thought-provoking subject of the UK’s nuclear programme Trident and whether it should be renewed at a cost to the taxpayer running over £30bn.

Chairperson for the Sixth Form College’s team, Erin Bound, set the scene before handing the reins to main speaker, Jack Hudson, who gave an impassioned argument against renewing the missile operation.

After the result, Jack said: “We put our all into it and it was always going to be a close game. We put in a strong showing. Obviously, we wanted to come first and that’s what we prepared ourselves to do, but second place was a very good performance.”

Ava Powell-Wallis, who wrapped up the team’s offering with a summary and a vote of thanks, agreed, saying: “I’m pleased to come second. The other schools were really good but I think we deserved it.”

Birkenhead School took the award first the first time after the Sixth Form College’s domination for the last five years, but Chairman of the Youth Speaks Judges, Glyn Mon Hughes, said that the difference was a matter of two or three points.

Mr Mon Hughes said: “For the top two, I think it was the quality of what they said, the research they’d undertaken and confidence.

“The college put in a good performance on the background of knowing what they were saying and the ability to be able to communicate it well, which I think all the teams did but there were one or two who were that bit special.”

Eddie Redmayne. Sir Isaac Newton. Prince Charles. Samuel Killcross…?

Cambridge University’s Trinity College has had many a famous name pass through its hallowed gates, and now one of The Sixth Form College’s students could join that illustrious list.

Sam Killcross has been offered a place to read History at Trinity College, the largest college at Cambridge, in September after an outstanding performance in his studies with us.

With offers from other prestigious universities on the table, Sam has no shortage of options but has set his sights firmly on getting the grades he needs in his A Levels this year.

Along with History, Sam studies English Literature and Religious Studies at The Sixth Form College, having already completed an AS in Politics. He believes that the specialist A Level environment and the nature of teaching and support at the college have been major factors in his success.

Sam, who joined us from South Wirral High School, said: “I chose the Sixth Form College because I felt that being in a learning environment that gave me more independence would be more conducive to me fulfilling my potential in my A Levels.

“The teaching at the college has been hugely encouraging and there’s a great sense of optimism that no benchmark is too high and no aspiration is unachievable.”

Sam, 17, explained that the college helps bridge the gap between high school and university, saying: “The culture of independent learning in the college where students are given more personal study time is definitely good preparation for university life.”

Sam says his choices of courses to study at A Level were complementary to his chosen area of History as they all ‘require critical thinking and encourage you to go beyond what you would normally do.

Although he has not firmly decided what he wants to do as a career, Bromborough-based Sam has targeted studying overseas at an Ivy League school at some point, and said: “Getting the grades to get into Cambridge would bring that goal this much closer. I’d be disappointed not to get the grades to get into Cambridge. And that’s not out of university snobbery but it’s out of the fact that I’ve been given an opportunity that thousands of people would want, so I don’t want to pass it up.  

As for Sam’s parents, he said that they were very happy, if still a little speechless, but that his teachers at college and friends alike had always believed in him: “They knew I could do it, I just wanted to prove them right. My History teacher, Dave Simpkin, made me stand up in class and got everyone to give me a round of applause. I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life.”

A hit mentoring scheme by the Sixth Form College is set to give even more students a helping hand to university by expanding to a new level due to its success.

The programme, which involves undergraduates from both the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores volunteering as tutors for those taking A Levels, has been trialled for two years and is hailed as an all-round triumph. The University of Liverpool chose to work exclusively with the Sixth Form College in Wirral and it is the only scheme of its kind that the university is involved in.

The college originally took on two Higher Education Mentors in the Sociology department in 2013, but that number has now grown to 16 across six subjects for this academic year. Mentors from the universities will now be tutoring in Geography, History, Sport, Law and Dance along with the piloted Sociology.

As part of the specialist A Level teaching at the Sixth Form College, each student is allotted time with their mentor, whether one-to-one or in small groups. They get to discuss any problems within the given subject and are offered advice on exam technique and revision skills, all from someone who has just recently been in their shoes.

