Local celebrities, high-ranking police officers and hundreds of Wirral schoolchildren were at New Brighton’s Floral Pavilion to watch Birkenhead Sixth Form College Drama students’ powerful play aimed at raising awareness of the consequences of antisocial behaviour.

‘Bored’, a play especially devised and performed by the students in conjunction with Merseyside Police, tells the story of teenagers whose actions have devastating effects on both themselves and others, although they themselves considered it harmless fun.

“The peer-to-peer approach is extremely effective, especially through acting, as it brings it to life. The message can be a lot harder to deliver when standing in a classroom, but when it’s being performed by talented kids like this, it makes a big difference.”

Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, Andy Cooke

 

Birkenhead-born international boxing champion, Sean ‘Masher’ Dodd, was a special guest speaker at the event, along with local radio personality, Pete Price, and the Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, Andy Cooke.

Over 750 children from 17 different Wirral schools were in attendance on Friday 17^th February, as local Neighbourhood Police Officers and our drama department, led by teacher Liz Bones, combined to provide a unique new peer-to-peer approach to educate youngsters about the pitfalls of antisocial behaviour through hard-hitting drama.

Speaking after the performance, Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, Andy Cooke, said: “The play came over extremely well. The students from Birkenhead Sixth Form College were fantastic, and it was a really powerful message about what can happen when antisocial behaviour goes wrong.

“The peer-to-peer approach is extremely effective, especially through acting, as it brings it to life. The message can be a lot harder to deliver when standing in a classroom, but when it’s being performed by talented kids like this, it makes a big difference.”

The region’s highest ranking police officer continued: “The message I’d give to the young people is to think how you would feel if it were your mum, your dad or your loved one on the receiving end of this behaviour; just think what the results of those actions are. This play does a fantastic job of showing people exactly what the consequences can be, and Merseyside Police will fully support the victims of these crimes.”

WBC International Lightweight Champion, Sean ‘Masher’ Dodd, gave an emotional speech after the performance, drawing on his own personal experiences from a troubled childhood in the local area, having turned his life around and achieved successes both professionally and personally.

A self-confessed former bully and member of a street gang, Dodd felt he could directly relate to the scenes that were depicted in the play, with teenagers haranguing an innocent local woman to the point of despair.

He said: “The play was amazing, it really was. I was trying to think of what to say in my talk during it but I was left a bit speechless because the message was unbelievable. I could see myself in all of those situations when I was younger.

“My message when I was speaking was to try to tell the kids that what was shown here today was for real; it’s serious and it’s no joke.”

Talk radio DJ, Pete Price, who had seen the play at its debut showing at Birkenhead Sixth Form College in December, drew attention to the shocking end to the play, where the victim of the antisocial behaviour commits suicide and the teenagers are left criminally responsible.

Admitting that he was Initially shocked at discovering that the sentences handed out to the teenagers in the play of between two and 15 years in prison were accurate, Pete Price said: “I was thrilled when the children in the audience gasped as they heard the sentences being delivered, because sometimes people don’t understand that you can bully somebody, harass somebody and those people can take their own lives. The message came over loud and clear.

The DJ continued: “I was so pleased that the young people in the audience connected with the young people performing on the stage. The message to take away is to leave people alone – you wouldn’t like it if it was done to you, or your family or friends, so don’t do it to them, end of story.”

The Member of Parliament for Wirral South, Alison McGovern, visited Birkenhead Sixth Form College on Friday to meet senior staff and watch a special performance from our debate team.

The Labour MP represents constituents from Bebington, Bromborough, Heswall and Eastham, and took a chance to familiarise herself with the College as the Wirral’s flagship A Level provider.

Ahead of the district final of the Rotary Club’s ‘Youth Speaks’ public speaking competition, Ms McGovern, who has served as an MP since 2010, was treated to a practice run of our team’s entry, which saw them claim victory in the local heats against other Wirral schools earlier this year.

 “The contributions from all three speakers would stand up in the House of Commons, and could rival any one of my colleagues."

Alison McGovern, MP for South Wirral

First years Brandon Chesworth, Katie Wells and Oliver Hilton delivered a well-researched and charismatic presentation on the ‘Post-Truth’ phenomenon, which Ms McGovern was extremely impressed by and even offered some last-minute advice to the students.

She said: “The contributions from all three speakers would stand up in the House of Commons, and could rival any one of my colleagues. They combined the serious and thoughtful with funny – which is something that not a lot of people can do!”

The MP advised the team of the importance of clear delivery, and drew on her own experiences as she can empathise with having to command a room for speeches and controlling adrenaline.

Ms McGovern then met with Deputy Principal Mike Kilbride to hear more about our recent success stories and learn about the College’s ethos.

First year Psychology students got up close and personal with wildlife, as an educational trip to London Zoo offered a chance for them to get behind the bars of the enclosures.

An opportunity to put their Psychology studies into practice, 28 AS students headed to the capital to learn about monitoring animal behaviour, which marries with their academic classroom work.

“It was amazing. Getting inside the monkey enclosure was so good, and much better than looking at them through a cage."

Elizabeth Lyons, Psychology student

The two-day trip also encompassed some sightseeing and a spectacular West End show, which even stuck with the zoo / animal theme.

One of three Psychology teachers accompanying the first years was Becky Cheadle, who said: “It was an excellent trip and the students really enjoyed it.

“The main purpose of going was to visit the zoo which links into research methods that we study. The students were given a talk on how they would observe the animals in the zoo, which pretty much mirrors how we observe human behaviour with the same systems and methods.”

