Birkenhead Sixth Form College students who have applied for places at Oxford or Cambridge university have been given some specialist interview guidance, as the College played host to a number of Wirral school sixth forms for a visit from a Cambridge College.

Guests from seven local schools, including grammar schools, joined the College’s Oxbridge candidates as a representative from Magdalene College addressed students about their impending university interviews.

“If it’s something that you want, I think you have to apply. I’d rather have failed in my application than never tried and been left wondering ‘what if’.”-James, who's applied for Cambridge University

Having successfully completed all entrance exams and other criteria, students have only the interview hurdle left to complete, and the process of facing the panels at Oxbridge can often be shrouded in rumour and myth.

Sandy Mill, School Liaisons Officer at Magdalene College, helped to ease students’ fear and rather explained that the task should not be so daunting, especially when students are prepared for exactly what’s to come.

Head Girl Emily Wagstaff and Students Ambassador James Milligan have both applied to Cambridge and explained that the session has left them feeling positive about what’s to come.

Emily, who has applied to read Medicine at Murray Edwards College, said: “Thinking about the interview to get on courses at uni can be really stressful because you have a picture in your head of someone just staring at you. I think that’s especially true with Oxford and Cambridge, but Sandy helped dispel some of the myths and helped us see that it’s much more of a conversation than we thought.”

Emily is taking A Levels in Biology,Chemistry, Maths& Physics and described how she had to combat a negative mind-set when it came to applying for such prestigious university place, but found a new, confident outlook from talking with her College Tutor and her parents.

She said: “I applied late because I just thought I would never get in. Mike (Crosby, Emily’s Tutor) called me into his office and asked me why I wasn’t applying to Oxford or Cambridge and persuaded me to think about it. When I got home and talked to my parents about it, just having a realistic chat about me going to one of those unis gave me confidence, and I realised that I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t try. I’m so glad that I gave it a shot.”

James applied to St Catherine’s College, Cambridge to read Natural Sciences, and agreed with Emily, saying: “If it’s something that you want, I think you have to apply. I’d rather have failed in my application than never tried and been left wondering ‘what if’.”

The Biology, Chemistry and Maths student continued: “I’ve had interviews at Sheffield and Manchester so far, so I’ve had some idea of how they operate, but I didn’t realise how much help the Oxbridge interviewers would offer you.”

Of his personal journey to becoming an Oxbridge candidate, James said that work ethic was at its core: “It’s about dedication to your work and being proactive about your learning. When there’s work to be done then you have to get it done, and if you don’t understand something, ask a teacher about it rather than forgetting about it until your exams.”

Sandy Mill, representing Magdalene College, said: “The most important thing for the universities is to find the people who are right for them, whatever background they come from. It doesn’t matter where in the country, or race, religion, family type – we want people with the mind-set, the drive and the ability to succeed.

“These students have made applications to Oxford or Cambridge or another top university. They’ve got the talent that’s required and the focus of today has been to convert that application, that they’ve worked so hard at, that’s been years in the making and that they’ve dreamed of, and making it into an acceptance letter come January.”

Sandy concluded: “It takes a bit of intelligence, a bit of determination, but most of all, it takes a willingness to say ‘I don’t know’ to a question and use that as a challenge to find out the answer. Thinking critically but being open-minded at the same time is crucial.”

The College’s Bar Mock Trial team put on a superb performance at Liverpool Crown Court, as a host of schools from across the area competed in the regional final.

Each year, the Citizenship Foundation arranges for A Level Law students up and down the country to take on the role of barristers for mock trials, but in front of real judges and in real courts.

Now in its 25^th year, nearly 55,000 students in the UK have taken part since it began, and our crack team of lawyers-to-be this year took their place among other schools in the North West, many of them Grammar and selective institutions.

"The Bar Mock Trials give a first-hand look into the career itself and it helps you decide whether Law is something you want to pursue beyond A Level. It certainly tops my list of potential careers now." - Alex Earley, first year Law student

Despite winning each of the cases put before them, in a display that had Head of Law, Paula Blakemore, ‘more confident of them reaching the National Final than any other year’, it wasn’t to be for our mixture of AS and A Level Law students, and they couldn’t emulate their predecessors’ regional victory that led to the Final at the Old Bailey in April.

Winning aside, the process and experience is one that none of the team will forget and it’s given some students definitive career aspirations.

First year Law student, Alex Earley, said: “It was a whole new experience but it was fantastic. Going to Liverpool Crown Court and competing in real court rooms, plus being dressed up and looking the part – it was all amazing. I like to think I did the best that I could, and the rest of the team were brilliant.”

Along with expert A Level teaching from former lawyers in the Birkenhead Sixth Form College Law Department, the team was mentored by a practising professional barrister.

Sarah Griffin of Exchange Chambers did a fantastic job with the team, and Alex said: “Sarah was great. It was a bit of pressure trying to perform while there was a genuine barrister looking on! But she gave really good, useful advice that we all took on board and it helped us perform to the best of our ability.”

Alex studies Chemistry,Music and Psychology as well as Law, and explained: “I think doing the Bar Mock Trials gives you an edge when it comes to academic work in College too, with extra real-life experience adding to what you do in class. It’s also given a first-hand look into the career itself and it helps you decide whether Law is something you want to pursue beyond A Level. It certainly tops my list of potential careers now.”

Fellow first year, Abbey Fowler, enthused: “It was amazing - the best thing I’ve ever done! I want to be a barrister and it just let me in on what it’s going to be like and it made me realise how much I want it. It was nerve-wracking to begin with, going into the court itself, but once you got into it, it was brilliant. You felt like a proper barrister, with the wig and gown on! It was such a good experience. I loved it.”

Trying mock cases including crimes such as Grievous Bodily Harm and witness intimidation, Abbey continued: “We spent a good two months preparing beforehand so we were all fairly confident beforehand. I think I did quite well. The ‘defendant’ in my case was found guilty, which was my job, so I was really pleased! The rest of the team were brilliant as well. All the verdicts that we needed, we got.”