The HE Mentors are in the unique position to give an insight into the demands of university and the subject at hand, as they are all currently studying in that particular area for their degrees. In turn, the mentors themselves have their sights on a career in teaching and the entire experience can prove invaluable to their teacher training applications.

Sociology teacher Claire Morgan, who organises and leads the programme, said: “In Sociology, we’ve seen a real improvement, and we’re talking grades. In some instances, we’ve had students moving up two grades, so it’s making a significant impact with their confidence and their academic ability.”

Claire explained that the relationship built between mentor and student plays a key role in helping the student develop, and that the scheme benefits performers of all levels.

She said: “We like to focus on exam technique and revising. Some of the mentors like to do mind-maps with them and really try to get them to add depth and detail to increase their marks. With some students that aren’t as strong, they found that working on key terms is important and help them to revise in that one-to-one environment – quizzing and testing to help build their confidence.”

University of Liverpool Senior Lecturer in Geography and Planning, Dr Paul Williamson, has seven students who started their tenures as HE Mentors in January. He and Claire Morgan are working on building the scheme into the university degree programme as a module for the undergraduates.

Dr Williamson said of the mentoring scheme: “It provides invaluable hands-on teaching experience which is not easy to come by. Our students get an ideal chance to find out whether or not they want to pursue a career in teaching. The Sixth Form students get the opportunity to be mentored at peer-level by some enthusiastic and dynamic individuals.”

One such individual, Hannah O’Neill, is now in her second year as a mentor in Sociology, having previously studied at the Sixth Form College herself.

Hannah said: “Each session has been enjoyable and getting to know the students and watch them progress has been the most rewarding part. My time as a tutor has helped not only the students but me as well, enabling me to devote some of my time to helping others whilst developing my own personal skills”

Another former Sixth Form College student, Abbie Bateman, is returning as an HE Mentor in Sport, which she is now studying at Liverpool John Moores University.

Abbie said: “It’s a great opportunity for both me and the students, who will get to know what university’s about from people who are there now. It might be easier for them to listen and associate with us because we’ve been through what they are going through so recently.”

The first Sixth Form College Open Event of 2016 proved to be another major success, with students, parents and families turning up in their hundreds from all over the region to see what makes us Wirral’s No1 Sixth Form.

Following on from November’s Open Event, over 700 students have now explored our specialist facilities and talked with our expert teachers so far in this academic year.

The evening kicked off with a talk from the Principal, Kathryn Podmore, who welcomed our visitors before outlining our key ethics and expectations. Kathryn also highlighted our results, which are in the top 5% nationally for the value added to students’ grades and performance, and above both national and Wirral averages for pass rates.

The Principal's speech was followed by the Deputy Principal, Mike Kilbride, and he explained the curriculum offer and how students can choose four subjects at AS Level which sets us apart from smaller sixth forms in the area.

Having received nearly 600 applications already for September, teaching rooms across the college had the full range of facilities and equipment on show, and prospective students were given the chance to speak to any number of our specialist A Level teachers about what they can expect on their A Level or BTEC journeys.

{gallery:Open Event January 2016}

What business would you pitch for?

In something reminiscent of the BBC's Dragon's Den (with some added extras), our Honours Programme students were tasked with answering that very question in a creative entrepreneurship challenge.

The Entrepreneurship event was organised by Personal & Guidance Tutors Leigh O'Mahony, Chas Knight and Mike Crosby, in conjunction with Liverpool John Moores University and staff from the LJMU Centre for Entrepreneurship, with a view to developing the entrepreneurial, business acumen, critical thinking and decision making skills of our students.

Inside a bustling drama studio, some 16 groups gathered to showcase their business plans and hoped to secure 'crowd-funding' from special guest judges, teachers and other students.

A team from Liverpool John Moores were joined by successful local entrepreneurs Dean Ward of Evoke Creative, Steve Cruden from Santander and Rebecca Knight of Hair & Beauty by Rebecca, to judge the offerings, and the level of ingenuity and innovation from our students was roundly applauded by all sides.

