News
New £6.6 million STEM Centre at Cadbury
A new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) Centre has opened to its very first students at Cadbury Sixth Form College.
Due to the overwhelming demand for places at Cadbury Sixth Form College, the £6.6 million centre is focused on delivering a new technical curriculum, responding to a growing demand for specialist teaching facilities and learning for students. The centre aims to ensure that Cadbury Sixth Form College can offer students the broadest choice of advanced courses, including A levels, T Levels and vocational qualifications, across Birmingham.
The 1,000 sqm, two storey STEM Centre supports the education of young people looking to enter careers in advanced manufacturing, life sciences and other critical sectors of the economy. It houses dedicated suites for Digital Media, Health, Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Employee Engagement. Digital learning labs and VR suites will offer robotics and coding opportunities for new T Level and A Level courses, alongside a media suite, a practical healthcare learning space, extended classrooms and flexible study and social spaces.
The project marks Phase 2 of Cadbury College’s ambition to position itself to support as many young people as possible who aspire to advanced learning and university; and continues the multi-year investment following the opening of its £3.5 million Science City facilities in 2021. This new facility will support the growing need for new skills and jobs across Birmingham and the West Midlands for both universities and employers.
Julia Stevens, Principal of Cadbury Sixth Form College, commented: “We’re so excited to open the doors to our new STEM Centre, providing local students with even more opportunities to study in state-of-the-art facilities.
“The new building allows students to get hands on and see what their industry looks like, preparing them for life after college – whether that be for university or straight into employment. By providing specialist teaching facilities in growth areas such as advanced manufacturing and life sciences, the new STEM Centre will be a huge benefit to the wider community and the regional economy.”
To find out more about the new STEM Centre at Cadbury College, sign up now for one of our next open days.
Images © Speller Metcalfe
Cadbury 2023 Wrapped!
Excellent Results
We celebrated record results this year at Cadbury and our pass rate went UP for the third year running!
BBC Breakfast visited us ahead of A Level Results Day to film an interview with our student Zeeshan, who was nervously (but confidently!) awaiting his exam grades.
Among our star students were:
• Florida who achieved A*AA and is now at the University of Birmingham studying Biochemistry
• Arun who got AAA and is now studying Law at the University of Nottingham
• Sherika who achieved A*AB and started an apprenticeship with tax, audit and advisory firm Grant Thornton
• T Level students Lucy and Jessica, who both achieved Distinctions. Lucy is now studying Primary Education at Manchester Metropolitan University and Jessica is studying Counselling at Newman University.
New Developments
Our state-of-the-art STEM centre is now complete and students are now beginning their first year of studies in this brand-new £10 million Science City campus.
Perfect Partnerships
Thanks to Old Friends Care Ltd – a local domiciliary care company, our Level 3 Health and Social Care students were able to complete their moving and handling training, and learn more about care assistant and care manager job roles in the healthcare industry.
Criminology students had the opportunity to immerse themselves in mock crime scenes and discover the fascinating world of collecting and analysing evidence at a CSI day with CSI Training Events.
Next-Level Events
• Cadbury Culture Day celebrated the amazing diversity of our college.
• King Charles III’s royal representative Deputy Lieutenant Ian Sargeant OBE was a special guest at the Cadbury Big Coronation Party and tree planting ceremony.
• Creative Arts students wrapped up their studies in style with a striking End of Year Show.
Landmark Visits
• Spanish A Level students put their language skills to effective use in Malaga
• English Language & Literature, French, and Early Modern History students explored the cultural and historic sights of Paris
• 3D Design students got a chance to catch the quirky Arnifurniture exhibition at the Design Museum and the inspirational Herzog & De Meuron exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts
• Science students spent an incredible day at BBC Birmingham where they teamed up with BBC STEM Ambassadors, who are experts in using and communicating science
• Performing Arts students went to see an immersive-style production of Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre in London and had fun interacting with the cast members
• Ex-professional football player Luke Staton and entrepreneurial success David Baldwin hosted an Empowerment Day for Business and Finance students. David shared his story of building up his family business and selling it for £250m!