The College’s Bar Mock Team will continue to compete in friendly competitions against other local schools across the academic year and build on their exclusive and high-quality learning experience from Liverpool Crown Court.

More students from Birkenhead Sixth Form College go on to study Law at university than from any other Wirral school.

Birkenhead Sixth Form College's second Open Evening of 2016-17 was another busy, vibrant affair, as 800 prospective students have now visited the College so far this year.

Students from all over the Wirral, plus a good number from Liverpool and as far away as Crosby, came through our doors to see what the only specialist Sixth Form in the area can offer for their A Level studies come September. Watch below and listen as visiting parents and students give their thoughts and impressions after their first time at Wirral's No1!

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Two Birkenhead Sixth Form College students joined a host of other A Level students from across the country in Westminster, as they took up roles as European leaders and officials in a mock EU Summit.

Over sixty students took part in the debates, representing the interests of each EU nation in teams, with the College’s Dom Laverick and Ellen Beattie competing as Belgium.

“I’ve never really quite appreciated just how comprehensive and complex these negotiations are and what goes into them at this sort of level.” - Second year student, Dom Laverick

Selected by Politics teacher, Jane Cavanagh, on the strength of their interest in the subject and ability in public speaking in Debate Club, Dom and Ellen travelled to London to take part in a summit to discuss post-Brexit Britain’s subscription to the European Arrest Warrant, and its participation in the Erasmus+ international study programme for young people.

The mock summit took place in the grandiose Church House, overlooking Westminster Abbey, and the event is now in its sixth year of giving 16-18-year-olds a chance to get to grips with decision-making processes and the topics and styles of EU debates.

Dom took the lead in the discussion about the European Arrest Warrant, which allows suspects to be returned more quickly to the country of their suspected crimes to face trial, while Ellen was the Belgian voice in debating the Erasmus+ programme.

Many of the processes of the real EU summits were replicated, with translators on hand to feed speeches through to the mock European leaders in their native tongues. Indeed, Ellen took it upon herself to address the council floor in French for her part in the Erasmus+ debate, much to the liking of the watching real-life First Secretary of the Belgian Embassy, Laurent Preud‘homme.

Ellen said: “It was quite scary but once I got into it, it was really enjoyable. I had some help from my French teacher on the speech so I felt confident about it and I think it went pretty well. The Belgian Ambassador was quite impressed!”

First year Politics student Ellen, who joined the College from Upton Hall School in September, continued: “Listening to different people’s views from across the country and meeting students from elsewhere was really interesting. Dom was really good with his part in the Arrest Warrant debate too – I think we made a good team!”

Second year, Dom, said: “Beforehand, I didn’t know an awful lot about the European Arrest Warrant so I did a lot of research and it was a really interesting topic, covering Interpol and different judiciaries in different countries. We looked at case studies like Julian Assange and Jeremy Forrest, the teacher who fled to France.

“I’ve never really quite appreciated just how comprehensive and complex these negotiations are and what goes into them at this sort of level.”

In an impressive and innovative move, Dom and Ellen were part of organising other students, who were representing similarly small population countries, into working as a team for greater effectiveness, and all off their own bats.

Dom said: “We organised a coalition between our Benelux (Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg) countries and some of the Baltic and Scandinavian nations, and came up with a proposal that we could push forward. We met up in the lunchtime and came up with the idea. As small population countries, we thought it would work better and hold more sway if we organised ourselves into being able to vote as a block.”

Having applied to St Andrew’s University to read Classics next year, Dom is looking forward to getting involved in further Political extra-curricular activities, both at College and at university, especially in the light of the Brexit vote, which he feels he learned a great deal about during the mock EU summit.

Dom concluded: “They asked us our opinions on Brexit quite a lot. It was quite revealing how badly Britain came off in both deals, even in our mock debates. Britain ended up paying more and getting less in both proposals, which was quite a worrying prospect if it’s mirrored in real life.”

For more about studying Politics at Birkenhead Sixth Form College, click here.

A Birkenhead Sixth Form College student and award-winning campaigner is set to launch a new project, aimed at getting British Sign Language taught in all UK schools.

Bethany Eason, who studies on the College’s Nails & Beauty course for adult learners, has put the wheels in motion for the campaign, which is the latest in her long and proud list of ventures to thrust issues surrounding deafness into the spotlight.

"If English is a staple subject in schools, why can’t a different form of our own English language not be taught as well, just because it’s not spoken?" - Bethany Eason, student & campaigner

Bethany herself is profoundly deaf and has a cochlear implant to help her hear, which has enabled her to persue a passion in dance. She began her life of campaigning seven years ago at the age of just 12, which has led to her winning the Rotary Young Citizen Award in 2014, the Princess Diana Trust Award in 2015 and a nomination for Cheshire Woman of the Year earlier in 2016.

Bethany said: “I was bullied at school all my life because I was deaf - because I was different and wore something on my ear that people could see, so I was judged. I was looking up anti-bullying tips when I was 12 and came across the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS), and managed to get a place on their Youth Advisory Board – a group of 17 deaf young people who would travel the country and campaign.”

Through her activity with the NDCS, Bethany launched a campaign called ‘Stolen Futures’, which focused on the issue of spending cuts leading to deaf young people’s education being affected. A further campaign came to the attention of the Channel 4 News, after Bethany had met long-time anchorman, Jon Snow, and spoken to him about a governmental policy change which altered deaf people’s rights.

Bethany said: “Jon Snow was lovely, and after meeting him, I wrote to him about the benefit cuts that were happening to deaf young people, and asked if they would be interested in doing a feature on the Disability Living Allowance being transitioned to the new Personal Independence Payment (PIP). He said yes, and suggested I do it with them, so I was on TV.