Becky continued: “After the briefing, they were given iPads with a certain app on and were taken into the enclosure with the squirrel monkeys. They used the app to observe the animals and log results.

“It was a really useful exercise to highlight exactly how to observe someone, and it showed how easy it can be, although getting used to the technology that’s used in research also presents its own problems, but the students all dealt with it very well. Hopefully they’ve taken a lot away from it.”

An outing on the London Eye was followed by a theatre trip to watch the Lion King, and Becky said: “The Lion King was a real highlight for a lot of the students. They were singing along and dancing in the seats, and didn’t move for the whole three hour show!”

Psychology students, Elizabeth Lyons and Chloe Fleming, were among those who enjoyed the jaunt to the City.

Elizabeth said: “It was amazing. Getting inside the monkey enclosure was so good, and much better than looking at them through a cage. The zoo on the whole was incredible.”

Chloe echoed Elizabeth’s sentiments, and said: “We had to do a case study on the monkeys, identifying a particular one and logging its behaviour within certain intervals, then analysing the results through various charts.

“A lot of the studies that we look at in Psychology are animal-based so it was good to get to put the theory into practice.”

Chloe concluded: “The Lion King was outstanding as well, I’d definitely go again.”

A virtuoso student trumpeter from Birkenhead Sixth Form College has won a full scholarship at one of the most prestigious music institutions in the world.

Second year, Ed Carew, heads for London’s Royal Academy of Music in September in the knowledge that his tuition fees are fully paid across all three years, having impressed the Academy’s entrance board so much with his audition that he was granted a scholarship reserved for only the most elite of musicians.

"Becoming a professional musician has been my aim since I was about eight. I’d love to go into performing with an orchestra for my career – it’s my dream job.”

Ed Carew, second year

Previously put forward for the BBC’s Young Musician of the Year, Ed was also offered places at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and Guildhall School of Music in London having auditioned for them along with the Royal Academy, but has accepted his place at Britain’s oldest degree-granting music school.

Ed said: “I’m extremely happy. Becoming a professional musician has been my aim since I was about eight. I’d love to go into performing with an orchestra for my career – it’s my dream job.”

A skilled pianist along with trumpeter, Ed explained that the Academy will be training him purely on the trumpet as they focus on a single instrument, but that his time studying Music at Birkenhead Sixth Form College under teacher, Victoria Wells, has given him a solid all-round base for his musical career.

He said: “My knowledge of music theory has come on leaps and bounds. When I’m at home or playing with orchestras, I focus on my trumpet playing but studying here has helped to hone my theoretical understanding, which is crucial for a career in this kind of music.”

Although Ed has secured his place in further education, and acknowledges that his offers came through practical auditions rather than exams, he says he will remain focused on his College work to give him the best platform for his future.

He said: “I’m going to work as hard as I can to get good A Level results, because they are going to be important on the CV for any job that I get into. Sometimes things don’t work out the way you’d like, so having good exam results and a good education behind you means that you’ve got options no matter what happens.”

Before starting at the Royal Academy of Music, Ed also has the exciting prospect of performing at the Royal Festival Hall in London with the National Youth Orchestra later this year.

Star of stage and screen, David Morrissey, visited Birkenhead Sixth Form College today to answer students’ questions and give an inspirational insight into a career in acting.

Originally hailing from Liverpool, David’s work has encompassed major roles in Hollywood films and hit international TV series, perhaps most notably of late as ‘The Governor’ in the global phenomenon ‘The Walking Dead’.

After students watched a showreel that our Class of 2016's Patrick Sheard compiled and edited of highlights from David’s rich and varied acting CV, the star of acclaimed BBC drama, ‘The Missing’, took some time to explain his own background and upbringing, which culminated in his deciding to become an actor at around the same age as our A Level students.

David in action in 'The Walking Dead'

Drama classes were not on offer in his Liverpool secondary school, so, as he candidly admitted that he didn’t engage in academia as much as his three older siblings, he joined the Everyman theatre group and began down a career path that has defined his life through creativity; cutting his acting teeth at the renowned RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art).

"Drama school was essential for me so studying Drama or Film Studies or Media Studies here at A Level can stand the students in good stead. Being inquisitive is really important."

David Morrissey

David did describe, however, how his experience with the theatre group at the age of 15 then gave him a new-found confidence in his school life, discovering an ability to express himself and be open to learning where he had previously been too shy or indifferent to challenge himself and others around him.

David then opened the floor for questions, and answered some tough interrogation from our students with extremely honest and enlightening responses about method acting, working relationships, juggling jobs with home life and more.

He also spoke passionately about nerves and nervousness, which may be a topic close to the hearts of some students as it approaches exam season. David explained how he viewed nerves as a positive thing, and how they taught him to address situations both head on and with a deal of practicality; thrive on the excitement of nervousness but take each situation in ‘bitesize’ pieces and step by step.

After the Q&A, David said of studying the arts subjects: “Drama school was essential for me so studying Drama or Film Studies or Media Studies here at A Level can stand the students in good stead. Being inquisitive is really important.”

He continued: “Any way you can find to get yourself to where you want to be is great, and it’s up to you. It’s not essential to go to study film or acting at university. It’s brilliant if you can, but I know great actors and great directors who never went to drama school. Even if you try and don’t get in, or if you don’t take that path, it doesn’t mean that it’s closed to you; you can always find another way.”

The actor, who has also directed, produced and written productions, rounded proceedings off by inviting the substantial number of attending students (and some very keen staff!) to get some photos with him.

The College’s Bar Mock Trial team of barristers-in-training headed for London’s Royal Courts of Justice on Saturday for the national final of the competition which saw them take the regional crown earlier in the year.

