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’re thrilled to celebrate the journey of Taranpreet, a past student and former Student President, who is inspiring the next generation of learners to achieve their goals at Cadbury Sixth Form College.
Now in her gap year Taranpreet has returned to where it all began – this time as a valued member of our team at The Sandwell Colleges.
During her time as an A Level Geography and BTEC Forensic & Medical Science student, Taranpreet was supported by our incredible learning coaches, who helped her thrive academically and personally. Now, she’s paying it forward, stepping into the role of learning coach herself.
Taranpreet’s story is a testament to the power of opportunities available across The Sandwell Colleges – not only are our teams providing learners with quality learning, but also coaching and mentoring to truly open doors to the next step. She says: “I loved getting involved in college and all the activities it offers to students, such as basketball, and it was this experience that made me reach out to the managers to ask for any opportunities that may become available.”
As we celebrate National Apprenticeship Week 2025, let’s mark the achievements of one of Cadbury Sixth Form College’s amazing alumni, Eniya Ali, who is climbing the career ladder at AutoTrader UK.
Eniya’s journey from junior designer to product designer, has been defined by determination and growth. Balancing her studies with work, she has honed her craft and is now guiding emerging designers, securing a permanent position with the UK’s largest automotive marketplace.
At Cadbury Eniya achieved A*A*A in A Level Graphics, Media and Psychology. She then worked as a freelance graphic designer for a year before joining AutoTrader as an apprentice on a Level 6 digital user experience (UX) degree apprenticeship affiliated with Manchester Metropolitan University. Although she worked 9 to 5, Eniya split her time 80% working and 20% studying towards her degree.
Eniya says: “I felt grateful I was around like-minded people in a similar boat as me. Early careers make up around 10% of the business and very quickly I felt like I belonged to a community. Becoming a graphic designer means I am able to put my design skills and what I learnt in Cadbury College into application, it’s an effective way to learn and grow within the industry and you create real impacts.”
Watch Eniya’s story on YouTube
New beginnings beckon for you at Cadbury Sixth Form College when you apply for a place to start in September 2025.
At Cadbury we pride ourselves on offering school leavers an impressive range in excess of 50 advanced level subjects, in an inspirational recently revamped campus designed to exclusively meet the needs, interests and aspirations of the young adults we serve.
We’re on an ambitious mission to provide expert education, leading to excellent university and employment prospects for our diverse and vibrant community of students.
Whatever their destination, our students leave prepared for their next steps: independent, adaptable and resilient. And you could be joining us this year if you apply to us now.
What are the benefits of getting your application in early?
– You can focus firmly on your exam preparation once you know your college place is confirmed and your future is secure.
– You can make a well-informed decision on which of our 50+ subjects are best for you and tailoring your timetable to include a mixture of practical and theoretical, A Level and BTEC, or all academic routes by researching your choices thoroughly and getting meaningful careers advice from our caring tutors.
Travel Far
Cadbury sixth formers travel all over the city to reach us – anywhere from Solihull, Hall Green, Bordesley, Sutton Coldfield, Redditch and even further afield – to experience our specialist college.
We offer all of our students FREE bus travel, regardless of their financial circumstances, so whether the college is local to you or not, we make it easier for you to get on board.
Professional Growth
Cadbury students are benefiting from our industry-focused learning spaces, employer connections and wraparound careers and pastoral support as part of our Young Professionals Academy, gaining professional growth and career opportunities.
Hamilton star Khalid Daley, BBC football expert Eniola Aluko, Birmingham Poet Laureate Casey Bailey and Auto Trader UK product design apprentice Eniya Ali are just some of our amazingly successful alumni who started their journey with Cadbury.
Launch Pad
Discover why Cadbury is the best place to launch your career after leaving school, and how T Levels will give you that much needed head-start in Health, Research Science, Digital, Education, Childcare, Broadcast Media, Business Leadership and Law, by signing up for our T Level Tuesday Talk & Tour on 11 March. Select a 5pm or 6.15pm arrival slot and come and explore our new multi-million pound facilities at Cadbury.
Lydia Maher, Principal of Cadbury Sixth Form College, says: “At Cadbury Sixth Form College we are able to offer an inclusive, nurturing, and aspirational environment for young people to flourish in. We want to unlock the full potential of every single learner, ensuring that they leave us fully prepared for a bright and successful future. Whatever your plans might be, we’re here and ready to help – so there’s no better time to apply for every exciting opportunity available.”
Catch up on the latest from our Cadbury community, accelerate your career and apply now for 2025.