• Stage star Nic Myers worked with our Performing Arts Students on a Cabaret Masterclass. Nic, who has just returned from a four-mouth residency at the Lido in Paris performing in Cabaret, taught students choreography
• Law students from Cadbury got real-life Crown Court experience in a Bar Mock Trial Competition.
Inspirational Projects
Cadbury’s new Fab Lab was awarded funding from Millennium Point to invest in emerging technologies. The funding has been used to set up a 3D Immersive Learning Lab, introducing innovative STEM-related learning projects, such as virtual reality programming.
Stars of Tomorrow
• One of Cadbury’s Star Alumni Khalid Daley – currently starring in Hamilton – returned from the West End to run a musical theatre masterclass for Performing Arts students
• Science student Zainab Mallah was one of the 2023 finalists for Further Education/Higher Education Student of the Year in the Titan Awards at Aston University.
We’re looking forward to even more in 2024! Join us on our journey 😊
Science Students Sharpen STEM Communication Skills in BBC TV Studios
A Level Science students from Cadbury got a masterclass in sharpening their communication skills at the BBC – winning a film production challenge.
Going behind the scenes of the live lunchtime broadcast of Midlands Today, students got to meet the programme’s regional news presenter and production team. They were also able to use the studio and had the help of the teams and equipment to script, make and perform their own short film clip.
Cadbury emerged winners of the production challenge, outshining two other school sixth form groups.
BBC STEM Ambassadors, who use or communicate Science in their roles, talked students through the skills needed to become brilliant Science communicators, plus the importance of providing researched, factual and evidenced scientific information to a vast range of audiences for many different purposes.
Cadbury Science Team said: “It really was a fantastic day and the students all got a lot out of it. They were incredibly engaged and gave a lot of smart responses to the ambassadors’ questions and asked insightful questions.”
Deputy Principal Ian Vogel said: “The BBC event looked absolutely incredible – and what a great experience for those students. It will have been inspirational for them and something that they will treasure forever.”
Older News & Event Articles
We are pleased to announce the launch of SafeHaven, a new initiative created in partnership with Cadbury Sixth Form College, which will empower local youth through creative arts, sports, and community-building activities.
SafeHaven will provide a safe and inspiring environment for young people at Cadbury Sixth Form College with free entry for ages 9-17. The programme aims to foster self-expression, resilience, and teamwork among young people through a wide range of activities, from music production to sports and visual arts.
The initiative will run twice a week, offering tailored sessions to engage both primary and secondary school students. Mondays (4PM – 6PM) will feature activities for primary students ages 9-13, while Wednesdays (4PM – 6PM) will be focused on secondary students ages 13-17.
Each session provides participants with exciting opportunities to explore new skills and hobbies, including multi-sports, arts and crafts, music production, drama, console gaming, and Warhammer. Workshops will also feature hip-hop, graffiti, and drawing sessions led by Creative Birmingham Arts Therapy UK, encouraging creativity and cultural expression.
West Midlands Police played a pivotal role in securing funding from Clarion Housing, which was used for resources such as uniforms and gaming equipment, which will enhance the programme’s accessibility and engagement.
PC Constable Matt Shakespeare, West Midlands Police, said: “SafeHaven is a wonderful initiative that will provide young people with positive outlets for self-expression and growth. Our collaboration with Cadbury Sixth Form College on this project reinforces our commitment to supporting Birmingham’s youth and fostering a safer, more connected community.”
Lydia Maher, Principal at Cadbury Sixth Form College comments: “We are delighted to launch SafeHaven as a space where young people can feel empowered, safe, and inspired. This project aligns with our mission to not only educate but to actively engage with the community and help build brighter futures for the young people in our local area.”