Head of the LJMU Centre for Entrepreneurship, Emma Robinson said: "I've been teaching entrepreneurship for over 12 years and today I heard at least three ideas today that I've never come across before, and believe me, I've heard everything! Some of the businesses on show here have really got potential!"

Dean Ward, technical director at Evoke, an agency that helps brands engage with customers in creative ways, said: "A lot of the groups had thought of everything, from the initial concept through to how to market themselves, who their competitors were and all the costs involved.

"There were some ideas that were quite 'out there', quite different, but always very considered and some were just brilliant. My favourite was the eventual winners ‘Eat Me, Drink Me, Read Me’, they really deserved it. I was so impressed!"

The winning team, ‘Eat Me, Drink Me, Read Me' were a café-cum-library with a pun-tastic menu including 'The Catcher in the Rye Bread' and 'Scone with the Wind'. The team, consisting of students Amelia Jones, Georgina Carolan, Jack Hirons, Lucas Frampton and Zoe Laufer, even baked their own bread to offer out sandwiches to hungry would-be customers.

Others groups  included 'Gift Wrap' who help you choose presents for friends and family when you don't know where to start, a bespoke smoothie-making vending machine company, a Hangover Clinic inspired by a London celebrity trend, and a locker storage business offering somewhere to store your bags and coats after a hard day shopping or before a hard night clubbing.

The event was an overall success and will be rolled-out with more students being able to take part and pitch their business ideas.

A Level Media students got a glimpse of what it might be like to work for one of Britain's flagship institutions on an overnight trip to London.

30 first and second year students travelled down to the see the bright lights of the capital and the media hub of the country, specifically the prestigious halls of the BBC studios.

With many students expressing an interest in a career in journalism, a guided tour of Broadcasting House in W1A gave them the ideal opportunity to get an insight into the reality of working in television and news, and some lucky ones even got the chance to try out their broadcasting skills.

A Level Media student Liam O'Gorman, who studies Film Studies and Graphics as well, said: "Getting to see these places that I only usually see on television was quite breath-taking. On our tour, some of us got to know what it is like to be on camera as we were put in front of the green screen and re-enacted the weather forecast! It's not easy being a weather forecaster! You got to see that they make plenty of mistakes but they cover it up so well!"

First year, Amelia Jones, who also takes both Media and Film Studies, said: "It was an excellent way of learning about the media industry, and how things like film and TV sets are created. It was also a great chance for us as students to do things we wouldn't normally do and get outside our comfort zone."

After the BBC experience, our students went to Covent Garden to see the British Film Institute (BFI) 'Bond in Motion' exhibition to see some of 007's essential kit and explore how the world's most celebrated spy films are made.

Jacob Khan, also a first year, said: "At the Bond exhibition we saw some famous, and infamous, props from the films. I found it particularly interesting to see how film producers put together a scene through the use of storyboards."

The students were also able to squeeze in time for a ride on the London Eye and dinner on the trendy South Bank.

Do you know why some brain surgery is performed when the patient is awake? Or that some people are born without entire sections of the brain? Most importantly, have you ever held a brain in your hands before?!

The Sixth Form College’s annual Brain Day gets the Psychology and Biology students’ grey matter working, while they don the latex gloves and get hands-on with the hypothalamus and the cerebellum.

Our special guest, Dr Guy Sutton, visits each year with his box of sheep’s brains, with students given the chance to gain a visceral insight into neuroscience, which many may choose to study at university.

Dr Sutton, Director of Medical Biology Interactive and Honorary Consultant Assistant Professor at the University of Nottingham Medical School, emphasised how both Biology and Psychology students can take huge benefits from the study and appreciation of neuroscience.

He said: “I hope they get out a feel for how the brain works and the complexities of it, from the number of synapses involved to brain disorders. Psychology students can learn just as much as Biology students. Psychological processes are underpinned by biological mechanisms in the brain.”

Dr Sutton continued: “How much control do we have over our behaviour? Do we really have free will? This is a big debate. For instance, some University of Exeter research suggests that, with antisocial and aggressive behaviour, up to 70% of individuals involved will report having some kind of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Often this can occur around childhood. Getting students to think about brain injury and how it can lead to different abilities to control our behaviour is an important area of neuroscience.”

