If you have ever heard me speak at an event, attended an open evening or pretty much sat through any meeting with me you will know the reason I am so passionate about what I do is that I see this as the way to affect change.
For me, my role is about social mobility. So I get really excited when I get the chance to get into the detail on this.
I get even more excited when I can say here are metrics, collected and analysed centrally, understood by parents, by newspapers, by politicians that show that what we live and breathe every day here at the UTC has a significant impact on the social mobility of my students.
Let me show you how we know.
This year, we have helped 14 students out of a total cohort of 16 from the L8 postcode to secure university places. Three of those students actually secured places at the University of Liverpool – a Russell Group university with world class academics and research opportunities. (And will significantly be financially supported by the amazing bursaries provided to our students by the University)
For those of you reading this who are not from here, L8 covers Dingle, Toxteth and some areas of the city centre. It is perhaps most commonly known for riots and poverty, although this is very much not the definition of the area.
L8 is ranked by the Higher Education Funding Council for England in the lowest quintiles for 3 categories, Polar3, Adult HE qualification and Participation Gap quintiles. https://www.hefce.ac.uk/postcode/
This means it is considered to be one of the most deprived areas in England with very low rates of students successfully moving on to university.
Bear with me.
We know that 14 of 16 students from an area where students are least likely to go on to university have successfully done that following their time at the Life Sciences UTC.
We know that this is equivalent to the numbers of students who go on to higher education from the most privileged quintiles, locally perhaps Formby or Southport.
The POLAR3 and participations data show categorically that we have had a very positive impact on our L8 students.
We know that we have helped them to secure their next step in a challenging environment with places at some of the best universities in the UK.
We know that we have given them a next step which is every bit as good as the next step taken by the kids in Formby and Southport.
We know that this is not representative of the next steps young people from this area take.
This is social mobility.
Mr Ian Parry
Principal