Bespoke Science Scholars Pathway programme offered by North Liverpool Academy

North Liverpool Academy (NLA) has designed its sixth form curriculum to feature bespoke pathways geared towards student career aspirations. 

The Science Scholars’ Pathway incorporates academic and industry partners into the subject pathways and prepares the scholars to study at renowned higher-education destinations. 

The pathway couples academic experiences with high-quality teaching, and it has so far been a success. 

A highlight of the first term was a visit to the best science exhibitions in London including the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the Faraday Museum. 

There are also international trips including a visit to The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland, and a safari in Kenya. 

Scholars also have a trip to Post-Mortem Live, where they experience a dissection of a human corpse and carry out forensic investigations into the cause of death. 

Another trip is Chemistry Top of the Bench, for lectures on exam practice and content beyond the syllabus. 

At the Materials Innovation Factory, students are given a tour of the laboratories, learn about the importance of multi-disciplinary research, and collaboration between industry and academia. 

The School of Life Sciences at the University of Liverpool (UoL) offers the scholars a range of science-based activities, such as: 

• Experience working in a specialist laboratory using specialist apparatus 
•  Experiencing being a life-science student at university 
•  Performing a series of delicate experiments involving electrophoresis of proteins 
•  Attending a lecture about protein synthesis 

Select scholars participate in projects with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and successful students are awarded bursaries from BioGrad, where they are taught courses that provide them with specialist skills that will benefit them when it comes to higher education. 

The Science Scholars’ Club encourages students to compete in various competitions throughout the year.  

One internal competition is to name an exoplanet, where scholars display their reasoning behind their naming so any member of the community has an opportunity to vote.  

Winning NLA names are submitted to the International Astronomical Union. 

External team competitions include the International Young Physicists tournament and the national UK Space Design Competition (UKSDC). 

In the competition, which is open to UK students in Years 10 to 13, students from multiple schools are combined to form an engineering company and take on the task of designing a crewed space settlement within the solar system. 

NLA have made it to the national finals at Imperial College London. Winners will be going to the international finals, at the Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral, Florida. 

North Liverpool Academy staff offer BioMedical Admissions University Test and Clinical Aptitude Test tutoring.  

These are often used by universities to help select applicants for medical, dental, biomedical and veterinary degree programmes. They provide an opportunity to stand out from other applicants and demonstrate an aptitude for a demanding programme of study. 

The A-level teachers support scholars with extra tutoring sessions, stretching high-ability students with participation in physics and chemistry Olympiads. 

North Liverpool Academy’s sixth form open evening takes place 2 February 2023.