Plenty of the less-squeamish students took the opportunity to hold the brain, and parts thereof once dissected by Dr Sutton. Taking selfies with sections of sheep brain also proved decidedly popular!

In this, Dr Sutton’s sixth year visiting the college, he said: “I’ve always enjoyed my relationship with The Sixth Form College. It was the first places that I started running brain sessions with schools so I’ve got a sort of emotional attachment! The students are really responsive every time so it’s always nice to come back.”

Learning is never limited to the classroom walls, and never has that statement been more applicable than in Health and Social Care. While academic teaching makes up the backbone of our Level 3 qualification, the students’ work placement experiences bring the career to life.

Supported by Karyn Jones, our full time placement officer, the students spend one day per week in real care settings with real clients. The placements can be in a number of care-giving fields but can also be focused around their future career paths.

Head of Health and Social Care, Andrew Walton, said: “It’s clear that the students make a significant contribution to the everyday lives of the clients and staff when they’re on placement. This fills them with confidence and pride, as well as developing practical skills alongside the academic, which makes them very appealing prospects for both universities and employers.”

The students themselves also feel the benefits of having a supportive structure in which they can experience the working life in a career in care.

Second year, Lara O’Dowd, explained: “We’re given all the information we need before we start, including the hours we’re working and the type of jobs we’ll be doing while we’re there. It feels a lot more comfortable to know what you’ve got in front of you before you arrive at the placement. Karyn makes sure you’re prepared. You’re not left alone with the clients at any point so you’re supported when you’re at the placement too.”

Lara, who has been on placements at a day nursery, a residential home, a probation centre and a mental health facility, found that she can already notice the difference in her personal development: “I’m far better at speaking to people now. This time a year ago, I wouldn’t have been comfortable even talking in a group or volunteering to do anything. My people skills have come on leaps and bounds. I don’t feel afraid of asking questions anymore.”

Fellow second year, Sasha Rainford, agreed, saying: “I want to go into adult nursing and dealing with people with dementia has helped me with communication a lot. The placements have allowed me to learn how to adapt and think on my feet. It’s made me feel far more prepared for what I want to do in the future. The one day per week on placement here works perfectly as it’s built into your academic learning.”

Kim Butler discovered the career she aims to go into after finishing at the Sixth Form College while on work placement.

Kim said: “When I first started, I had no confidence whatsoever and no real direction of where I wanted to go. The first placement I had was in Eastham Centre and right from the start of that it just instilled new confidence in me and opened my eyes to everything that these centres offer, and how much I’d like to go into that field.

She added: “I chose to come to the Sixth Form College because people aren’t judgemental. The teachers and support staff will help you through anything that you have difficulty with and push you to achieve things that you didn’t think you could.”

Former Sixth Form College student, Kelsey McKevitt, who is now studying to be a learning disability nurse at Chester University, is coming in to talk to current students about what’s involved with nursing in her chosen field on Monday 8^th February.

As part of our expert support at the Sixth Form College, universities from around the country come to visit us in our Higher Education Week and offer students an introduction to university life.

More Sixth Form College students went on to university than any other Wirral sixth form last year, and our specialist Personal & Guidance tutors, who lead HE Week, are here to prepare everyone for their own journeys.

From dealing with finance to choosing the right course, the universities all gave an insight into what the future can hold for those wanting to further their studies after completing their A Levels.

Here are some of their top tips!

This week saw seven institutes coming to talk to us, including the University of Manchester, University of Sheffield, Queen’s University Belfast, Newcastle University, Coventry University, Bangor University and Liverpool John Moores.

For more on our expert support at the Sixth Form College, click here.

Read more on our Honours Programme for high achieving students here.

Sixth Form College students have been part of helping Claire House with one of the most unusual donations they have received to date.

As part of our Enrichment activities, students volunteered to help the children’s hospice with a contribution from a donor to the tune of £3580. The only problem was – it was in pennies. 26 mop-bucket loads of them.