On a shortlist of just 24 finalist schools and colleges from across the UK, our team of Law students donned wigs and gowns to set about prosecuting and defending fictional cases but with authentic rules and regulations in the most grand and imposing of real life settings.

“It’s the Royal Courts of Justice, so there were plenty of butterflies in the stomach before you got up, but after giving your opening speech and starting the cross examinations, you start to relax into it and find it more fun than nerve-wracking.”

Alex Earley, first year

Organised by the Citizenship Foundation, and now in its 26th year, the Bar Mock Trial has seen on 25,000 young people participate throughout its tenure.

Proceedings were overseen by real judges, including Sir Brian Leveson of the phone-hacking scandal Leveson Inquiry fame, and several other top level legal professionals. TV favourite and star of the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing, Judge Rob Rinder, was also in attendance.

Second year Law student, Melissa Andrews, was a member of the party who headed to the capital on Friday night, ready for the competition on Saturday.

Melissa’s role was to act as a barrister for the defence against the oppositions from Hazelwood College in Northern Ireland, who were, in turn, prosecuting.

Melissa said: “It was extremely challenging but really enjoyable – just a great experience. As the defence barrister, I had to give the opening speech and then the cross examinations, which was the hardest part but also the most fun. You had to think on your feet a lot because you don’t know what the opposition team are going to say.

“Our team also had prosecution barristers and we’d all been practicing together, but at the competition, you’re doing it separately against people that you’ve never met. You’ve got to put your questions across in a way that gets the information out of the witness that you want, so it’s really tough, but that’s what made it so enjoyable.”

Melissa, who joined the team as a barrister just a few weeks ago when the other students had been working on it for the past several months, continued: “I thought I’d messed up my cross examination, but the judge said that she really liked it in her feedback, and liked the trap that I’d set with my questioning, so that was really pleasing!”

Although the team didn’t emerge victorious on this occasion, Melissa explained that just taking part was an amazing experience and that it would help all the students with their Law studies at College too.

She said: “It was a team effort and everyone’s hard work really showed. Alex (Earley) was amazing. He actually helped me with my speech and he’s such a natural. When he stands up and talks, you could actually think he’s a real barrister.”

First year, Alex Earley, who was defending in his case against Ketheven & Grantham Girls’ School in Nottingham, said: “I really enjoyed it. The competition was really tough and the witnesses were difficult to cross examine, but I thought we did really well.”

Speaking about the grandiose settings for their performances, he continued: “It’s the Royal Courts of Justice, so there were plenty of butterflies in the stomach before you got up, but after giving your opening speech and starting the cross examinations, you start to relax into it and find it more fun than nerve-wracking.”

The Royal Courts of Justice

Giving special mention to Elysium Law barrister, Richard Grey, who spent time with the College’s team and gave regular mentoring sessions to the students, Alex said: “Rick was brilliant and helped us so much. We felt really prepared for the whole competition and we’re all extremely grateful that he gave up his time to make us the best team we could be. We all worked to the best of our ability and I don’t think we could have asked for a better performance.”

With exam season fast approaching, Birkenhead Sixth Form College is launching an initiative to help students get into a positive, calm and pragmatic mind-set to be fully equipped for the challenges ahead.

‘Focus on the Finish’ looks to remove as many barriers stopping students concentrating on their end goals as possible, and make sure that their time both inside and outside of College is productive as possible, culminating in their final exams starting in May.

“The exam period does not have to be a stressful time."

Mike Kilbride, Deputy Principal

Each student has been given a clear and concise revision guide to help them with the technicalities of the revising process and to assist in planning their time, as organisation is as key to exam success as determination to achieve. Special revision sessions in a variety of subjects took place over the Spring Break and will continue to run throughout the rest of the term, while weekly tutorials and portions of normal lessons will help students with both revision and exam techniques. The learning resource centre, the HUB, is also now open in the evenings and Saturdays mornings to offer an environment for students to study.

Deputy Principal at the College, Mike Kilbride, said: “Focus on the Finish isn’t just a poster campaign or a series of pep talks: it’s about the technicalities of learning how to revise and take exams. A lot of students have never been taught the processes of how to go about revision, and our specialist staff are here to help them to do that.”

The Deputy Principal continued: “The exam period does not have to be a stressful time. If you plan, commit and work hard then the exams can be approached in a calm and collected manner, which optimises the chances of success.

“Most of all, if you do the work now, the positive outcomes will follow.”

A final year student and star footballer at the Birkenhead Sixth Form College is preparing for life across the Atlantic after she won a sporting scholarship to a highly prestigious New York university.

Emma Johnson will fly to the USA after completing her A Levels to take up a place at Fordham University in New York City, having shone in both her academic and sporting life.

A former youth team captain for Everton, Emma now plays for the full Everton Ladies reserves at the age of just 18, and is also set for the highest possible grades in her impending A Level exams.

"Some people say that if you’re academic then you won’t be sporty...if you’re motivated then it’s just in your nature. It’s not exclusive to sport or education."

Emma Johnson, second year

Emma, from Upton, said: “It’s really exciting but it’s going to be a lot of hard work. It’s an academic degree but football’s going to take up a lot of my time.

“When I went over to visit, the teams were training at six o’clock in the morning, then going to lessons after that and training again in the afternoon. They also have up to three matches a week at the beginning of the season, so you can be flying all over America. You really have to keep up to date with your studies or you’ll fall behind.”

Emma will also have the extra challenge of taking on the American university education system rather than what we’re used to in England.