“I have to travel to Manchester every couple of months to get my cochlear implant checked and make sure everything’s ok, and that’s what I was using the DLA (Disability Living Allowance) for. I put in a PIP (Personal Independence Payment) assessment and they essentially told me that I wasn’t disabled enough to receive the payment.

“There’s a lot of judgement about deafness because it’s a hidden disability. It’s ‘only’ a sensory disability and there’s not a lot of acknowledgement or consideration for it.”

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Having made several TV appearances and garnered plenty of press coverage for her work, Bethany has tirelessly continued to campaign about issues affecting young deaf people, and getting British Sign Language taught in all schools in her latest goal.

She said: “I’ve been in contact with the National Deaf Children’s Society and a local MP who is investigating the issue with exam boards. It’s all well and good going to night classes to be taught sign language, but if English is a staple subject in schools, and other languages can be taught as standard, why can’t a different form of our own English language not be taught as well, just because it’s not spoken?

“I want everyone to even just know the basics. It can be fun, it’s something new and you can use it at any time of your life.”

Now 19-years-old, the work that Bethany began at the age of 12 shows no signs of abating, and she believes she is, even now and having accomplished so much, at the start of her journey of ‘making sure that deaf young people are included in society’:

“This is something that I’ll continue doing for my whole life. I want to continue campaigning worldwide, in less developed countries as well, and make sure that there’s more awareness of deafness and that people are equipped with the knowledge they need.”

The first steps have been taken to get Birkenhead Sixth Form College’s unique life-skills programme recognised on a national level after a visit from Member of Parliament for Birkenhead, Frank Field.

The six-week‘BePART’ scheme was launched in September for all new students and focuses on the mental health and wellbeing of young people through sessions concentrating on Positivity, Ambition, Resilience and Thoughtfulness (PART).

 “I’ve not seen anything like it before; it’s a real innovation." - Frank Field MP

During his visit along with Deputy Leader of Wirral Council, George Davies, Mr Field took the time to meet with Psychology teacher, Roy Owen, who led in devising the ‘BePART’ programme, which is borne out of solid scientific research and proven psychological methods.

With the first group of students having just completed their programme, and some showing empirically positive results, both Mr Field and Mr Davies are to take measures to raise the profile of the scheme, with a view to rolling it out on a wider scale for the benefit of many more young people.

Mr Field will be sending a letter regarding the project to the Secretary of State for Education, with the goal being to receive funding for ‘BePART’ to grow, develop and fulfil its burgeoning potential to help young people in their academic as well as their personal lives.

Labour MP Mr Field, who has represented the Birkenhead constituency for nearly 40 years, said: “I’ve not seen anything like it before; it’s a real innovation.

“It’s a project that’s got legs and one that should be pursued. It’s brilliant that it’s actually started here in this College. Roy’s made a real case about the ‘size of the market’, to use that term, and that it’s actually growing.”

Being cautious about optimism for finance, Mr Field said: “Budgets are actually decreasing but Roy’s going to send me a letter and that’s going to go to the Secretary of State.”

Wirral Councillor Mr Davies is also to bring the project to the attention of the local Health and Wellbeing board and the council as a whole.

Psychology teacher, Roy Owen, said: “We believe that the programme is already making a tangible difference to students at the College, with many who have finished the six-week course reporting to feel more positive and equipped to deal with the challenges that life can throw at them.

“BePART is truly unique and only in its infancy, but we hope that people can recognise its importance in tackling an issue like mental health and wellbeing, that is only becoming more prevalent amongst young people. We’re putting ourselves at the forefront of that battle by actively addressing the problems and using carefully selected psychological methods to help combat those issues at the source, rather than leaving teenagers to fight them alone.”

Roy concluded: “With help from our partners from Liverpool John Moores University’s Faculty for Education, we’re going to analyse the data we get back from the students who have completed their programmes, and hope to use that to not only further our development of BePART, but also add more weight to the cause for funding from local and national decision-makers to support many more teenagers across the Wirral.”

Birkenhead Sixth Form College has been shortlisted for one of the most prestigious accolades in the education sector - the 'TES Award for Sixth Form College of the Year 2017'.

TES, formerly known as the Times Educational Supplement, is one of the country’s leading publications aimed at school teachers and other educators, and the College is in the running as part of their annual Further Education awards gala in the grand setting of the Grosvenor House Hotel on London’s Park Lane.

Now in their sixth year, the awards cover a dozen categories, and Birkenhead Sixth Form College being one of the eight nominees for Sixth Form College of the Year automatically puts us in the vying for the TES flagship prize of overall 'FE Provider of the Year'.

"You are champions of further education and play a vital role in ensuring that people of all backgrounds get on the ladder of opportunity to fulfil their potential." - Robert Halfon, Apprenticeships & Skills Minister

The shortlisting comes off the back of an excellent year for the Wirral’s only specialist sixth form, with a respected national data survey finding that the College’s A Level results in August 2016 put us in the national top 10% for value added to our students’ grades and performance.

Ahead of the awards ceremony on 24^th February, TES FE Editor, Stephen Exley, said: “Our judges have been extremely impressed with the high quality and quantity of entries we have received this year. Congratulations to everyone on the shortlist.”

Minister of State for Apprenticeships and Skills, Robert Halfon, who will be attending the awards gala, said: “Congratulations to everyone up for an award at the TES FE Awards 2017. You are champions of further education and play a vital role in ensuring that people of all backgrounds get on the ladder of opportunity to fulfil their potential.”

Principal at Birkenhead Sixth Form College, Kathryn Podmore, said: “To make this prestigious shortlist is an incredible achievement and a real credit to the relentless hard work of the staff here at the College. This accolade confirms our national place as an superb provider of sixth form education and reflects the passion and dedication of our specialist teaching and support teams.”

Our fellow nominees for the 'TES FE Award for Sixth Form College of the Year 2017' include Hills Road Sixth Form College (Cambridge), Joseph Chamberlain College (Birmingham) and Richard Huish College (Taunton).

