Message from Principal Jill Davies

I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful Christmas break. It is remarkable how quickly time passes. It seems like only yesterday we welcomed over 400 new students into the CUC building, and it is a real pleasure to watch them grow into confident, kind and resilient young adults.

This period of time often offers moments to reflect – my reflections of 2025 will be filled with happy faces on results days, pride in our achievements in science and technology and of building strong relationships with our partners from industry. 

It is also a time to look forward to 2026 and what it holds for us. For many of our students, it's the excitement of university, starting a degree apprenticeship or choosing A-Levels after completing GCSEs. Whatever the festive period holds for you, I hope it allows a time for rest, reflection and gratitude and I look forward to seeing the students again on Monday 5^th January 2026. 

Christmas Appeal Update

We have raised an incredible £740 in funds to support families with food and gifts. We would like to say a huge thank you for your generosity.

Our JustGiving page is still open if you would still like to kindly donate.

Thank you!

High-Tech Water Fountains and Reusable Bottles

In school, we have new high-tech water fountains for students to fill their bottles. Students are advised to bring a reusable bottle into school each day if they wish to use this facility. Staying hydrated throughout the day is important for concentration and wellbeing, and using a reusable bottle helps reduce plastic waste.

English After-School Provision

Our English department is pleased to offer the following after-school provision for students. They will take place every Monday from 4–4.30pm:

• Library with Mr Corner – come along and borrow books from our extensive selection.  There will also be a space to read quietly.
• Culture Club with Mr Murphy – gain a deeper understanding of what is going on in the world, develop your general knowledge and expand your viewpoints and perspectives

For Year 10 only:

• Support with GCSE content with Miss Jackson 

For Year 11 students only:

• Target grade 7+ revision with Miss Connolly
• Target grade 5+ revision with Miss Manzoor
• Target grade 4+ revision with Mr Mackenzie
• Grammar and writing development support with Miss Gymnopoulou *This intervention will be particularly helpful for those students whose first language is not English

Engineering Christmas 3D Printing 

Our talented students at Liverpool Life Sciences UTC and The Studio School have created and sold 3D printed festive decorations to raise money for the Christmas Appeal! All donations will go directly to support families in our school community during this holiday season, providing food, gifts and essentials.

CyberFirst MEGA Event

Ignite students discovered a wide range of future career possibilities through hands-on workshops and activities at the event. They explored the fields of robotics, cybersecurity and immersive technology.

Scholars Workshop

Our Ignite and Year 10 Scholars attended a workshop with the Talent Foundry and KPMG. The session was focused on KPMGs position as a Big Four financial company and the students' ability to solve problems and to pitch their ideas to an audience.

Students explored innovative technologies and think about how they could utilise the latest cutting-edge technologies. They also gained experience working in teams to develop a technology solution based on an actual client brief, much like they would in a professional work environment.

This session helped students develop core transferable skills, such as problem-solving, speaking, teamwork and communication skills. Students ended the session by pitching their ideas to each other.

Primary School Food Testing

On Tuesday, Year 3 from Four Oaks Primary School visited Liverpool Life Sciences UTC to take part in practical food tests. In their science lessons, they have been working on nutrition. To compliment this learning, they came to do a practical session to identify what tests are done for four of the food groups.

Each pair of students tested a series of solutions and managed to correctly identify what food group they belonged to. They completed two dip tests with test strips for both glucose and protein. They also did tests for starch and fats by adding solutions to their samples and mixing them. While this went on, the students were extremely sensible and followed all the safety rules for the sessions.

Throughout this session, a group of our Year 10 scholar students have been helping run each session. It has been extremely enjoyable, and it is great that they are willing to support younger learners.

Primary School Microscope Session

On Monday, a Year 5 class from New Park Primary School visited Liverpool Life Sciences UTC for an engaging microscope image writing workshop. The students first got to grips with the microscopes that were available. After that, the goal of the activity was to encourage students to use the samples that they were observing to enhance their writing.

This was set into two tasks; one was a descriptive writing task where they had to describe the sample as accurately as possible, the second was to write creatively and make a story inspired by what they saw using the microscope. During this activity, one of the students wrote that what they saw was like a volcano. This led them to write about hiking up a volcano, what it would look like and how that made them feel.

Throughout this session, a group of our Year 10 scholar students have been helping run each session. It has been extremely enjoyable, and it is great that they are willing to support younger learners.