The Biology, Psychology and Sport & PE student explained: “You have to pick a major in America, which I haven’t done yet, but the whole system over there means that I’ll be studying much more than just the one subject to start with. I’ll be studying things like Philosophy and Maths. It gives me a bit more time to figure out what I actually want to do. I’m leaning towards doing Psychology as my major because I’ve really enjoyed that here at College.”

Along with footballing and College commitments, Emma has also managed to hold down a job, which she is only now giving up in preparation for her exams and her move abroad.

She said: “Some people say that if you’re academic then you won’t be sporty but as lot of the people I know in football are academic as well, because if you’re motivated then it’s just in your nature. It’s not exclusive to sport or education. One can help with focus on the other. I do homework as soon as I get it, and write up my notes to try to keep on top of it as much as I can.”

On her goals for after her time at Fordham University, Emma said: “Getting a degree is first and foremost, which will also help me find a professional team over in America if I choose to keep playing football. The quality of football over there is a lot better and is higher paid, so that’s definitely an option. Fordham is quite a prestigious university too, so getting a degree from there is good for the CV and can lead to better paid jobs in general.”

Emma’s new home will be in the Bronx, one of New York City’s five boroughs, living on the private Fordham campus, but not before completing her time at Birkenhead Sixth Form College and taking her A Levels.

She concluded: “I’ve had some great teachers during my time here, and really enjoyed it. It’s a nice place to study for exams now too, because I work better when I’m not at home, and the HUB being open late now is a big help!”

A BBC programme are to feature the unique Birkenhead Sixth Form College life-skills scheme, ‘BePART’, on Friday.

Hosted by Angela Rippon, ‘Health: Truth or Scare’ will air at 9:15am on Friday morning and will be highlighting ‘BePART’, which stands for being Positive, Ambitious, Resilient and Thoughtful. The BBC chose to film in the College as they are ‘exploring the devastating impact exam stress can have on teens, visiting a college that is leading the way in helping students cope with the most stressful time of year’.

Each new student at Birkenhead Sixth Form College goes through the bespoke six-week ‘BePART’ programme as part of their pastoral support, which includes sessions on the importance of sleep and diet, relaxation techniques and using gratitude to build resilience.

"Eating more healthily and being more aware of the importance of sleep has meant that I’ve gone from getting six hours sleep a night to eight."

Eleanor Adams, first year

Borne out of scientific evidence and research, Psychology teacher at Birkenhead Sixth Form College, Roy Owen, devised the programme with help from his colleagues in the department, and it has already received support from the Member of Parliament for Birkenhead, Frank Field.

The Labour MP, who has represented the 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.”

Students at the College have been reporting of measurable benefits after taking part in the programme, which is being supported by Liverpool John Moores University’s Faculty for Education, who are helping to analyse the results.

Seventeen-year-old Eleanor Adams said: “I’ve found it really therapeutic. It’s helped me with stress levels and eating habits – I’m much more aware of what I consume. I’ve struggled with anxiety before, especially around exam time, but this has made me take a step back and assess what I’m doing which makes things a lot easier and calmer.”

Eleanor highlighted that her sleeping habits have been measurably improved already, and what she found out from her fellow students about their lifestyles surprised her: “It’s been amazing to discover that some people my age are only getting four hours sleep a night or less, and not looking after themselves. Eating more healthily and being more aware of the importance of sleep has meant that I’ve gone from getting six hours sleep a night to eight.

“This kind of programme is so important. You may have the ability to get good grades but you’re never going to achieve that if you’re burnt out.”

‘BePART’ creator and psychology teacher, Roy Owen, said: “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.”

Birkenhead Sixth Form College's life-skills programme, 'BePART', has been praised by a BBC report for tackling students’ stress levels ahead of the crucial exam period.

The unique scheme, which stands for being Positive, Ambitious, Resilient and Thoughtful, was devised by Psychology experts within the College staff and aims to help the mental health and wellbeing of their students through scientifically-proven methods and techniques.

The BBC’s ‘Health: Truth or Scare’ programme, hosted by Angela Rippon and Kevin Duala, investigated the growing concerns over teenage stress and some of the devastating health impacts that affect young people facing studying and exam pressure.

"It actually changed a lot in my life. I know now that if I’m stressed that I can go and calm myself down and then get back into the swing of things. It works at home but it’s the same with revision and exams too."

Ben Harding, first year

The College’s scheme was highlighted as ‘BePART’ is at the forefront of addressing stress-related problems at source and equipping the A Level students with tools to cope with the demands of both academic and home life.

The six-week programme includes sessions on using gratitude to build resilience, the importance of sleep and diet, and meditative relaxation techniques to help with calmness and focus.

'BePART' creator, Roy Owen, instructs a session on camera

Reporting from Birkenhead Sixth Form College after interviewing students, BBC presenter, Kevin Duala, said: “It was so lovely to meet the students and so refreshing to see their approach to exam pressure and for them to be so determined for it not to get the better of them.

"The College’s programme is clearly working."

Liverpool John Moores University’s Faculty of Education has been helping the College to analyse the results of the programme and give verified feedback to help the scheme evolve.

The LJMU report, led by Professor David Putwain, said: “BePART is an effective inclusive programme for supporting the emotional and physical wellbeing of students. Following participation in the programme students reported themselves to be more ready for the rigours of their academic studies, to deal with setbacks in a positive and constructive fashion, and able to effectively cope with the demands placed on them.”

First year, Ben Harding, 17, is among the A Level students reporting tangibly positive results from undertaking the programme and was interviewed by the BBC.