A new approach to tackle antisocial behaviour has been rolled out to Wirral secondary schoolchildren, as Merseyside Police and Birkenhead Sixth Form College join forces to help raise awareness about the issue.

Drama students at the College have delivered a hard-hitting play to visiting high schools which has key messages at its heart about the impact and consequences of antisocial behaviour amongst young people. Written by the Drama students themselves with the advice of local Neighbourhood Police Officers, ‘Bored’ tells the story of a group of high school children whose actions, that they perceive as just fun, escalate to dangerous levels. The play also shows the effects from the point of view of the victim, as well as the parents of those involved, as the new approach tries to use drama and peer-to-peer interaction to influence a change in attitudes.

"Antisocial behaviour can often be labelled a ‘low-level crime’, but to the victim, it’s never low-level.” - Merseyside Police Sgt Danny Murphy

Year 9s and 10s from The Birkenhead Park School, Ridgeway, Woodchurch and Prenton High Schools have all visited Birkenhead Sixth Form College to see the play so far. Special guests at the debut performances in the College’s drama studio this week included five Wirral Councillors, high-ranking Merseyside Police officers and Radio City chat show host Pete Price.

Speaking after the show, Pete Price said: “The biggest shock for me was that you can go to prison for this behaviour. I had no idea. I just didn’t know that if you’re involved in pestering and harassing someone so much that they take their own lives then you can be up on a manslaughter charge.”

Describing how many callers on his show over the years have been ‘absolutely distraught’ victims of antisocial behaviour, he continued: “I think if this approach can even stop one person in the audience from getting into these types of situations then it’s brilliant. Young people can be silly and not want to listen, and the most common thought is ‘that’ll never happen to me’, but I thought that the play really showed how easy it is for things to go from ‘a bit of fun’ to something a lot worse.”

Mr Price said of the College’s student cast and writers: “This is a group of young people doing something about a problem. They’re great kids and they did a fantastic job. I’m really glad I came and I feel like even I’ve learned something extremely valuable.”

Merseyside Police Local Neighbourhood Officer, Sgt Danny Murphy, who has been at the forefront of the project, said: “I thought ‘Bored’ was excellent. The key thing is to change attitudes. It’s not about demonising the kids but we’ve got to get this message across about considering your own behaviour and the knock-on effects it can have – on your own life and other people’s. The play enables the audience to see from the victim’s perspective as well, which is really important. Antisocial behaviour can often be labelled a ‘low-level crime’, but to the victim, it’s never low-level.”

Sgt Murphy continued: “We’d like to see the play rolled out to as many schools in the area as possible. We’ll continue to try to grow the project and hope to help raise awareness of an issue that effect so many people, in this area and across the country.”

Birkenhead Sixth Form College drama student, Abigail Thomson, who plays the parent of one of the key perpetrators in the production, said: “We’ve put a lot of work into the play, with both the writing and rehearsing, but it’s a really important subject to be addressing and I’m glad to be part of it. We’ve learned a lot ourselves and some of the statistics about antisocial behaviour and how common it is were shocking to find out. I hope the message comes across well to the audience and we’d love to make a real difference.”

The founder of a revolutionary new ethical energy company has been speaking to Birkenhead Sixth Form College students about changing the model of how business can work.

Cheryl Latham, CEO of Brighter World Energy, visited the College to talk to Business A Level students about her innovative new energy supplier that gives a fair deal to UK customers while directly helping poorer villages in developing countries.

Brighter World Energy was launched less than two months ago as Ms Latham’s answer to what she described as UK energy companies overcharging customers, and businesses’ ethical responsibilities being a non-priority.

Through avoiding both subscribing to comparison sites and paying inflated ‘fat cat’ salaries, Brighter World Energy is able to offer customers a fair price for their energy if they switch. Every customer that switches also helps fund solar panels to be installed in African villages, providing electricity for lighting and refrigeration, which are crucial for sustaining and improving the communities’ economies and ways of life.

Ms Latham, who hails from Liverpool, said: “Consumers can think that the whole energy market is the same so that’s why we created Brighter World. When people turn on the lights, they are doing some good somewhere else in the world.”

A former senior journalist for national titles, Ms Latham decided on a change of career path at the age of 29, and called upon knowledge gathered from her previous job to influence her new line of work.

She said: “When I was a business editor, I was always astounded at how the energy industry made so much money, and they would always say and do the same things. I was fed up, to be honest. I couldn’t understand how we were constantly being overcharged for something as essential as a utility.

“I was fascinated by the idea of creating a company with genuine values, for people here and elsewhere in the world, so I started to investigate the energy market and see where the ‘fat’ was, but also why people felt uninspired to switch. A lot of it is down to the consumer themselves. As consumers, we’ve got to make sure that we’re on the right deal but sometimes that’s not enough. That’s where Brighter World can differentiate itself from other providers.”

On speaking with the Business students, Ms Latham, 32, drew on her own career experience and said: “I hope that the students realise that the decisions that they make now aren’t always for keeps, and you change your mind later on in your career if you’re willing to work hard for it. Right now can feel a very daunting time for this age group, with university decisions and A Levels, and you feel like the decisions you make will be with you for life. But if you’re focused and hard-working, you can make changes that feel right for you at any time.”

Birkenhead Sixth Form College Business teacher, Kerry Fairclough, said: “Having someone like Cheryl here to speak to our aspiring entrepreneurs really brings to life the drive and determination that’s required for people to succeed. Hers is an inspirational story and it’s fantastic to see someone wanting to make a difference to people’s lives, both here and around the world. For the students to speak to someone successful in what they do, someone like Cheryl who was not driven by money, is a great lesson in business.”

A team of students from Birkenhead Sixth Form College have won a prestigious public speaking competition, as the Rotary Club of Birkenhead staged the local leg of the national ‘Youth Speaks’ contest.

Contestants from local schools, including Birkenhead School, Wirral Grammar School and Woodchurch High School, entered the annual event, which aims to test students’ presenting and debating skills.