With the biggest denomination being a 50p piece, the buckets took two weeks and teams of volunteers to sift through. Half of the volunteers that took part were from the Sixth Form College, with one, Ashleigh Stanley, returning on three separate occasions to help.

George McGrath from Claire House, who coordinated the ‘mammoth’ coin-counting effort, said: “It’s only with the help of our volunteers like the Sixth Form College students that we are able to support families who are currently known to us and are in need of our help. Our vision is to be able to reach out to all the families who may need our help in the area.

“I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who helped, or offered to help. I hope we can call on your support in the future.”

Volunteers from the Sixth Form College included: Ashleigh Stanley, Haydn Pidcock, Nicole Levit, Hannah Cooper, Chloe Pisani, Laura Habberley, Charlie Ellis, Johanna Brown, Molly Woods & Abby Blakeman. 

To find out more about our Enrichment activities, click here.                                              

A Sixth Form College student has beaten competition from around 2,000 other RAF Air Cadets to land a place on the prestigious Air Cadet Pilot Scheme.

Louis Earley, who is currently in his first year with us, claimed one of only 100 places on the Dundee-based programme, which is available to the 40,000-plus Air Cadets in the UK through Tayside Aviation.

Applicants numbering in their thousands are filtered through local to national commanding ranks, until the final number is reached for the 15-day residential course in Scotland. 

Louis, who studies Biology, Chemistry and Psychology at AS Level, along with Music at A2, explained that the place on the course could save future pilots costs that can run into the tens of thousands: “The application process is extremely competitive. The scheme finishes with a solo flight and that can contribute to a full pilot’s licence. There are two or three people each year who are good enough to attain their full pilot’s license, completely free, so I’m hoping to be one of them!”

Along with acquiring several hours of non-solo flying time and being promoted to Corporal, Louis’s CV also stood out due to his qualification as an advanced first aider, his gold Duke of Edinburgh Award and his grades eight in Guitar, Bass and Piano. He attends the Air Cadets twice a week with the 400 Squadron at the Chetwynd TA Centre in Oxton.

A potential Medicine student, Louis is on course to achieve A grades in his summer exams and said that his future could go along two paths: “Flying is definitely an option. I could go straight into the RAF after A Levels but I’m thinking of studying Biomedical Sciences at uni and then going into Medicine. I’m looking at Nottingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Cardiff ; Swansea too, but Russell Group universities in general.”  

Louis joined The Sixth Form College having spent a year studying AS Levels at the school he was with at GCSE.

He said: “I just didn’t feel I was helped or supported; I felt quite left out. I looked around at other sixth forms and had heard from a lot of my friends that it was good here. It was the last week of the summer that I took that step and applied. I got one of the last places on the course. Ever since, I’ve felt included, supported and I’ve really enjoyed it. I was quite down last year so being happier inside college has helped with life outside.”

After his personal experience, Louis concluded: “I think it’s really important to have a look at other places and not just the school you’re already at. You can feel that you develop a sense of loyalty to that school if you’ve been there for years before, but that loyalty can be misplaced. It might not be the best option for you and give you what you need for A Level. Don’t be scared of going somewhere else.”

“It’s like Christmas for physicists!” says science student Elliott Wood, one of ten students who have just returned from a college trip to CERN in Geneva.

The European Organisation for Nuclear Research, known by the acronym CERN from the French translation of its name (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire) is the hub of the scientific world. Over 2,500 leading scientists from 21 member nations come together in laboratories miles underground to work on scientific experiments that Elliott describes as ‘like something out of a science fiction film’.

The ten Sixth Form College students were given access to the birthplace of the World Wide Web, where English scientist, Tim Berners-Lee, wrote the first web browser in 1990. Along with its most widely consumed invention in the Web, CERN is where the world’s brightest minds have recreated the conditions of the Big Bang Theory, using the 27 kilometres of the Large Hadron Collider, 175 metres under the surface.