After initially being sceptical about taking part in a holistic scheme like ‘BePART’, Ben said: “It actually changed a lot in my life. I know now that if I’m stressed that I can go and calm myself down and then get back into the swing of things. It works at home but it’s the same with revision and exams too.”

Spearheading the creation of the ‘BePART’ programme was Birkenhead Sixth Form College psychology teacher, Roy Owen. Having had support from MP for Birkenhead, Frank Field, among others, Roy believes that ‘BePART’ could be implemented across the country in the future to help more teenagers in the fight against stress and poor mental health.

Roy said: “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.”

Birkenhead Sixth Form College’s team of Student Ambassadors have been named for the next academic year.

Beating stiff competition for the positions, the shortlist came down to 42 students who will be representing the College at events throughout the year, including Freshers’ Day in July for our new students, Open Evenings and welcoming our many visitors and guests.

“I’m really looking forward to being an Ambassador and I’m grateful to have been chosen – it’s quite a privilege."

Oliver Hilton, Student Ambassador

The lucky new Ambassadors were chosen by our Student Development Team as they showed passion and commitment in their studies, but also to the people around them, which is an important factor in their roles when it comes to welcoming new students and parents to the College, and offering that helping hand to those who need it.

Ambassadors will be given the all-important, coveted purple lanyards too, so they can be an obvious first port of call for fellow students and staff alike.

First year, Oliver Hilton, one of the honoured few, said: “I’m really looking forward to being an Ambassador and I’m grateful to have been chosen – it’s quite a privilege. I’d like to help out in any way I can for the College because I’ve had a great year here so far: it’s been challenging but really enjoyable, and I’ve discovered new interests that I never knew about before coming here.

“I’m just looking forward to getting that purple lanyard now!”

The full list of new Student Ambassadors for 2017/18:

Madeline Amer

Emma Ashcroft

Amarjyot Bining

Olivia Byrne

Rachel Choy

Phoebe Clarke

Niamh Corr

Amber D'Arcy

Yasmin Davis

Eleanor Doyle

Alex Earley

Emma Eaton

Katie Francis

Amber Gittins

Ben Harding

Matthew Hassall

Laura Hilditch

Oliver Hilton

Caitlin Jones

Abdou Jouma

Catharine Killen

Charles Knowles

Elise Levett

Lauren Leyland

Jordan Lindsay

Elizabeth Lyons

Ben Moglione

Georgia Murphy

Suzanne Murray

Megan Ostle-Andrews

Crina Pricop

Mirela Rabusanu

Emily Redmond

Madisenne Rotchell

Nick Scott

Emily Spears

Hannah Stuthridge

Abigail Thomson

Amy Vallance-Owen

Charlotte Walker

Zoe Ward

Emily Watkins

Birkenhead Sixth Form College’s ‘BePART’ unique mental health and wellbeing programme for students has been hailed as a major success by analysts from Liverpool John Moores University.

LJMU’s Faculty for Education were involved in the scheme from the beginning, partnering the College in evaluating the data that resulted from students being involved with BePART.

The report produced by the LJMU team, led by Professor David Putwain, summarised: “BePART is an effective inclusive programme for supporting the emotional and physical wellbeing of students. Following participation in the programme, students reported themselves to be more ready for the rigours of their academic studies, to deal with setbacks in a positive and constructive fashion, and able to effectively cope with the demands placed on them.”

It continued: “Results showed that students who completed BePART in the Autumn term reported a statistically significant increase in their positive management of emotions and thoughts, adaptability, and buoyancy. BePART showed a greater effect in those students who were lower in buoyancy at the outset.”

The conclusions from John Moores come at a time when BePART has been the focus of both TV and radio, with BBC One’s ‘Health: Truth or Scare’ programme featuring the wellbeing scheme and praising it for helping students deal with stress.

Psychology teacher and ‘BePART’ creator, Roy Owen, has also been interviewed by Radio City and Radio Merseyside in the last week about the work that the College is doing to tackle the growing issue of mental health amongst teenagers.

Read more about the BePART programme by clicking here.

A pioneering mentor programme between Birkenhead Sixth Form College and the University of Liverpool has been hailed as a major success in helping both our A Level students with their exams and undergraduates get into the teaching profession.

The scheme, which sees students from Liverpool University act as academic mentors for their younger counterparts at the College, gives the undergraduates a helping hand into the teaching profession in their subject, while our students receive peer-to-peer advice and guidance to fulfil their potential at A Level.

Although the programme has been running with major success for a number of years at Birkenhead Sixth Form College in a range of different subjects, this is the first time that the mentoring makes up an optional component in the degrees of the final year Geography students at Liverpool University interested in teaching, giving them a chance to get real experience under their belts before applying for their teacher training courses.

“I think we can bring a different angle to helping the A Level students, with university resources and looking at it from an undergraduate point of view. It’s been a lot of hard work, and so much more challenging than we all thought it would be, but rewarding at the same time.”

Jordan Smith, Liverpool University student & academic mentor

In mutual benefit, the A Level students reap the rewards of one-to-one mentoring with someone who has recently been in their shoes, on top of their normal lessons and specialist support sessions.

Sociology teacher at Birkenhead Sixth Form College, Claire Morgan, devised the scheme back in 2013 to help students in her own subject, but it has since gone from strength to strength and undergraduate mentors now help out in a variety of subjects, leading to the geography department at Liverpool University incorporating it into their degree programmes.

Claire said: “With some students, 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.”

“The Geography students have written reflective accounts on the experience, and what has been great to find is that they have not just been reflecting on their own development, but they have focused on the thoughts, feelings, abilities and development of the A Level students."