Also hosts of the evening, Birkenhead Sixth Form College, scooped the top prize in the senior competition, with students Brandon Chesworth, Katie Wells and Oliver Hilton focusing their presentation on the current and controversial subject of ‘Post-truth Politics’, touching on the topic of fake news.

"All of our speakers managed to show their own individual personality rather than just reading from a script. They’ve worked really hard, and had a great support team from the rest of the debate club." - Politics teacher, Jane Cavanagh

Other themes of discussion from the seven teams, which also comprised a second team from the College of Nick Scott, Hannah Banton and Ben Harding, included feminism, lowering the voting age and Birkenhead School’s runners-up offering on the pursuit of perfection.

Head of the judging panel for the Rotary Club of Birkenhead, Glyn Môn Hughes, said: “It was a tough competition with only a few marks between the teams but Birkenhead Sixth Form College’s main speaker, Brandon, was very lively and they all knew the subject well, varying the pace of delivery and including facts, which they backed up with verification. The topic was controversial and extremely interesting.”

Key speaker for the winning team, Brandon Chesworth, said: “We were last up, so we were listening to the other teams and got pretty nervous because of the quality of their delivery – there were some really good performances. Winning has not sunk in yet really! I couldn’t have asked for a better team though. With my teammates and teacher, Jane, I couldn’t have been in better hands.”

Birkenhead Sixth Form College Politics teacher and organiser of the College’s debate club, Jane Cavanagh, said: “I thought that both of our teams did brilliantly. It was a very tough field this year and I’m extremely proud of them all. Brandon was exceptional, especially in answering questions from the Rotarians. All of our speakers managed to show their own individual personality rather than just reading from a script. They’ve worked really hard, and had a great support team from the rest of the debate club. Dominic Laverick helped to write Brandon’s speech and both he and Lucy have given up their time to help even though they’re not in the actual teams.”

The winning team will now compete in the District Round of the Rotary Club’s contest in March, against teams from North Wales, Liverpool, Southport and west Cheshire. That will be followed by the North West Regional Round and the Grand Final held in Telford in May.

A team of lawyers-to-be from Birkenhead Sixth Form College have reached the national final of the Bar Mock Trial competition for the second year running.

The competition tests A Level Law students’ skills as barristers in front of real judges and in real courts, and the College team’s success comes after a superb performance at Liverpool Crown Court against a host of teams from other schools in the region. They now head for the Grand Final at the Royal Courts of Justice in London in April with 24 other teams out of thousands of entries.

"The team really were outstanding and this is nothing more than they deserve after putting in hours of work in and out of College time.” - Alex Earley, first year Law student

Run by the Citizenship Foundation, and now in its 25^th year, nearly 55,000 students have taken part in the Bar Mock Trial since it began, including the College’s 2016 team who put in a stellar performance at the iconic Old Bailey in their national final appearance last year.

The team’s path to the final has not been all plain sailing, however, and their place in London only came about thanks to the eagle-eyed analytical skills of one of our barristers-in-training.

The regional competition at Liverpool Crown Court in November actually ended in disappointment for our legal line-up, with the team narrowly missing out on victory and a place at the Royal Courts of Justice.

First year Law student, Alex Earley, took some time to read the post-event report that was sent through to Head of Law, Paula Blakemore, and spotted a crucial error.

Alex said: “I was just looking through all the individual marks and I noticed that one of our barristers only had two marks, where there should have been three like everyone else. We worked out that, based on the other two marks that she had, if the third was added as it should have been, we would have had the highest score in the competition and made the final.”

On appealing to the Citizenship Foundation, they granted our Law students their victory and their rightful place among the country’s best young mock barristers.

Alex, who is aiming to study Law after his A Levels, said: “What I did in spotting the mistake was nothing compared to what they team did at Liverpool Crown Court. They really were outstanding and this is nothing more than they deserve after putting in hours of work in and out of College time.”

Head of Law, Paula Blakemore, said: “The students put in such a strong performance in November and I was genuinely surprised that they didn’t make it through at first. It was a disappointment but also a great learning experience, and we were preparing to organise some more events with local schools so the students could carry on their superb work.

“They’ve got the place they warranted in the end, though. A huge well done to everyone involved, and a special mention for Alex for being scrupulous in his attention to detail. Now for the final in London!”

Birkenhead Sixth Form College have been given the highest possible rating by education watchdog OFSTED as their recent inspection found that we are OUTSTANDING in every area.

"Teachers and support staff work tirelessly to ensure that students make rapid and sustained progress...students develop into young adults with a thirst for learning." - OFSTED report, Jan 2017

After OFSTED’s visit last month and using their tough new regulation framework, the Outstanding report has now been officially published on their website, which lists the maximum scores in all five categories of inspection, as well as offering glowing praise of our staff, management, and of course, our fantastic students.

College Principal, Kathryn Podmore, said: “I am absolutely delighted and extremely proud of the outcome and comments made in the inspection report.

“The report is a credit to both staff and students and reflects the passion, commitment and relentless hard work that goes on every day to ensure that the highest standards and excellence are attained in all aspects of its work.

“It is wonderful to see the acknowledgement that is given to the inclusive nature of the College, that staff are ambitious for their students and this results in learners making excellent progress and 'that students develop into young adults with a thirst for learning'. We are so proud as this is something that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.”

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Deputy Principal at the College, Mike Kilbride, explained: “The new style inspections are tough and really drill into the detail of everything an organisation does. We are therefore very proud that Ofsted have recognised the high quality education we give our students with their grading of the college as outstanding in all areas.  It really is quite humbling.”

Mr Kilbride continued: “There is no secret to being outstanding: just have superb staff, work really hard, be thoughtful and reflective in everything you do and never let go of the details.”

The news follows on from Birkenhead Sixth Form College’s shortlisting for the prestigious TES ‘Sixth Form College of the Year Award 2017’, as well as achieving A Level results placing in the top 10% nationally for progression in students’ grades in 2016.