Elliott, who studies Physics, Chemistry and Maths at A Level, said: “We may have read about what they do, in what is essentially one big physics experiment, but being there and being able to ask about it and learn from them was something else. I felt it was pretty profound really.

“Our tour guide had worked there for 30 years so could answer all of our questions really thoroughly. Any question I asked I’d get an answer to, which for someone interested in science is extremely satisfying.”

Elliott went on to describe one of the Swiss laboratory’s most ground-breaking experiments, which can make for some head-spinning reading for those less familiar with science: “There’s stuff that just sound like science fiction that they study. We were told that the universe started with one fundamental force that has since split into four. With smashing particles at CERN and recreating the conditions at the beginning of the universe and the Big Bang, they are reproducing the one fundamental force. It all works towards one universal theory.”

Physics teacher Richard Newby led the trip to Switzerland and said: “It’s something that the students hear about all the time in lessons and on the news, but being there and seeing it in action makes it feel like something that they can actually work towards. The cutting edge physics can seem like another world but this made it a viable career goal. It’s really inspirational.”

The trip to Geneva was rounded off with a visit to the Natural History Museum and a true Swiss experience for dinner, where some students joined in the traditional musical entertainment on the famously huge three-metre alphorns.

Getting behind the wheel of a car is a goal for plenty of students come their 17^th birthday and it can be an exciting time. The independence that comes hand-in-hand with passing the driving test is something to celebrate, but the responsibility that sits with it is to be taken seriously too.

Representatives from Merseyside Police and the Fire and Rescue Service came to visit as part of the Sixth Form College’s commitment to preparing students for the world beyond and outside of college, and brought with them a fascinating yet hauntingly visceral example of their work.

The mangled remains of a hatchback lay in the Shrewsbury Road car park, and students were given the chance to act as a forensic team and evaluate the evidence to draw up a picture of what had become of the vehicle before learning the truth later on.

During talks, PC Mike Abram, a road traffic investigation specialist, let students take part in Field Impairment Tests, complete with special glasses to recreate possible drink and drug influence on the brain. See how Hannah Travis got on with one test below!

Field Impairment Tests from Birkenhead Sixth Form College on Vimeo.

Fire and Rescue Service Watch Manager Jez Williamson described how teaching the topic is not the same as it used to be: “Statistically speaking, this age group of 17-25 are more likely to be killed in a car than anything else. It used to be that they’d get shown horror images of things that had happened to other people as a kind of warning, but this hands-on learning is far more effective.”

Jez, who lost his three best friends to a car accident at the age of 16, said: “Quite often, it’s not that the young people are doing anything wrong; it’s just poor decision making for that time. If we can give them strategies that help them make the right decisions – like ‘should I really be in the car with four or five people at that particular time’, or ‘what if someone’s driving too fast’, or maybe whether or not to take an unfamiliar road – and we can help influence sensible behaviour and decisions, then that makes our job worthwhile.”

Our visitors explained that the 17-25 age group, statistically, become increasingly more likely to be involved in an accident the more people that are in the car, with the probability of a young driver crashing rising over 300% with three passengers on board.

The remains of the car in the car park were from an accident involving four teenage friends in which the driver lost his life. The wrong decisions involved in the tragedy were plenty of food for thought for the students.

The Sixth Form College’s partnership with iGo Driving School is also part of the commitment to encourage safer driving and give students the best platforms for after their A Levels.  

{gallery:Driving Safety Car Wreck Feb 2016}

As Ethan Price watches the barrister that he’s been shadowing all day drive away in her Aston Martin Vanquish, his mind’s made up: Law is for him.

Ethan’s on course for an A in his Law A Level, and is looking forward to studying it in higher education. Indeed, more of our students went on to study Law at university than any other subject, which speaks volumes for the calibre and drive of the students and the ability of our Law department, including former lawyers and solicitors, to teach and inspire in equal measure. Seeing the supercar pay-off for working hard does no harm in adding to career aspirations either.