Ignite Rewards Christmas Film

Ignite students chosen by Form Tutors and Head of Year were rewarded on Tuesday for an exceptional first term with an afternoon movie and treats in the school’s cinema. Well-deserved and fully appreciated by the students involved.

Maths Project Based Learning

This week, Year 12 mathematicians were asked to solve a series of winter celebration-themed conundrums, with the emphasis being on formulating a strategy to provide an acceptable answer. One of the tasks was to estimate the area of this tree. Various methods were used to give an estimate of the area, but one student, Adriano, decided to develop a formula which would work for any similar shaped silhouette. He also made a desmos diagram of the tree at home.

Adriano said, “I separated the tree into a main central section made up of three relatively large rectangles of different sizes (BrHr). These were labelled using subscripts as (B1H1,B2H2,B3H3) so to simplify it I used a series notation.

The trunk was approximately a square, so I modelled the square's sides with the variable 's' therefore s^2 would be the area of the square.

Finally, the very tip I modelled as an isosceles triangle with area  (1/2)bh, All these subsection area formulae were put together to come up with this formula.”

Ignite STEAM

Students have been collaborating to build a winter village. Inspired by gingerbread houses, students have built a variety of buildings from cardboard, including houses, a train station, mosques and churches, a bus station, an airport, the Radio City tower, a football and athletics stadium and many more.

Ignite Project Based Learning

The Cardiovascular group of PBL students finished this term by exploring a sheep pluck (everything from inside a sheep’s chest). They noticed the arrangement of the organs relative to one another, saw how the trachea is protected from collapse due to pressure changes during breathing by rings of cartilage, and saw how the trachea branches into two bronchi and then into bronchioles.

Students had an opportunity to use a bag valve mask resuscitator to inflate the lungs, replicating the ingress and egress of air during breathing. The students then used light microscopes to examine prepared slides of lungs and other organs.

From Lab to Virtual Reality: Enhancing Learning at Liverpool Life Sciences UTC with RESILIENCE

In this newly released case study, Dr. Dyer, Project Based Learning and Innovation Lead at Liverpool Life Sciences UTC, shared his experience of RESILIENCE and how he intends to use the benefits of enhanced membership to expand the UTC's education even further.

Dr. Dyer trialled virtual reality options, which he then trialled with Year 10-13 students. From this he decided to introduce the VR modules into Liverpool Life Sciences UTC curriculum. Students now have the option to choose laboratory skills within their curriculum using the VR (Fourplus Eclipse). Under Dr. Dyer's redesigned plans, students can now undertake practical lab skills using UTC’s facilities and then complete their lab skills programme within an immersive virtual professional industry environment.

Dr. Dyer shared, "It has opened up so many ways to bring the curriculum to life.”

Read the full case study here.

Find out more about our Engineering Pathway here.

Seasonal Support Opening Hours

Throughout the festive season, support is available if children and young people need to speak to someone about their mental health and emotional wellbeing.

If you need crisis support, call 111 and select the mental health option.

Job Opportunities

1. Civil Engineering Year in Industry: Network Rail

Based in one of their major operational centres, you’ll experience their wide-reaching remit and see how they contribute to major engineering projects, undertake structural maintenance, and select sustainable building materials and techniques. Whatever you choose, there’ll be plenty of opportunity to flex the theoretical knowledge you’ve gained on your university course.

Locations: Birmingham B1, Bristol BS1, Cardiff CF10, Manchester M1, Milton Keynes MK1, Milton Keynes MK9, York YO1, York YO26

Salary: £22,932

Start date: September 2026

Apply here.

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2. Electrical Engineering Year in Industry: Network Rail

You’ll work with the team that plays a leading role in this vital mission, working with cutting-edge technology and widening your knowledge of where the fields of signalling and telecommunications are going next.

You’ll also play a role in improving our safety standards, reducing journey times, and coming up with innovative solutions to the most important issues of our time.

Locations: Birmingham B1, Milton Keynes MK9, Peterborough PE3

Salary: £22,932

Start date: September 2026

Apply here.

Apprenticeship Opportunities

1. Lloyds Banking Group Apprenticeships 

• Audit
• Customer service
• Cyber and information communications
• Data
• Finance
• Risk
• Tech engineering
• HR

Find out more here.

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2. The National Apprenticeship & Education Event in Liverpool

This free event is designed for parents and carers and older students.  The event runs from 9.30am - 3.00pm and is a chance to connect, learn and plan your future. Over 40 regional and national businesses will be in attendance showcasing their careers.