Politics students had the opportunity to pose questions to a Member of Parliament, as the MP for Wallasey, Angela Eagle, visited Birkenhead Sixth Form College.

Part of the Labour Party and currently sitting in opposition to the Conservative government, Ms Eagle has represented the Wallasey constituency in Parliament for 25 years and has previously held ministerial positions, as well as being a contender for the party leadership as recently as last year.

"The students can take their youthful idealism and help make our country better in the future."

Angela Eagle, Member of Parliament for Wallasey

The College’s vociferous Politics students challenged Ms Eagle on a number of issues of national and international importance, including Brexit, the credentials of Jeremy Corbyn to lead the Labour Party, and of course, Donald Trump’s presidency.

Ms Eagle said: “There’s obviously lots of interest in politics and what is going on right now, so getting ‘grilled’ by young people is always a great thing to do.

“I really enjoy coming in to talk to sixth form students all over the Wirral so it’s good to be here at Birkenhead Sixth Form College.”

The Wallasey MP continued: “I hope that the students understood the excitement of being in politics, but also the aspects of it that are about duty and changing the way our society works so they can take their youthful idealism and help make our country better in the future.”

Ms Eagle finished by praising the College’s recent ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted report and highlighted how quality state education can bring out the best in young people.

She said: “Many congratulations to the staff and the students here at Birkenhead Sixth Form College. ‘Outstanding’ is not an easy result to get in any Ofsted report and you’ve done it, so more power to your elbow.

“Inclusiveness in education is really important. I think it makes our society better when people aren’t separated off at a young age, so students can be sympathetic and empathetic to people from all walks of life and all parts of society. As a member of the Labour Party, I obviously believe in that.”

Politics students, Luci Diggory and Dominic Laverick, were among those to interrogate the visiting Member of Parliament.

Luci said: “It was really interesting. She was very knowledgeable and it was great the way she answered all of our questions. I learned a lot from the time with her.”

Dominic, who was formerly a member of the Labour Party and quizzed Ms Eagle on the reasons he should possibly re-join, said: “Angela came across brilliantly and she’s very learned on the issues. It was quite considerate that she encouraged us as young people to ask questions, particularly the girls, as both young people and women are groups that are underrepresented in Parliament. It felt very valuable and is the type of thing that could help us get into politics ourselves.

“Getting to pose your questions to an MP of 25 years, a former minister and a contender for the Labour leadership brings it from Westminster to Birkenhead and makes it feel more real.”

Birkenhead 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.

"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."

Dr Guy Sutton

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. After performing dissections and highlighting the areas of the brain that control the different functions, students are given the chance to handle the brains themselves, which always proves popular among the less squeamish, and offers a fairly peculiar selfie opportunity!

Along with the practical side of Dr Sutton’s visit, students learn about the reasons behind certain behaviours and the inner working of the brain, along with some fascinating pieces of information such as that some specific surgery on the brain has to be performed when the patient is awake, and that some people are born without an entire section of the brain.

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.”

In this, Dr Sutton’s seventh year visiting the college, he said: “I’ve always enjoyed my relationship with Birkenhead 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.”

Birkenhead Sixth Form College’s ‘Higher Education Month’ has kicked off, with this week seeing visits from some of the country’s top universities to give guidance and advice to students.

With major decisions on the horizon, HE Month aims to equip our first years with as much knowledge about university as possible, so they can make informed choices when it comes to life after College.

Representatives from four Russell Group universities head to the College this week to give sessions about what they can offer academically, along with tips and hints for outside of the lecture theatre.

Universities of Manchester, Sheffield and Newcastle as well as Queen’s University Belfast are four of just 24 institutions that make up the list of Russell Group universities – a group that represents the top level of higher education providers.

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Talks from the universities followed our Student Development Team’s introduction to Higher Education last week, with tutorial sessions for first years focusing on busting myths about university and preparing students for the differences between school and uni life, including the jargon and terminology that can often cause confusion for new students.

‘Choose Your Course Week’ then starts on Monday with expert Tutors using both group tutorial time and one-to-one sessions to help students narrow down the path they want their next step to be on. After the half term break, there will be special sessions on the crucial issue of finances for university and the possibilities available to fund both tuition and living expenses.

Although more than 400 of our students head off to university each year after their A Levels, those that decide against going to university are also given specialist support to access an excellent range of apprenticeships and further training or go straight into employment.

The HUB, our learning resource centre, has been put forward for a national award that celebrates innovative ways to assist students during their time at College.

Part of the College’s commitment to providing state-of-the-art facilities and ever-evolving technology and ideas to help student development, The HUB’s unique coursework submission system is the focus of an entry submission for the Council for Learning Resources in Colleges (CoLRIC) Best Practice Awards 2017.

 “By taking away some of the admin associated with coursework, teachers can now use valuable lesson time to its fullest, ensuring our students receive the best experience possible.”

Helen Bullock, HUB Manager

The CoLRIC Best Practice Awards hunt for further education libraries and learning resource services with high levels of innovation and engagement that result in a positive impact for the students, teachers and the profession in general.

Praised by external standards inspectors, as well as being part of what Ofsted found to be ‘excellent and high quality learning resources’ during their recent inspection, The HUB’s coursework submission system is unique to the College and developed especially for our students.

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HUB Manager, Helen Bullock, explained: “The system provides a unique service for the College’s staff and students. Through our barcode scanning procedure, coursework submissions are tracked down to the second that students submit the work. It delivers peace of mind for them because they know that when their work is handed in, the system provides a record of it that both they and their teachers can check. It also starts to prepare them for university where missing formal deadlines can have severe consequences.”

Helen continued: “Teachers have noticed a marked improvement in on-time submissions with this system. It’s also popular with the teachers because the work is stored in one place ready for collection, and they’re given a digital report of the students who have handed the coursework in on time, enabling them to keep track of who still needs to submit.”