The classroom tuition at the Sixth Form College goes hand-in-hand with a plethora of extracurricular activities that our students get involved in, and this half term week has seen five students go on placement at some of the most prestigious Barristers’ Chambers in Liverpool. Ethan headed to 7 Harrington Street Chambers, while Ava Powell-Wallis, Carl Kelly, Molly Woods and James Webster share placements at Atlantic Chambers, Exchange Chambers and Chavasse Court Chambers respectively.

The week culminates in an Advocacy training day at Manchester University on Friday, and James Webster is making the most of his opportunities: “I’m just looking forward to learning more skills, not just to add to a future career but hopefully to come out winning the Bar Mock Trial.”

The Citizenship Foundation Bar Mock Trial takes place at the Old Bailey in London in April after our student team claimed a place in the final, beating local selective and grammar schools in Merseyside and North Wales in the Chester Regional Heat. James, who is also on course for As in the summer, is one of more than a dozen students involved in the mock advocacy trial, overseen by senior circuit judges and contested by over 2000 students nationwide.

Students also attended a conference in the Pathways to the Legal Profession organised by the Liverpool Law Society, which was quite the eye-opener for former South Wirral High School student Sam Jones.

First year Sam, hoping for top grades in the summer, said: “They spelt out how it wasn’t a matter of having to study Law at uni to get into the career. There are apprenticeships available now that weren’t before and seem like a really good option. I’m seriously considering going into the profession through that route now, although I’ll still look at university too.”

To give students that insight into the university option, the Sixth Form College arranged a conference for some of the top universities in Law to come the college and answer questions and give advice on legal study. After the event, the University of Manchester Law admissions officer, Carol Barker, said: “I was very impressed with your students, who were very knowledgeable about checking university websites and attending open days, as well as asking relevant questions. It was a pleasure to attend.”

Head of Law, Paula Blakemore, came to the Sixth Form College after over 20 years as a solicitor: a career she calls ‘both interesting and lucrative’.

Paula, who was nominated for Law Teacher of the Year in 2015, said: “The students sign up for the extracurricular activities in their droves because they enjoy them. It becomes a self-perpetuating thing – when it comes to applying for university or jobs, they’ve all got lots of Law-related extracurricular for their CV which puts them in very good standing.

“If you chose to study Law at A Level then you’ll know something about the nature of the subject that you want to go into. If you’re studying it at university, then you’re committing a lot of money to it so obviously it’s worth having that knowledge before you do. Even if you don’t choose to go on to study Law, the problem-solving skills are transferrable into almost every subject.”

Ethan’s getting on the bus to get home from Liverpool now. He’s had a chance to see barristers in action after studying it in class; he’s got work to do when he gets back too, but first, he’s going to use his journey home to look up how much an Aston Martin will set him back when he gets his own gown and wig.

When you’re 30ft in the air, hooked up to abseiling harnesses and staring at the distant floor where your classmates are, you probably forget that you’re in a Business Studies class – but you still are.

As part of their coursework, over 50 Business students have been planning, and then participating in, team building exercises at Barnstondale Centre over the last week. As well as the physical side, students developed their communication and cooperative skills outside of their comfort zones whilst taking part in abseiling, rock-climbing, river-crossing and plenty of other sensory and strategic activities.

Working in groups, the students devised meticulous action plans before arriving at the centre, with every individual given a specific job within their team. All bases had to be covered, with roles within the teams covering budgeting, transportation, administration, planning, health and safety, security and general housekeeping.

Having experienced their day in the dales together, students now reflectively analyse their performances, both individually and as a team, and demonstrate how they worked within their groups.

Business Studies teacher and trip coordinator, Steve Hafford, said: “Along with learning for the coursework, a lot of students really develop their personal skills, interpersonal skills and independence. Learning how to be an effective member of a team is something vital to take with them beyond college – having the confidence to get involved and not be that person on the side-lines. By the end of the day, they were all identifying individual strengths and weaknesses and using motivational strategies to get the best out of each other.”

Steve continued: “Some students, up until this week, maybe never stretched themselves and took on a task that they’ve never tried before. Chloe, for example, didn’t do so well on the climbing but wanted to prove something to herself by doing the abseiling. It’s about challenging yourself and she did that; she did something that she never would have contemplated doing normally.”