This initiative will be a significant addition to Cadbury Sixth Form College’s community offerings. To book your space, please click here.
An incredibly exciting and pioneering new partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome is set to give Sandwell College and Cadbury Sixth Form College learners exclusive access to one of the city’s biggest theatre brands.
Creative Arts leaders at the college are embracing the extremely promising prospects of the partnership and the vital insights into the performing arts industry it will give to current and prospective students.
Valuable work experience opportunities will be a major plus for Performing Arts and Musical Theatre students keen to experience life in the spotlight.
Learners will also benefit from behind-the-scenes access to theatre productions and companies, and special appreciation of what goes into set construction and assembly, scenic painting and prop-making.
As a taster of what the future has in store, Sandwell Performing Arts students were recently treated to an exclusive preview of musical spectacular Play On! at the Hippodrome.
Set in the jazz scene of New York’s Cotton Club, this stylish retelling of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, directed by Talawa’s Artistic Director Michael Buffong, fuses the thrilling music of Duke Ellington with street dance choreography.
Michelle King, Sandwell College’s Head of Creative Industries, said: “This new partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome is incredibly exciting for us – it will allow our current and prospective students to gain valuable experiences and insights into the performing arts industry, providing them with exclusive access to one of Birmingham’s biggest theatre brands and internationally-renowned productions and companies. We can’t wait to develop our relationship with the Hippodrome and offer so many more opportunities as part of the creative industries curriculum.”
Chris Sudworth, Birmingham Hippodrome’s Creative Director concluded: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Sandwell College and Cadbury Sixth Form College to inspire the next generation of creative talent. By providing exclusive access to our productions, backstage experiences, and industry expertise, we aim to ignite students’ passion for the performing arts and equip them with the skills and confidence to pursue their dreams. Collaborations like this are vital in nurturing a vibrant arts community, and we are excited to see the incredible opportunities this partnership will bring to life.”
A talented linguist from Cadbury Sixth Form College has achieved national recognition, winning the prestigious Stephen Spender Trust Prize for Poetry in Translation: KS5 Portuguese Spotlight.
Dennis Casey’s translation of Fernando Pessoa’s Mar Português, will be published in the Stephen Spender Trust Prizewinners’ Booklet 2024 and online. This achievement is particularly remarkable as Dennis had no previous knowledge of the Portuguese language.
Dennis, who is studying A-Levels in French, Philosophy, Maths & EPQ, expressed delight at the accolade.
“I was really surprised to have won this award, especially given that I’ve never studied Portuguese before. The fact that it was on a national scale as well was massive – I definitely wasn’t expecting to win.”
The competition required participants to translate a poem and provide a creative interpretation that captured its essence. At last week’s online award celebration, the judge spoke warmly of the sensitivity of language used in Dennis’ translation, and in the
remarkable watercolour with its striking image that Dennis painted for the creative response activity.
Reflecting on life at Cadbury Sixth Form College, Dennis credited the Languages department’s supportive environment and enriching activities for nurturing linguistic passion and skills.
“The Languages department is a community – we do a lot of extra-curricular and enrichment activities that have boosted my confidence socially as well. This year, I am a Languages Mentor helping within the department, and one of my roles is as editor of our multilingual poetry anthology.”
Sue Simson, Languages Lecturer, who organised entries to the competition, was delighted at the result: “we are very proud of Dennis’ superb achievement in gaining this outstanding award. It is well deserved, and I hope it will inspire Dennis to further literary heights in the future.”
Lydia Maher, Principal of Cadbury Sixth Form College, also commended on Dennis’ accomplishment:
“This national recognition is a reflection of the dedication and excellence we cultivate at Cadbury Sixth Form College. Dennis’ achievement not only highlights his exceptional ability but also the outstanding support and opportunities provided by our Languages department. We are incredibly proud of him and look forward to seeing his continued success.”
For further information about Cadbury Sixth Form College and its Languages department, visit www.cadcol.ac.uk.