Concluding with a crucial point, Helen said: “By taking away some of the admin associated with coursework, teachers can now use valuable lesson time to its fullest, ensuring our students receive the best experience possible.”

On inspecting the coursework submission system, the BTEC Standards Verifier wrote: “The College has striven to enhance hand in procedures and now records all submissions via a bespoke program… this is fully logged and robustly adheres to the deadline requirements of the new rules, leads to fewer late submissions and thus increases opportunities for appropriate re submissions.

“This is considered good practice as it adheres to the ethos of the new assessment guidelines requiring timely submissions, the impact so far has been fewer late submissions.”

The winners of the biennial CoLRIC Best Practice Awards 2017 are announced on the 28^th April.

Written by Politics student, Adam Higgins

Six Government & Politics students were at Garston Urban Village Hall to hear Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, deliver a speech in support of Metro Mayor candidate for the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram.

Following the talk, students were able to meet and greet the leader of the opposition to ask him questions regarding party policy, and even to ask for a College visit!

Although Mr Corbyn was the talking point of the intimate event, the day was centred around Steve Rotheram’s campaign to become the Liverpool City Region’s first Metro Mayor, following a government deal aiming to devolve powers from Whitehall to local regions, particularly in the North.

The Liverpool City Region refers to the economic and political area of Merseyside, affecting the boroughs of Liverpool, Wirral, Halton, Knowsley, Sefton and St. Helens.

Mr Rotheram was the first to speak in Garston, setting out his plans for a Metro Mayor administration and outlining his commitment to bringing greater prosperity to an area which many people believe is neglected in the government’s plans.

Mr Rotheram, the current Labour MP for Walton, said: “I want to be the person that’s there to shape the future of the six districts of the Liverpool City Region.”

It was then the turn of Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who was welcomed with a vociferous round of applause when taking the microphone.

The first ever Labour leader to win back-to-back leadership elections, Mr Corbyn re-iterated the words of Mr Rotheram and his campaign for Metro Mayor, before delivering his thoughts on the nation’s current state and his disapproval for the controversial administration of President Donald Trump across the Atlantic.

The event was not drowned in negativity, however, as Corbyn later visited each table within the hall to take pictures and to speak with avid Labour supporters, including one of the College’s Politics students, Ellen Beattie.

Ellen said: “I believe in what he stands for and I’ll be voting for him in the next General Election.”

Steve Rotheram will be running for Metro Mayor against Tony Caldeira (Conservative), Carl Cashman (Liberal Democrats), and Tom Crone (Green Party) in an election on 4^th May of this year and the mandate of the victor will last until 2020 to coincide with the next General Election.

A student from Birkenhead Sixth Form College has beaten competition from hundreds of Wirral poets to win first prize in the Chris Salmon Poetry Extravaganza 2017.

First year, Brandon Chesworth, won in the 16-18 category of the annual contest, which is run by a foundation set up by the family of Chris Salmon: a poetry-loving teenager who passed away in 2009 from a streptococcal virus and pneumonia aged just 15. Second year, Melissa Andrews also secured a place in the top three, with both students winning cash prizes.

"I started out trying to write songs, but I’m not very good at singing and can’t play any instruments, so I found that writing poetry was just like writing songs but you had to read them, not sing them.”

Brandon Chesworth, first year

The Poetry Extravaganza started out in 2010 and each year has grown in size, with nearly a thousand people submitting entries this time around. The theme of this year’s competition was ‘Space’ and the winner of the 16-18 age group also becomes Wirral’s Young Poet Laureate for the following 12 months.

Brandon, 17, wrote a poem which was influenced by his own personal experiences and an interesting relaxation technique.

Brandon said: “I used to sit and look at the stars quite a lot as a way to relax, so I thought I could use the feelings from that – the isolation of it but also that sometimes it’s what you need to calm down. There’s also a slight romantic bit to it, but that’s pretty embarrassing!”

“I didn’t expect to win at all. The poem has a very personal edge to it so I actually really like it; I think it’s probably my favourite one that I’ve written, although it’s great to have had someone else read it and think ‘that’s pretty good’.”

Brandon decided to enter the competition having seen posters in the HUB as poetry is something that has played a part in his life for some time.

He said: “I’ve been writing poetry for about as long as I’ve been writing in general. I find writing therapeutic; it helps a lot. Originally, I started out trying to write songs, but I’m not very good at singing and can’t play any instruments, so I found that writing poetry was just like writing songs but you had to read them, not sing them.”

The Chris Salmon Poetry Extravaganza is run in conjunction with Wirral Library Services, and the expert judging panel said of Brandon’s submissions: “Amongst the several hundred high quality entries received for the competition this year, Brandon's poem stood out in his age group.   All the

judges were impressed by the way in which Brandon managed to link the vastness, the darkness and the loneliness of space to his own personal feelings and emotions.”

Melissa decided to write from a different perspective, and her poem ‘Dawning Realisation' deals with the vast but poignant topic of human nature.

She said: “The poem was written from the point of view of an astronaut who resents being so isolated, but also doesn’t want to return to Earth because of the destructive behaviour of the human race.”

Like Brandon, poetry is also not something new to Melissa, and she said: “I’ve been writing poetry since I was about eight or nine, although my poems tended to be about ice cream or climbing trees back then, and I cared less about them making sense and more about rhyming the endings of each line!

Both Brandon and Melissa will be attending a special awards ceremony at Wallasey Town Hall on 24^th March to receive their prizes.

Students studying French at the College earned glowing praise for their command of the language from both their host school and locals alike during their visit to the Belgian capital of Brussels.

Seven students took the short trip over the North Sea to join up with the Institute Saint Francois De Sales school in a town called Ath in the Brussels region, which is a predominantly Francophone (French-speaking) area, rather than Dutch or German parts of Belgium.

"They are students that the College should be incredibly proud of.”