Professor Andy Plater, Liverpool University

Final year geography undergraduate at Liverpool University, Jordan Smith, is one student who took up the option of mentoring and is hoping to get into the teaching profession.

Jordan said: “I think we can bring a different angle to helping the A Level students, with university resources and looking at it from an undergraduate point of view. It’s been a lot of hard work, and so much more challenging than we all thought it would be, but rewarding at the same time.”

Jordan continued: “I would have really appreciated having something like this when I was sitting my A Levels. As well as the educational benefit, I like to take some time at the end of each session to answer some general questions about being at uni, and what it’s really like, even if they’re not planning to do the exact same course as me. I’d have loved to have had that insight before going off to do my degree.”

In charge of the scheme at Liverpool University’s geography department is Professor Andy Plater, who said: “The normal procedure for those looking to teach Geography would be that they do their degree first then apply for teacher training courses, whereas here, Birkenhead Sixth Form College are providing them with that direct experience of teaching in the real world before they go into it. In that respect, it’s quite ground-breaking.

“It’s thinking outside of the box; it’s doing something different, and I think our students have learnt a huge amount from it in terms of practical learning and career development.”

Professor Plater concluded: “The Geography students have written reflective accounts on the experience, and what has been great to find is that they have not just been reflecting on their own development, but they have focused on the thoughts, feelings, abilities and development of the A Level students. The programme is fulfilling so many career development goals and it’s doing exactly what was hoped, so from my perspective, it’s been very successful.”

Two students on the Foundation Diploma in Art, Design & Media are holding an exhibition of their work at the College next week, as they combine to display their artistic explorations into important aspects of their lives.

Lauren Clynch and Suzie Gray will host ‘Significance’ next Wednesday (24^th May), which will incorporate their individual work from their Foundation year before they each head to university in September. It will also be chance to take donations and raise money for their chosen worthy charitable cause of Children with Cancer UK.

Both Lauren and Suzie studied for A Levels at the College before choosing to remain for the Foundation course before higher education, further developing their artistic skills and ensuring that they received unconditional offers to university to study Fine Art: Lauren to Liverpool John Moores and Suzie to Loughborough.

“We work well together. We’re both quite experimental, which is another reason to exhibit together. We both work in sketchbooks so it’s very experimental and tactile, so it should be good."

Suzie Gray

While exhibiting at the end of the Foundation Diploma in Art, Design & Media is encouraged but not essential, Lauren and Suzie were keen to display the products of all their hard work, and chose to do it together for a number of reasons.

Some of Suzie Grey's watercolour work

Lauren said: “Our projects have interlinking themes and we’re friends as well, plus we’re going to different universities, so we thought it would be nice as one last project before we go our separate ways.

“We wanted the experience of exhibiting before we leave, but we also want the response to our work too and see what people think of it. We’ve got a sketchbook for visitors to write their feedback for us.”

Describing their work as a team, 19-year-old Lauren said: “Some things we’ve sort of collaborated on, like our stencils, we can hang together and the shadows become a collaborative piece, but we’re taking different approaches. Suzie’s working on landscapes, and mine is more conceptual art at the moment.”

"The concept behind my work is to create an abstract portrait of someone through investigating what is most significant in their lives. For my mum - the main subject of my brief - it was motherhood."

Lauren Clynch 

Suzie agreed, saying: “We work well together too. We’re both quite experimental, which is another reason to exhibit together. We both work in sketchbooks so it’s very experimental and tactile, so it should be good.

“It’s called ‘Significance’ and Lauren’s concentrating on a significant area of person, whereas I’m doing a significant area – all of my work is based on one specific space.”

The pair have worked across a number of different media for their final exhibition, including sketches, video, stencils and projection, and although Lauren and Suzie’s art may complement each other, they both have their own style and roots.

Lauren's work focuses on her mother

Suzie explained: “I chose the subject matter of Royden Park because I wanted to work in an environment that I had never experienced before, so that when I produced work there it was completely organic and I had no preconceptions about the area. When I visited the landscape, I thought that it was so rich in colour and texture that I wanted to respond to it in an artistic way.”

Lauren, however, approached her project more from the inside working outward.

She said: “The concept behind my work is to create an abstract portrait of someone through investigating what is most significant in their lives. For my mum - the main subject of my brief - it was motherhood. Therefore, the work that I produced was centred around the significance of being a parent in my mum's life. This includes the personal journey of motherhood, through the diaries she kept whilst pregnant and through my childhood, as well as the preservation of those memories through possessions she kept and photographs.”

Both students also felt that staying at the College for a third year to complete the Foundation Diploma was the perfect decision for them, with Lauren saying: “People come up to us all the time and ask us what we think of doing the Foundation course, and we always encourage people to do it. If you’re going off to do Fine Art anyway, then it’s only another year. In terms of speaking, acting and being able to talk about your work like an artist, it’s definitely helped me.”

Suzie echoed Lauren’s sentiments, and said: “You learn to work for yourself independently and have to know what you’re doing, so the level of reflection of your own work is more intense. That’s what uni’s like, if not more so, so it’s good preparation and it’s definitely worth it.”

‘Significance’ will be on display in the College’s B8 studio on Wednesday 24^th May between 5pm – 7pm.

To find out more about the Foundation Diploma in Art, Design & Media, click here.

Birkenhead Sixth Form College has reached the final shortlist for two prestigious prizes at the annual Liverpool ECHO Schools Awards 2017.