When? 29th January 2026 - Register here.

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3. Apprenticeship Fair Manchester

Manchester UK University & Apprenticeship Search Event will be returning to Old Trafford Stadium. Perfect way for students to choose which university or apprenticeship is right for them.

When? Friday 27th February - More information here.

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4. The Sixth Formers Guide to Degree Apprenticeships

Over 3,500 degree apprenticeships available for students leaving school or sixth form college in the summer of 2026 - To read more, click here.

Work Experience Opportunities 

1. From Pitch to Profit - Create your own Sports Business

Over the duration of the placement with Balistic Ballers CIC, you will gain hands-on experience supporting sports sessions, helping plan community events, and learning the fundamentals of how a sports coaching business works behind the scenes.

When? 9th-10th March (2 days)

Time? 09:30am - 14:30pm

Ages? 14-19

Do I need permission to take part during school time?

To avoid any disappointment, they recommend you having a conversation with school or your teacher prior to submitting your application. Make sure to share the dates of the opportunity and confirm that you have permission to attend, especially if it falls during school hours.

Apply here - closing date 13th February 2026.

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2. For Year 13 students - National: Broadfield, Virtual Law Work Experience Day

Date: Thursday 5th February
Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm

Who is this for?
Students interested in the Solicitor Apprenticeship route into Law.

Entry requirements:

• On track to achieve, or have achieved, CCC at A-level (or equivalent)
• At least 5 GCSEs at Grade 4 or above, including English and Maths

This is an excellent opportunity for students who are seriously considering law and want a realistic understanding of the apprenticeship route.

Please note that students must apply for the event and will need to be shortlisted in order to attend.

To find out more, click here.

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3. February Half-Term Medical Work Experience for Students (Ages 14–18)

• When: 5th – 21st February 2026 (February Half Term)
• Where: London Hospitals (Pickup, Accommodation, Meals and Staff Provided)
• Who: Students aged 14-18 who are interested in careers in medicine. 
• What: In person medicine experience with visits to Hospitals in London, fully supported by an extensive staff team and attended by students from all over the UK. A certificate and reference are included.
• How: You can view all details of the course here and should register by the 30th January 2026 to take part.

Exclusive behind-the-scences look at their Premed Projects work experience.

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4. Architecture - More than Grown up Lego 3D Reid

Are you a young, creative mind with a passion for design and innovation? Do you dream of shaping the skylines of tomorrow? Is your passion the history and future of our evolving landscapes? Look no further! Join 3DReid for two action packed days to dive into the dynamic world of architecture.

You will gain:

• Hands-on experience in architectural design and drafting.
• Insight into the latest industry trends and technologies.
• Talks from our talented team of architects, designers, and clients.
• Introduction to Interior design.
• Discussions surrounding sustainability with buildings.
• Project work to where you will design your own building.

When? 2nd-3rd March (2 days)

Time? 10:00am - 16:00pm

Ages? 16-19

Apply here - closing date 9th February 2026. 

Volunteering Opportunities 

1. Mersey Care NHS

At Mersey Care, volunteers play a vital role in providing compassionate, high-quality care. By joining us, you can support patients and families, develop new skills, and gain valuable healthcare experience.

Volunteering allows you to help your community, meet a diverse team of professionals, and make a real impact on people’s well-being. If you’re passionate about helping others, become an NHS volunteer and contribute your time, energy, and compassion today.

If you have any questions, please reach out to their Volunteer Services team: [email protected]. They're here to help you every step of the way.

Dates for your calendar:

There will be 8 sessions on Saturdays in 2026, all 11am-1pm:

21st February, 21st March, 18th April, 16th May, 13th June, 19th September, 24th October and 21st November. 

If you would like to take part, please get in touch with Blue Room Manager Becky Waite on 07549079500 or email [email protected]

Liverpool’s Mental Health Support for Children and Young People Training

• ROAR Response to racial trauma, 7th January, 10:00am-4:30pm
• Child+Adolescent to Parent Violence+Abuse Session (CAPVA), 8th January, 11:00am-1:00pm
• Understanding Low Mood and Depression, 8th January, 12:30pm-1:30pm
• Growing Stronger ACEs LEADERSHIP training, 9th January, 9:30am-4:30pm
• Emotionally-Based School Avoidance, 9th January, 10:00am-11:00am
• Growing Stronger ACEs SKILLED Training, 9th January, 1:00pm-4:00pm

To book, click here.