First year Chloe Wisniewski, who joined us from Upton Hall School and studies Science as well as Business, explained: “I hate heights and I’ve never abseiled before but I found that it was mind over matter. I was making it out to be a bigger thing than it was. I’ve found that I’ve got more confidence just from doing something that I was really nervous about.”

Fellow first year James Halligan, who joined us from Abbeygate College in Chester, echoed Chloe’s sentiments, saying: “I’ve learnt to communicate better and I took on things that I wouldn’t normally. I had it in my mind that I wasn’t going to do the abseiling but I did it anyway. It’s definitely been character building.”

Holding the distinction of being Wirral’s No1 Sixth Form means that students come to us from all four corners of our fair peninsula, and with our new subsidised bus route from Neston adding to the South Wirral and Heswall services, that journey has never been easier. But, sometimes, not even the Wirral boundaries are enough to stop our determined learners.

We like to make sure that every 90 minute commute, or hour-long bus ride, or even permanent relocation is worth it, from the outer reaches of Liverpool, or Chester, or Ellesmere Port, and there’s no one better than our students to tell you just that.

First year, Ava Powell-Wallis joined us from Ellesmere Port Catholic High. While many of her high school friends played safe and stuck with local sixth form options, Ava took the end of her GCSE exams to mean a fresh start, both educationally and geographically, choosing a sixth form that was best for her.

Ava said: “My high school friends all go to the same school now for sixth form and I still keep in touch with them, but I made new friends here straight away so it doesn’t feel like I’m missing out or I’ve been alone at all.”

Explaining her decision, Ava, who takes English Language, History, Law and Psychology with us, said: “There were so many subject options I could take coming here as well as wanting a fresh start. I did enjoy school but this was a whole new experience and felt exciting. I looked at a few colleges closer to me but none of them had as many options as they do here. Some only had four options in total. Most had option blocks too so I couldn’t take what I wanted to.”

Ava jumps on the bus every day to Claughton from Little Sutton on the very edge of the Wirral; a journey which takes an hour each way but one that she makes the most of.

“I don’t mind the journey at all. I can revise and go over work that I need to before I get to college to it’s actually quite good!”

New Neston Bus Service from Birkenhead Sixth Form College on Vimeo.

Fellow first year, Miaoxue Chen, has even longer to travel than Ava. From leaving her family home near Prescot in Liverpool every day, Miaoxue can spent up to an hour-and-a-half travelling into college, but her 100% attendance record speaks for itself.

Honours Programme student Miaoxue, who studies Biology, Maths, Psychology and Applied Science, left the Wirral last year after completing her GCSEs at Prenton High School.

She said: “I always knew I wanted to come to the Sixth Form College and my family moving to Liverpool wasn’t going to change my decision.”

Jacob Khan is a student that moved the other way to Miaoxue. Jake joined us from his previous Liverpool sixth form as he wasn’t achieving results to the potential that he knew he possessed. Like Ava, he too left lifelong friends behind in his previous school but took the decision for his own personal progression, and it’s a decision that he says he now fully appreciates.

Jake said: “Without sugar-coating it, it’s always going to be a difficult and nerve-wracking time to move from  a place you’ve been at since you were three and you felt comfortable, but after my first week here it felt like I’d been a student here forever. My personal and guidance tutor fully supported me when I first arrived, as did the subject teachers, and they all gave me some great advice, plus I made friends really quickly, despite initially feeling apprehensive about leaving my old friends behind in Liverpool.”

Jake explained that he’d driven past the college many times on his way from his Liverpool home in Huyton to his father’s in Greasby and took the decision to stay with his dad on a more permanent basis to fit in with his educational choices.

Jake is now on course for the highest possible grades in his chosen Sociology, Media Studies and Film Studies and concluded: “I can honestly say that I have never felt so motivated and driven in an educational environment. Not only have I improved in my subject areas but I also feel as though I have grown as an individual and I am much clearer now on the path that I wish to go down in the future.”