Two unique and pioneering schemes by the College have beaten stiff competition from across Merseyside to land the nominations from a panel of expert judges. Our ‘BePART’ life-skills programme is in the running for the ‘Healthy Living Award’, while the Drama department’s collaboration with Merseyside Police for ‘Bored’, a play to raise awareness about antisocial behaviour, is a finalist in the ‘Active Community Award’.

Led by Drama teacher, Liz Bones, ‘Bored’ was written and performed by our A Level Drama students in front of over 750 schoolchildren at New Brighton’s Floral Pavilion, and received high praise from the region’s schoolteachers, leading police officers and celebrities alike in reaching the younger audience with a powerful and long-lasting message about the impact that antisocial behaviour can have on them and the community surrounding them.

The cast of 'Bored' look out from the Floral Pavilion stage after the show

‘BePART’ is a six-week programme, devised by Psychology teacher Roy Owen and his colleagues, which helps students’ mental health and wellbeing through scientific and holistic methods of being Positive, Ambitious, Resilient and Thoughtful. The scheme has recently featured in a BBC One documentary and has attracted radio coverage across the area.

Competition for the ‘Healthy Living Award’ will be announced on the day of the awards ceremony, which will take place on Tuesday 27^th June at a special event at Liverpool John Moores University that will be hosted by Radio City’s Leanne Campbell.

Roy Owen instructs a 'BePART' session in front of BBC cameras

John Thompson, the ECHO’s Head of Editorial Partnerships, said: “We hope the awards help to shine a light on the many leaders, teachers, support staff and students who help shape young lives - giving them the best possible opportunity to fulfil their potential, and help provide the life lessons they need to get on in the years ahead.

“They (the awards) are an important reminder of the wonderful, passion-fuelled and professional hard work that goes on in schools on a daily basis.”

Click here for the full Liverpool ECHO story on the Schools Awards.

The cast of the successful Birkenhead Sixth Form College play, ‘Bored’, have been awarded the honour of ‘Class of the Year’ at the Wirral Globe Schools Awards 2017.

The nine students and their Drama teacher, Liz Bones, received the award at a glamourous ceremony at Thornton Hall Hotel, with the Globe hosting a night to celebrate the best in Wirral’s schools.

Liam Ainsworth, Emily Balmer, Megan Condliffe, Kate Disley-Jones, Adele Edwards, Jack Hirons, Jack Hudson, Lucy James and Abigail Thomson were presented with the ‘Class of the Year’ trophy after they themselves wrote the production ‘Bored’ in conjunction with Merseyside Police, and guided by their teacher, Liz, with the aim of using drama and a peer-to-peer approach to warn the region’s younger schoolchildren about the consequences of antisocial behaviour. The innovative scheme prompted the Drama students to spend countless hours outside of College time researching and learning about the subject, and honing it into a piece that was both entertaining and hard-hitting.

"This has been a learning experience, not just for me, but for every one of us involved, including our Drama teacher Liz, who this couldn’t have happened without.”

Jack Hudson, Drama student & 'Bored' cast member

The Victims’ Commissioner, Baroness Helen Newlove, whose husband, Garry, was beaten to death by a gang of drunken youths who were vandalising, visited the College in late 2016 to tell her story, which acted as further inspiration for the students.

Having debuted the powerful play in the College’s Drama Studio in December in front of pupils from five local schools, the overwhelmingly positive response led to the A Level students performing their work at a heaving Floral Pavilion for over 750 schoolchildren from 16 more schools, along with the highest-ranking police officer in Merseyside, Wirral Councillors and local celebrities Pete Price and international champion boxer, Sean ‘Masher’ Dodd.

The cast of 'Bored' with esteemed guests after the Floral Pavilion show

Receiving the award on the Thornton Hall stage to a warm reception, cast member and final year A Level student at the College, Jack Hudson, said: “I couldn’t be prouder to be here today to highlight a problem that doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

Jack Hudson addresses the audience with his fellow cast members

“This isn’t just another small issue. It’s huge. On the Wirral, there were 10,000 cases of antisocial behaviour reported last year. That may not sound like a lot over the course of a year to some people, but when you break it down, that’s 27 a day; more than one an hour. That’s how often some suffers verbal abuse, physical abuse or other forms of this crime.

The Class of the Year celebrate with Drama teacher Liz and their prizes

“It shocked me, and this has been a learning experience, not just for me, but for every one of us involved, including our Drama teacher Liz, who this couldn’t have happened without.”

The first award presented on the night, the students’ ‘Class of the Year’ prize was sponsored by the hosts, Thornton Hall and Spa, and the group were presented with their award by the hotel’s Business Development Manager, Samantha Sanderson.

Click here to read the full round-up of all the awards by the Wirral Globe.

Birkenhead Sixth Form College has been recognised for its educational innovation on a national scale after reaching the final three in the Sixth Form College Association Awards.

The College has been shortlisted for the SFCA’s (Sixth Form College Association) ‘Curriculum Innovation Award’ for its unique Academic Mentor Programme, run in partnership with the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University, which sees undergraduates visit the College to offer peer-to-peer mentoring to A Level students.

"There are so many examples of hard work, creative thinking and shared endeavour, which are making a real and sustainable difference to the lives of young people.”

The Sixth Form College Association

First piloted in the Humanties department in 2014, the scheme saw three students from University of Liverpool working with small groups of the College’s A Level Sociology students. Since then, the programme has expanded exponentially and now over 25 mentors offer advice and guidance across nearly a dozen subjects.

In fact, the scheme proved so valuable not only to the A Level students but the Liverpool University undergraduates themselves. As a result, the Geography department at the prestigious Russell Group university have started offering the Mentoring programme as an optional module for its final year students who are interested in the teaching profession.

