SGS Berkeley Green UTC Review 2026: Technical secondary with strong employer links

For families who want a 14–19 route that feels closer to industry than a conventional secondary, this University Technical College (UTC) is built around two clear priorities, engineering and cyber or digital. The setting matters: it sits within the Gloucestershire Science and Technology Park, with sponsors that include South Gloucestershire and Stroud College and the University of Gloucestershire, and an employer network that spans engineering, aerospace, construction and cyber assurance.

The most recent Ofsted inspection (15–16 February 2022) judged the UTC Good across all areas, including sixth form provision.

Entry is at Year 10 and Year 12, which means families are making an intentional switch midstream. That is the main trade-off. In return, students get a timetable designed for specialist learning, structured employer input, and facilities that are unusual for a state-funded school.

This is a school organised around professional habits rather than traditional secondary rhythms. The day is longer than most, and the culture leans into routines that prepare students for interviews, project briefs and deadlines. Ofsted describes staff treating learners as young adults and links this to mature behaviour and a calm learning environment.

The scale is also different from a large comprehensive. Students travel in from a wide area, including by bus from many localities, so friendship groups tend to form around shared interests as much as neighbourhood ties. Ofsted noted students arriving on buses from over 40 locations across Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire.

Leadership is currently under Headteacher Gareth Lister. The school’s leadership profile notes he has been part of the senior leadership team since the UTC opened.

One useful context point for parents reading older documents: the 2022 Ofsted report lists a different headteacher at that time, reflecting how quickly leadership can evolve in a newer institution.

Because this is a UTC, it is best understood through two lenses: mainstream school measures, and the specialist pathway students choose alongside them.

At GCSE level, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 45. Progress 8 is -0.27. The average EBacc point score is 3.56, and the proportion achieving grades 5+ in the EBacc measure is recorded as 0.

These figures indicate that outcomes are mixed across cohorts, which is not unusual for smaller, specialist providers where year-group size and intake variability can shift results materially from one year to the next.

On the FindMySchool GCSE ranking, the school is ranked 2905th in England and 2nd locally for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This sits below England average overall, placing it within the bottom 40% of schools in England on that measure.

A separate composite measure that combines GCSE and A-level outcomes places the school at 1294th in England.

At sixth form, performance sits closer to the middle of the pack. The FindMySchool A-level ranking places the school 1325th in England and 1st locally for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), which aligns with performance in the middle 35% of schools in England.

The grade profile shows A* at 8.97%, A at 11.54%, B at 21.79%, and A*–B at 42.31%.

What this means for families: if you are considering the UTC mainly for headline exam results, it is important to look closely at the full picture. If you are considering it for a technical route with high employer exposure and a more applied style of learning, the outcomes discussion should be broadened beyond raw grades to include destinations and skills development.

The core promise is a standard GCSE and post-16 offer, with specialist learning built in deliberately rather than bolted on. At Key Stage 4, the published curriculum includes GCSE English, maths and science, with options that reflect the specialisms, including Engineering, Cyber Forensics, Creative iMedia, Computer Science, Design Technology and Enterprise, alongside humanities options such as geography and history.

The specialist facilities are central to how teaching is delivered. In cyber and digital, the school highlights its Security Operations Centre (SOC), designed to let students practise with industry-standard tools in a controlled lab environment, including work that involves firewalls and network configuration.

In engineering, the school describes an “Engineering Barn” designed as a practical working environment, supported by workshop investment that has included CNC machines, lathes and millers.

Ofsted’s account of teaching is broadly encouraging on subject expertise. It notes that many teachers have prior industry experience and use this to make learning feel connected to real work. It also identifies a practical improvement point: some younger students and parents wanted clearer communication about curriculum sequencing and what is being taught when.

For parents, that implies a sensible question for open events: how the school now shares curriculum plans and how it helps Year 10 joiners understand the “why” behind content timing.

Where Students Go Next

UTC destinations tend to be more varied than a single-track sixth form, and this school’s data reflects that mix.

For the 2023/24 leavers cohort (size 57), 21% progressed to university, 28% to apprenticeships, 30% to employment, and 4% to further education.

This distribution fits the UTC model, where apprenticeships and employment are treated as first-choice outcomes rather than fallbacks, and where students are expected to build work readiness earlier than in many mainstream settings.

The school’s own materials emphasise industry engagement as a normal part of student experience, including employer-led projects, workplace visits and structured work experience.

For families, the practical implication is that a student who wants an apprenticeship or a degree apprenticeship should find plenty of reinforcement here, but a student who wants a purely academic sixth form experience with minimal vocational content may prefer a different setting.

