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As competition for top university places and high-value careers continues to intensify, students across Merseyside are seeking Sixth Forms that offer more than just classroom learning.
Increasingly, they want real experience, industry exposure and the chance to develop a genuine competitive edge – this is exactly what CUC6 provides.
Part of Northern Schools Trust, CUC6 is the joint Sixth Form of Liverpool Life Sciences UTC and The Studio School in the Baltic Triangle, and is one of the North West’s most innovative post-16 destinations.
CUC6 blends academic excellence with high-quality technical learning, placing students directly at the heart of Liverpool’s thriving science, digital and creative sectors.
(Image: CUC6)
Pioneering opportunities for STEAM students
This year, the school celebrated the success of 14 Year 12 BTEC Applied Science students who secured places on the new Workplace Accelerator Programme, an ambitious pilot scheme designed to support future careers in the life sciences.
Using advanced VR headsets and immersive laboratory simulations, students can refine technical skills while preparing for the demands of modern scientific workplaces.
The programme is being delivered in partnership with Dr Kate Barclay MBE, who will visit CUC6 to trial the initiative with students for the first time.
Reflecting on the impact of this opportunity, John Dyer, Life Sciences lead at CUC6, said: “Our students continue to rise to the challenge.
“This pilot showcases the confidence, technical curiosity and ambition that define our Sixth Form.
“It’s exciting to see them leading the way in such an innovative training environment.”
(Image: CUC6)
CUC6 is the only Sixth Form in the country that has a Bionow Mentoring scheme focused on the Life Sciences.
There are 18 mentors from a wide range of locally, nationally, and globally important pharmaceutical, biomanufacturing, and other life science companies, including Pharmaron, AstraZeneca, and Bristol Myers Squibb.
John Dyer said: “This is potentially life-changing for the students involved as they have access to the expertise and support of experienced mentors who can help expand their knowledge of the life science sector, develop their transferable skills, including effective communication, and make them aware of opportunities such as industrial placements and degree apprenticeships.”
National influence and recognition
CUC6’s reputation reaches well beyond Liverpool, and opportunities are available not just for Sixth Form students.
The school encourages pupils to pursue their passions from the moment they join in Year 9 through the Ignite programme or in Year 10.
At the ‘Hands-on, minds-on: the future of practical science in schools’ conference at the Royal Society in London, students and staff made a remarkable impression.
Year 11 students joined John Dyer, Life Sciences lead at CUC6, on a panel chaired by Katherine Mathieson of the Royal Institution, where student Blossom spoke powerfully about practical science experiences at the UTC and The Studio.
(Image: CUC6)
Professors Ulrike Tillmann FRS and Gerry Gilmore FRS, Co-Chairs of the Royal Society Practical Science Conference Steering Group, praised the school’s contribution.
They said: “The Liverpool Life Sciences UTC contribution to the Practical Science Conference was highly valued and highly influential…
“Blossom and John Dyer were excellent, confident contributors to the panel discussion – an impressive feat.
“All the school can be proud of what you are achieving, and the role model you are providing to others.”
(Image: CUC6)
Hands-on industry experience
CUC6 students are regularly provided with opportunities to apply their skills in real-world settings.
Recently, its T-Level students attended the BRILLIANT festival as exhibitors, representing the school in a live CAD slam, a five-minute CAD design challenge.
They showcased their employer-set projects, demonstrating hands-on modelling work using 3D printers, CNC machines and laser cutters, and confidently answered questions from attendees.
The event featured numerous industry partners, offering students invaluable exposure and insight into modern engineering and digital industries.
A destination Sixth Form for the region
Housed in a striking Grade II-listed former warehouse, CUC6 boasts impressive facilities, including industry-standard labs, a mock hospital ward with Sim-Man, an engineering workshop, creative media studios, a programming suite, a cinema, a gym, and flexible study spaces.
Students benefit from partnerships with universities and leading employers across the region, including Ford, Autodesk, BIMA, AstraZeneca, BAC, MAST, and Alfred H Knight.
With a curriculum spanning A-Levels, BTECs, T-Level, and AAQ, students can tailor their learning to future careers in medicine, engineering, biomedical research, digital technology, and more.
Explore the CUC6 this February
For students across Merseyside and beyond, seeking a Sixth Form that offers aspiration, opportunity and a genuine competitive edge, CUC6 stands out as a leading choice.
Prospective students are welcome to the CUC6 Sixth Form Open Evening this February.
Visitors can tour the facilities, meet staff and students, and discover how CUC6 equips young people for ambitious futures.
Register here to attend the open evening.