Sociology teacher at Birkenhead Sixth Form College and scheme leader, Claire Morgan, said: “With some A Level students, 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.”

Scheme leader Claire Morgan (left) with the team of Geography Mentors

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.”

The Sixth Form College Association Awards is in its debut year and the winners will be announced at a special ceremony in Nottingham on 14^th June.

The SFCA said: “The SFCA Annual Awards initiative represents an important opportunity to identify, celebrate and showcase exceptional practice across the dedicated sixth form sector. In this, the inaugural year of the awards, we have been surprised and delighted by the number and quality of entries. There is clearly an enormous range of good practice in colleges, and so many examples of hard work, creative thinking and shared endeavour, which are making a real and sustainable difference to the lives of young people.”

Birkenhead Sixth Form College has been honoured with a national award for innovation in our curriculum.

College Principal Kathryn Podmore and Deputy Principal Mike Kilbride collected the prize at the Sixth Form Colleges Association’s inaugural awards ceremony for our ground-breaking Academic Mentor Programme, which is run in conjunction with the major universities in the area.

Principal Kathryn Podmore with Deputy Principal Mike Kilbride and the ceremony's compare, FE Commissioner Richard Atkins

The unique scheme sees undergraduates from a number of universities, including the University of Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores, visit the College to give peer-to-peer mentoring and advice to A Level students in a range of different subjects. First starting in the Humanities department at the College four years ago, the programme has since gone from strength to strength, with this year seeing over 25 mentors offering their academic assistance to teenagers studying in more than a dozen subjects.

Such was the success of the programme for both our A Level students and undergraduates that the University of Liverpool’s Geography department have started offering students in the third year of their degrees the option of becoming a mentor as a module of their study, with the aim being to assist those looking to enter into the teaching profession.

Chief Executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, Bill Watkin, called the Academic Mentor Programme a ‘pioneering development’ and praised Birkenhead Sixth Form College as an ‘example of outstanding work’.

SFCA Chief Executive Bill Watkin

Mr Watkin continued: “Over 25 mentors now deliver their sessions with a focus on exam technique and revision skills.

“Success doesn’t just happen, it is the result of very hard work and great team work.”

On receiving the ‘SFCA Award for Curriculum Innovation’ at a ceremony in Nottingham’s De Vere Jubilee Conference Centre, Principal Kathryn Podmore said: “We are absolutely delighted and privileged to have won this award and we are extremely proud to be at the national forefront of innovation in this crucial sector of education.

“We endeavour to keep all aspects of our A Level provision at an outstanding level, and the hard work and creative thinking of our staff and students, and those who work and study at our partner universities, richly deserves this commendation.”

The Principal concluded: “We are a forward-thinking College and aim for our young people to be as successful, engaged and passionate as possible about fulfilling their potential. The Academic Mentor Programme is a wonderful example of the great many things we do to ensure that.”

Click here to read more about the College's unique Academic Mentor Programme

Birkenhead Sixth Form College’s unique ‘BePART’ life-skills programme has won recognition for its commitment to helping students’ mental health and wellbeing with a special prize at the Liverpool Echo’s ‘Echo School Awards 2017’.

‘BePART’ creators and Psychology teachers at the College, Roy Owen and Amanda Hoey, along with Deputy Principal, Mike Kilbride, received the ‘Healthy Living Award’ at a glamourous ceremony at Liverpool John Moores University’s John Lennon building.

Fittingly, the Faculty for Education at Liverpool John Moores have also been involved with analysing the results of the BePART scheme, which were found to be a resounding success, as the College team look to build upon the foundation blocks already put down in order to help teenagers with the pressures of 21^st Century life.

The six-week programme for all new students was launched at the start of the 2016/17 academic year.

The BePART team: (From left) Roy Owen, Amanda Hoey & Mike Kilbride

Born out of scientific research and proven psychological methods, the sessions focus on the importance of sleep and diet, using gratitude to build resilience and developing both meditative and reflective thought processes to improve concentration and reduce stress and anxiety.

MP for Birkenhead, Frank Field, has called the programme ‘a real innovation’ and BePART also featured on a BBC One documentary which investigated ways to help teenage students deal with the demands of further education.

Receiving the award from the host of the evening, Leanne Campbell of Radio City, BePART creator, Roy Owen, said: “We have worked incredibly hard on developing the BePART programme over the past 18 months and this award highlights that.

“Saying that, however, BePART is still in its infancy and there is still a long way to go in fulfilling the clear potential that this programme has - we must not get complacent and continue to work just as hard.”

The College was also nominated for the Echo’s ‘Active Community Award’ for the impact of the Drama department’s play, ‘Bored’.

Devised alongside Merseyside Police, Drama students wrote and performed their own hard-hitting play focused on highlighting the consequences of antisocial behaviour at the Floral Pavilion in front of 750 local schoolchildren and celebrities.

The students involved, plus Drama teacher Liz Bones, won the Wirral Globe’s ‘Class of the Year’ award for the play last month.

The College's School of Art & Design invitied all visitors to the annual Summer Art Show, which is the culmination of a year's work for students across six courses. 

With work exhibited across three floors of the specially-designed Art building, students studying A Levels in Fine Art, Textiles, Graphic Design and 3D Design, plus those on the post-A Level Foundation Diploma and pre-A Level Diploma, displayed some of their finest pieces of work. A host of visitors came to enjoy a feast of creativity - below are a few snapshots of an extremely popular day in the College calendar.