This is not a Year 7 intake school. The two main entry points are Year 10 (age 14) and Year 12 (age 16). Applications are managed directly by the UTC rather than through standard coordinated secondary transfer.

For Year 10 entry, the published admission number is 130. The admissions policy sets out a specific deadline: 31 December 2025 for Year 10 applications for September 2026 entry.

If the UTC is oversubscribed, the policy prioritises looked-after or previously looked-after children, then allocates up to 60% of remaining places to an inner catchment defined as within 15 miles (straight-line distance) of the UTC, with remaining places for those outside that area. Notably, the policy states it does not prioritise siblings of current or former students.

For Year 12 entry, there are multiple pathways and course-level requirements, but the minimum academic entry requirement stated for Level 3 courses is five GCSEs at grade 4 or above, with additional subject requirements depending on the chosen programme.

Families should treat Year 12 entry as a deliberate pathway choice: academic A-level study in STEM subjects is part of the offer, but technical qualifications and hybrid combinations are integral to the model.

Open events and tours matter more here than for many schools, because you are assessing fit rather than simply comparing local options. The school publishes open event dates, including 24 January 2026 and 30 April 2026, and also offers headteacher-led tours on Friday mornings on set dates.

Parents considering the switch should use open events to test practicalities such as commute time, expectations around professionalism, and how quickly new joiners settle academically and socially.

A final practical tool: families can use the FindMySchoolMap Search to sanity-check travel distance and routing from home, then compare this with the UTC’s admissions distance approach and transport arrangements.

The pastoral model follows a “school plus workplace readiness” logic. Students are expected to handle responsibility, but the school also describes structured support, including a pastoral support area and safeguarding leadership capacity.

Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with thorough recruitment checks and timely identification of vulnerable pupils, supported by multi-agency working across local authorities.

For parents, the most relevant implication is that the school has systems designed for a geographically dispersed intake, where safeguarding and wellbeing need to operate reliably even when students’ home contexts and travel patterns differ significantly.

Enrichment here is not generic. It is designed to reinforce engineering, digital and employability, with options that look more like a blend of clubs and skill development.

At Key Stage 4, enrichment options listed by the school include chess, Warhammer and Dungeons and Dragons, technical sessions such as coding and model making, yoga, first aid, a local history club, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

The implication is that students can find social belonging quickly through interest-based groups, which is useful when many join from different schools and towns at 14.

At Key Stage 5, enrichment leans more strongly into technical depth: CAD club, F1 in Schools, go-kart design and build, robotics, drone building, web design, and certification routes including Cisco NetAcad and Immersive Labs.

This supports a clear progression story for apprenticeships and technical degrees, because students are accumulating relevant portfolio evidence rather than only exam grades.

Employer participation is not abstract. The school publishes a list of supporting employers, including MOOG, GE Aerospace, AtkinsRéalis, Kohler Mira, Waterman Aspen, Versarien PLC, Origin8tive and ZeroAvia.

For families, this matters because it increases the likelihood that employer projects, mentoring and work experience feel authentic and current, rather than a one-off annual careers day.

The school day starts at 9:00. For Key Stage 4, the timetable runs until 16:20 Monday to Thursday, with Friday structured differently, with students finishing earlier while staff training runs in the afternoon.

For Key Stage 5, the day also begins at 9:00, with a timetable that varies by day and includes dedicated tutor time and a structured lunch break.

Transport is a genuine consideration because intake is drawn from a wide geographic area. The school provides guidance on bus travel and notes that some students may be eligible for financial assistance with transport.

Parents should treat the commute as part of the offer: a longer day combined with travel requires resilience and good routine management.

• Midstream entry is a real reset. Joining at Year 10 or Year 12 can be a positive fresh start, but it also means changing peer group and adapting quickly to new expectations around professionalism and workload.

• Specialism fit matters. Students who are lukewarm about engineering or cyber may struggle to sustain motivation, because the model allocates significant time and cultural emphasis to these areas.

• Exam outcomes are not the main headline. GCSE measures are mixed in the published data, so families should focus on whether the technical curriculum, facilities and destinations match their child’s plan.

• Travel time compounds the long day. With many students travelling by bus from a wide area, routine, punctuality and energy management need to be realistic for your household.

This UTC suits students who actively want a technical, employer-connected route and who will respond well to being treated as a young adult with clear expectations. It can be an excellent match for future engineers, cyber specialists and students aiming for apprenticeships or applied STEM degrees, especially those who would benefit from a more purposeful environment than their current school.

It is less well suited to students who want a conventional secondary experience, or who prefer a purely academic sixth form culture with minimal technical content. The key decision is not simply “is it good”, it is “is it the right model for my child at 14 or 16”.