Chris Moss, English Teacher

In an educational and cultural trip, the students spent time with their Belgian counterparts in lessons and gained a real insight into how learning is approached outside of the UK. Birkenhead Sixth Form College French teacher, Viviane Ouvradou, created an authentic environment right from the start, conducting all of her communication with the students in French, which the students followed suit with in the partner school and beyond, including interactions with local shopkeepers and service staff.

First year, Hannah Stuthridge, returned home enthused by the trip, emphasising that the less ‘touristy’ element of working with the continental students in the school was the highlight of their time in the Belgian capital.

Hannah said: “It was amazing. It wasn’t just a sightseeing tour; being part of the Belgian school was the best part, and meeting the people that we’d been writing to.”

Hannah was also selected for a daunting public speaking duty while at the school.

She said: “I had to do a presentation in French about Liverpool in front of the whole class. It was scary but my French is good so I was able to make some jokes about our stereotypes and what we get up to. The Belgian students were really engaged and didn’t seem bored and understood me, which was a great feeling, because it’s hard enough doing a presentation in English!”

Hannah described how learning about the history, culture and everyday life, including a guided tour of the city centre (in French, of course!) is actually a component of her A Level studies, with students having lessons about culture and customs in France and the surrounding areas to further enhance their future employability.

She concluded by explaining that being immersed in the language offers the best possible learning experience, saying: “My French ability has progressed by a huge amount from going. We had to speak in French the whole time because the town went to wasn’t really English-speaking, there are only a handful of English teachers in the school. A lot of the students couldn’t speak English too, so using our French constantly has helped us massively.”

Accompanying the students on the trip was English teacher, Chris Moss, who said upon returning: “Our contact teacher in the Institute Saint Francis de Sales, Madame Schultz, sang the students’ praises, mentioning how attentive and engaged they were in everything they participated in, and how open and enthusiastic they were too. They are students that the College should be incredibly proud of.”

Chris continued by explaining his role on the trip, making use of him being the only member of the group that didn’t speak the native language.

He said: “The students were excellent with their French. Vivienne spoke in French for the vast majority of the trip, so I would then ask what had been said and the students would have to translate back to me.

“We were doing the same thing in restaurants and shops too. I would tell the students what I wanted and they would then speak to the local shopkeepers and waiting-on staff for me in French. I pointed out to one shopkeeper that Rachael (Kendall) was my translator for the day, and she told me what an excellent translator Rachael was and what a good job she was doing.”

The trip wouldn’t be complete without sampling the local cuisine, (which Hannah described as ‘really posh!’) and the students even had a traditional Belgian cooking lesson, along with nights at the theatre and the cinema, all in the local language.

Members of Wirral Council have praised Birkenhead Sixth Form College as the government’s recent league table for A Levels rates the College as the best Wirral state school for increasing students’ grades.

Fifteen Councillors joined staff and students at the College for breakfast this morning to learn about our recent successes, including receiving the grade of ‘Outstanding’ in all areas after Ofsted’s inspection in December.

“The report that they’ve given us today is absolutely inspirational and it’s fantastic what the College has achieved. The whole ethos of the College is fantastic, and I think it sends a powerful message, not just to the rest of the Wirral, but to the rest of the country about what can be achieved if you have the right philosophy.”

Cllr Brian Kenny, Wirral Council

The latest A Level league table for 2016 results show that Birkenhead Sixth Form College outperformed all other Wirral state schools in adding value to our students’ performance, based on their GCSE results and predicted grades compared to their outcomes. The College also ranked second in the same category for the entire Liverpool region.

Along with the Outstanding Ofsted report, the College has also been shortlisted for the TES Further Education Awards ‘Sixth Form College of the Year 2017’, the results of which are announced at the end of next week.

After meeting some of the students during breakfast, the Councillors, who represented wards from across the Wirral borough, were given a briefing by Principal Kathryn Podmore and Deputy Principal Mike Kilbride.

Deputy Leader of Wirral Council and Councillor for Claughton, Cllr George Davies, said after the briefing: “It’s a very, very exciting time for the College. I’ve been very much impressed this morning with the way that Kathryn and Mike put the College’s case forward. It’s an excellent College, doing excellent things, and at long last it’s getting the recognition it deserves from the top people for it being one of the best colleges in the country.”

Although all operations will remain the same for staff and students at the College, the institution is preparing for a transition in legal status to an academy, and has set up the Wirral Academy Trust so that other local academy schools may benefit from partnering with the Wirral’s largest A Level provider under a single umbrella.

Cllr Davies pointed to the results of the latest Ofsted inspection as further reason for other schools to consider this option, saying: “I think the Outstanding Ofsted report is phenomenal. It tells the people of Wirral, and further afield in Liverpool and other surrounding areas, that this is a College with a tremendous reputation. The array of A Level opportunities that are given here is second to none, and you can’t get that in some other schools.

“As funding cuts start to come in to those other schools, the College offers a great way to help. Students from all areas of Wirral have come to the College, and they’ve given them the best opportunities in life right from the start.”

Cllr Brian Kenny, representing Bidston and St James, said: “It’s crucial to the future of the community in the Wirral that we have a College like this which is setting very, very high standards, and is not content with people just getting by. It’s getting the best out of everybody; each individual is encouraged to do the best they can while they’re here, and I think it’s superb.

“The report that they’ve given us today is absolutely inspirational and it’s fantastic what the College has achieved. The whole ethos of the College is fantastic, and I think it sends a powerful message, not just to the rest of the Wirral, but to the rest of the country about what can be achieved if you have the right philosophy.”

Principal Kathryn Podmore said: “We were delighted to welcome the Councillors to the College as this truly is an exciting time to come here. It was fantastic to be able to share with them, as representatives for the entire Wirral community, not just the superb achievements that the College has to celebrate, but the core ethos that makes it a inspiring place for young people to learn and develop as citizens.

“The recent Outstanding Ofsted report, amongst other accomplishments, is wonderful recognition of the hard work of all the staff and the students at the College, and it represents the very high standards that we will continue to uphold into our exciting future developments.”